Cardfight! Vanguard: Bonds Beyond the Cosmos
by TheSib
Summary: (Co-written by Deviljho's Hatred) Aurora was an average everyday high school girl. But a mysterious encounter with a little girl and a brand new clan that no one has ever seen pulls her into a world of adventure and action. Now she must fight to get some answers to the questions she has. I do not own Cardfight! Vanguard. All rights go to their respective owners.
1. Fated Meeting

**A/N: Hey readers, this is a new fic that Deviljho's Hatred and I decided to try write, as we are both fans of the game and anime. I hope you all enjoy it.**

 _Millions of people around the world are playing trading card games._

 _Out of all of them, there's one that's the most popular among them all. Cardfight! Vanguard._

 _I never would have thought a simple game would have such a huge impact on my life._

 _I know what you're thinking, this all sounds familiar._

 _But this is a different story. My story._

* * *

"Alright class, that's all for today." the teacher said. "We'll continue from here tomorrow."

The class all got up from their seats and gathered their things before walking out of the room. One girl in particular had two of her friends come over to her.

"Hey Aurora. You wanna hang out? We can go to the mall and do some shopping."

The girl named Aurora shook her head. She had blonde hair that flowed down about halfway down her back and bright blue eyes that twinkled like stars. "Sorry, I can't. I'm busy down at the shop with dad. A new order is coming in today and he needs help setting everything up."

"Really? That's a shame." her friend said. "Alright then. See you tomorrow, Aurora."

Aurora waved goodbye to her friends as she left school and headed to the store her father owned. It was a card shop, nothing too special about it. Small and simple, in fact she and her father were the only ones that worked there. But it was still a place that made her happy, because it was the only place in town where she could play her favorite game. Cardfight! Vanguard.

' _I wonder who's gonna be there today.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _I know I owe Anthony a butt kicking for last week's tournament. Pulling a double critical when I'm at 3 damage. Only that guy would get so lucky.'_

Vanguard was one of the few things that made Aurora feel alive. She had learned the game from her father years ago when she was younger. He had been the one to raise her for as long as she had known after all. Her mother had died not long after she was born, so Aurora had no memories of her. But that didn't make her too depressed. She loved her dad, and was always there to help him out.

Finally she arrived at the shop. She opened the door and was greeted by the sight of her father holding up two boxes that were clearly too heavy for him.

"Aurora dear. Perfect timing." her father said, struggling not to drop the boxes. "Could you grab one of these for me?"

The teenage girl let out a sigh. "Dad, what have I told you about doing more than you can handle?" She walked up and grabbed the top box. "Alright, where are these going?"

"Just put them on the counter for now."

Aurora did as she was told and placed the box on the store counter. Her father put the remaining ones right next to it.

"Phew, thanks for that sweetie." her father said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

"You would have had to get help from another person that actually has common sense?"

The man shot his daughter a knowing smile. "Alright young lady, enough of the sass. Hurry up and get changed."

"You got it boss." Aurora said as she went into the employee room. She changed out of her school uniform and into her work uniform, complete with the store's apron. Putting her school bag to the side, Aurora walked out of the room.

"Alright dad, what do you need me to-" The teen stopped talking when she came out and found no one there. Her father was gone, along with the two or three customers that had been there when she had left to get changed.

"Dad? Anyone? Hello?" Aurora called out. No response came. Now things were really starting to get freaky. "Dad, if this is some kind of prank, you better knock it off." she said. Still, not a sound was heard.

Aurora looked around the store, but couldn't find anyone. Just as she was contemplating what to do about this, the door to the shop opened. A young girl, looking not much older than 12 years old walked in. She had long silver hair, going almost all the way down to her feet, and eyes of a similar color.

"Hello there." the young girl said.

"Umm… hi." Aurora greeted. "Sorry, you kinda came at a bad time. The manager's gone and I can't seem to find him. Is there something you need."

"Actually, I was hoping you might know about this." the girl said, holding up a deck of Vanguard cards. "I'm looking for an opponent. Do you play?"

"Y-Yeah. I do." Aurora nodded. This was really starting to get freaky. First everyone in the shop pulls a houdini on her. And next, some strange girl that she had never seen before comes and wants a cardfight.

"That's good. Why don't we get started." the girl said, walking over to a table. She placed her deck and stood at the ready.

There was nothing else Aurora could do right now, and she had a sneaking suspicion this girl had something to do with everyone's disappearance. That left only one option. "You're on. But fair warning, I won't go easy on you."

"Likewise. Feel free to come at me with everything you've got."

Aurora walked and stood at the other end of the fight table. She placed her deck on it and put her starting Vanguard on the appropriate circle. Both players drew their opening hands. "You ready?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. Now we can begin."

Before Aurora could say anything else, she saw the girl's eyes flash. She became blinded with a bright light as she brought her arm up to shield her eyes. "What's going on?!"

When the light died down and Aurora could finally see again, she gasped. Their location had completely changed. They were no longer in the card shop her family owned. Instead, they were standing out in the middle of space. Stars dotted the area around them as Aurora tried to make sense of this.

"What the heck?!" Aurora exclaimed. "What happened?! Where are we?!"

"There is no need for concern." the little girl said, catching Aurora's attention. "We are not actually in space. This is the world created by our imaginations."

Aurora knew for sure now that something was up. "Just who in the world are you?"

"I'm simply someone who enjoys Vanguard, just like you." she said. "You may call me Yukari."

"And just how did you do all of this?"

"That's something you don't need to know yet." Yukari told her. "Now then, it's time for the fight to begin."

As she said this, her half of the Vanguard field appeared in front of her like a floating mat of light. The cards that had been in her starting hand appeared in her grasp. Aurora didn't know what was going on, but she had never been one to back down from a cardfight. ' _Besides, it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice here.'_ Calling out in unison, the two players began the cardfight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

As if on command, two pillars of light shot up and revealed the starting Vanguards of both fighters.

"Young Blaufetter!"

 **Young Blaufetter**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Prophecy Child, Atmos."

 **Prophecy Child, Atmos**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

Aurora widened her eyes when she saw Yukari's unit. It had a slim yellow and white figure, holding a white orb in between its hands. "What unit is that? I've never even heard of it before."

"It's a Cray Elemental." Yukair explained. "My entire deck revolves around them."

"A deck filled with nothing but Cray Elementals? Is that even possible?"

"I think you'll find that it is."

Aurora thought to herself. She couldn't think of anyone building a deck out of Cray Elementals before. The most notable problem was that there were no grade 3s for them. But if she had this unit that she had never seen before, what was to say that there weren't other cards in that deck that she had no idea about either.

"You may take the first turn if you wish." Yukari told her.

"Alright then. Stand and draw." Aurora said, drawing the top card from her deck and placing it into her hand. "I ride Vesta Blauklinge. Blaufetter moves back with forerunner."

 **Vesta Blauklinge**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

Just like that, the unit that had been standing up front was replaced by Aurora's new vanguard. But it soon re-appeared right behind it due to the forerunner skill.

"Turn end."

"My turn then." Yukari said, drawing a card. "I ride New Star, Atmos."

 **New Star, Atmos**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

Yukari's vanguard was replaced by a slightly older-looking version of itself. This time there were two orbs in its possession, one in each hand. Aurora also noticed that her grade 0 hadn't moved from the soul to a rearguard circle. ' _Is it a ride chain deck, then?'_

"New Star's skill. Since Prophecy Child is in the soul or face up in the G Zone, its power increases by 1000, bringing it up to 8000 base." Yukari explained. "Next I call Air Elemental, Fwarlun."

At Atmos's side appeared a small green fairy-like creature. But unlike the first two cards Yukari had played, this was one Aurora recognized.

' _Ok so there are some units she's using that aren't brand new to me.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But what was with that grade 1 Atmos's skill? Why would a grade 0 be in the G Zone?'_

Aurora didn't have much time to ponder her opponent's odd deck as Yukair went on the offensive. "Fwarlun attacks your vanguard."

"No guard."

Yukari's unit moved in and blasted Blauklinge with a gust of wind. Aurora took her damage. "Damage check. No trigger."

"Good. Next Atmos will attack." Yukair declared.

Aurora quickly played a card from her hand. "I guard with Saar Blauglanz!"

"Very well then. Drive check." Yukari turned over the top card of her deck. "Thunder Element Gororo. It's a critical trigger. What a shame. Even with the power boost, Atmos's attack won't go through. I guess my turn's over."

Aurora let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that she had played that guard when she did. Otherwise, the game would be 0-3 with her at the losing end.

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Mars Blaukluger."

As Aurora rose her unit, Yukari made a comment. "So is this your favorite deck?"

"Huh?"

"The deck your using. Blau series. Nova Grappler clan. They're your favorite?"

"Well… yeah, I guess you could say that." Aurora confirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"Any particular reason you like them?"

"My reason? Well I guess you could say Nova Grappler fits my playstyle. And I like the Blau theme. How they're named after planets."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I've always loved star gazing. I'd see stars twinkling in the sky and wished I could fly around the cosmos with them." she smiled nostalgically. Her face soon turned into a more serious expression. "Why are you asking me all this? And why did you challenge me to this fight?"

"All in due time, Aurora."

"Wait… How did you know my name?" The silence coming from Yukari told Aurora she wasn't going to get an answer from her. "Fine then. I'll just have to make you tell me then." Aurora knew it was time to go on the attack. "Call! Regia Blaulanze and Uranus Blaukluger! Regia attacks Atmos!"

 **Reiga Blaulanze**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

 **Uranus Blaukluger**

 **Grade: 2, Power 9000**

"No guard. Damage check. No trigger."

"Next up, Mars attacks with a boost from Blaufetter."

"No guard." Yukari said again.

"Drive check." Aurora declared. She performed her check, but failed to get a trigger unit.

Yukari did her damage check. "Stand Trigger. I give the power to Atmos."

Aurora cursed her luck. Her remaining unit wouldn't be able to hit Yukari's vanguard now. "Uranus Blaukluger attacks Fwarlun then."

"Guard." Yukari said, placing a 5000 point shield.

' _Well I dealt two damage. That should be good enough for now.'_ Aurora thought to herself. "Turn end."

"It's my turn then. Stand and draw." Yukari said, adding a card to her hand. "I ride Potential Element, Atmos." Once again, a more grown up version of the unit before appeared. This one seemed like a young adult version of her vanguard. Four orbs were present on this one, with two orbs orbiting around each arm.

 **Potential Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Prophecy Child and New Star Atmos are either in my soul or face up in my G Zone, so just like before, my vanguard receives an additional 1000 power, bringing it up to a 10000 base." Yukari explained. "Next I move Fwarlun back and call Thunder Element, Volt."

Next to Atmos, a new unit appeared. This one had a slim figure and what looked like headphones in its ears. Electricity flowed around its body and seemed to be discharged from the palms of its hands.

 **Thunder Element, Volt**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _Yet another mystery unit.'_ Aurora thought.

"First, Atmos will attack your Vanguard." Yukari said.

"No guard."

"Drive check." Yukari said. A grin came to her face when she revealed the top card. "Life Element, Yggdrasil. It's a heal trigger. I recover one damage and add 5000 power to Volt."

Aurora watched as the game suddenly turned in Yukari's favor, a score of 2-1 with Aurora not getting a damage trigger. And Yukari wasn't done attacking.

"Next, Volt will attack with a boost from Fwarlun."

Aurora knew she couldn't afford to waste 15000 shield so early in the game. "No guard."

Another card went to Aurora's damage zone, bringing her to 3 damage. "I believe that will be all for now." Yukari said. "I end my turn."

"Alright then, it's my turn." Aurora said. Once she drew for her turn, she held one of the cards in her hand out. "Defender of the cosmos, now is the time to fight! I ride Neumond Blaukluger!"

 **Neumond Blaukluger**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Next I call Venus Blaukluger." Aurora said, placing the unit directly behind Uranus Blaukluger on her field. "Regia Blaulanze attacks Volt."

"I guard." Yukari said, placing a grade 2 from her hand with 5000 shield.

"Next up is an attack from Neumond, boosted by Blaufetter. And I activate Blaulanze's skill. I counterblast and soulblast to stand Blaulanze and add 2000 power."

"No guard."

"Alright then, twin drive!" Aurora turned the first card over. "Critical trigger! Power to Blaulanze and the critical to my Vanguard." Next was the second check. "Heal trigger! Power to Uranus, and I recover one!"

"Damage check. Draw trigger." Yukari said, revealing the card. "I give the power to my vanguard and draw. Second check. No trigger."

The next two attacks came at Yukari. She guarded Blaulanze's attack with a critical trigger in her hand, but let Uranus's attack through, bringing her to 4 damage.

"How'd you like that?" Aurora said with a smirk. "I'm just getting warmed up."

"You certainly are outgoing. You truly are just like her."

"Her? Who are you talking about."

Yukari ignored the question as she started her turn. "Stand and draw." The silver haired girl took a crd in her hand and held it up in the air. "Herald of peace, shine your light on this world. Let your light inspire those around you. I ride Prophecy Element, Atmos!"

Just like before, a brand new version of her vanguard appeared. This one seemed to be the adult version of Atmos. The orbs this time seemed like parts of its body. A red orb and blue orb connected its arms to the main body while a green orb and a yellow orb did the same for its legs. Implanted in the center of its chest was a shining white orb.

Aurora stared at the unit's majestic beauty. ' _So this is Atmos's grade 3 form…'_

 **Prophecy Element, Atmos**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done yet." Yukari said. "Generation Zone, release! Stride Generation!" A pillar of light shot up, engulfing Atmos. When the light finally subsided, a brand new unit was standing where Atmos had just been. It was a giant white figure that gave off an intimidating presence. "Cosmic Element, Paleos!"

 **Cosmic Element, Paleos**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"In addition, with Atmos's skill, since I have all the other versions of Atmos in my soul or face up in my G Zone, I can send the cards I discard for the cost of striding to my G Zone face up instead."

Aurora's eyes widened. "What?!"

"There's more. Atmos's stride skill. Counterblast." Yukari turned a card over in her damage zone. "During this turn, Thunder Element, Volt can become Beaconed without paying the cost."

"Beaconed?" Aurora questioned.

"Allow me to show you." Yukari told her opponent. "Call, Potential Element, Atmos." With that, the grade 2 version of Atmos appeared at the top left column, giving Yukari a full front row. "This unit has the Beacon skill. I take a face up card from my G Zone and bind it until the end of my turn. In exchange, the unit gains a skill."

' _So that's it.'_ Aurora realized. ' _She uses skills to send her units to the G Zone so she can activate her Beacon.'_

"Volt's skill. If he's Beaconed, I can look at the top 2 cards of my deck, select any Cray Elementals among them and send them to the G Zone face up." Yukari looked at the top two cards, sending both to the G Zone. "The cards sent there with this skill go to the drop Zone at the end of my turn."

' _She paid for her stride cost with a grade 3. So now there's 2 face up cards in her G Zone, after excluding the first one.'_

"Next up is Paleos's skill." Yukari counterblasted one card and turned a copy of Paleos face up in the G Zone. "I look at the top 7 cards of my deck. I then take cards among those up to the number of face up G Units in my G Zone and send them to the G Zone face up." Though there were many cards face up in her G Zone, the Paleos she flipped up was the only G Unit, so she was only able to send one card among the seven. "They go to the drop zone at the end of the turn. In addition, all of my Beaconed units gain 1000 power for every face up card in my G Zone. There are four cards, so that's 4000 to all my Beaconed units. Fwarlun also has a skill that allows it to gain 1000 power for every face up Cray Elemental in my G Zone."

' _So now all of her rear guards have a 4000 power boost.'_ Aurora thought, not liking the situation.

"Potential Element Atmos attacks Neumond." Yukari declared.

"Intercept with Blaulanze."

"Very well, I activate Potential Element's skill." Yukari said. "I send Potential Element to the G Zone face up, and then I can call one grade 3 or lower face up unit in my G Zone other than Potential Element, Atmos. If that card has the Beacon skill, I can Beacon it simply by placing it on the field. I call Sacrifice Element, Totem. Since this unit has the Beacon skill, it becomes Beaconed, gaining the power from Paleos's continuous skill."

 **Sacrifice Element, Totem**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Now I'll have Totem attack your vanguard." Yukari said.

"No guard." Aurora responded. "Damage check. No trigger."

"Next up is my vanguard. Paleos attacks."

"Generation guard!" Aurora declared. "Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison! In addition to that, I guard with Saar Blauglanz!"

Yukari looked at the field. She'd be able to pass through if she got two triggers in her drive checks. "Triple drive. First check. No trigger. Second check. Critical Trigger. Power to Volt and critical to my vanguard."

Aurora widened her eyes. This was a risky move. Yukari only had one more drive check left, and if she didn't pull a trigger, the critical would be wasted on her vanguard. But Yukari didn't seem worried in the slightest.

"Final check." Yukari took a look at the top card of her deck, smirking when she saw it. She revealed the card to her opponent. "Heal trigger."

"No way?!" Aurora gasped.

"Power to Volt. I recover one damage."

Aurora took the powerful attack from her opponent's vanguard. "Damage check." she turned the top two cards over. The first card was a bust, but she got what she needed with the second card. "Critical trigger. Power to my vanguard."

"Volt attacks Neumond."

' _29000 power.'_ Aurora calculated. ' _I'm at 16000. I need 15000 to guard this attack.'_ Quickly grabbing a grade 0 and a grade 1 from her hand, she placed both on the guardian circle. "Guard!"

"Turn end." Yukari said. "The cards I bound for Beacon return face up. Then, all units except for G Units, the ones sent there by paying the cost for stride with Atmos's skill, and the ones returning from exclusion are sent to the drop zone. In addition, Paleos's other skill activates. At the end of the turn, I can take any number of grade 3 or lower cards being sent from the G Zone to the drop zone, up to the number of face up Paleos's in my G Zone, and send them to my hand instead."

Aurora now found herself in a pinch. With the Paleos Yukari flipped up, and the one she strode this turn, that meant 2 cards were going to Yukari's hand. To make matters worse, she was at her limit, sitting at 5 damage, while Yukari only had 3. ' _I've got no choice. I have to end it right here.'_

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora got ready to make her move. "Stride Generation! Sonne Blaukluger!"

The G Unit appeared where her vanguard had been. A smirk came to Aurora's lips. "Hope you're ready. This guy's my finisher."

"Let's see if it can do the job then."

"With pleasure. I activate Uranus's skill! Add 5000 power and a skill! Then I add another 5000 to it with Neumond's stride skill! Next I call Mars Blaukluger!"

' _She has no more cards in her hand.'_ Yukari noticed. ' _She really is trying to end it here. Still...'_

"Mars, attack!"

' _She has a long way to go.'_ "Guard." Yukari said, playing a grade 2 with 5000 shield.

"Boosted by Venus, Uranus Blaukluger attacks!"

"Generation guard! Metal Element Scryew!"

"Sonne attacks! Activating Sonne's skill! I search my deck for a grade 3 Blau unit and add it to my hand."

"Triple drive! First check. No trigger. Second check. No trigger. Third check." A smile came to Aurora's face when she saw the card. "Draw trigger. Power to Blaufetter in the back row. I draw."

"Damage check." Yukari managed to gain a draw trigger, adding another card to her hand.

' _4 damage. Just 2 more to go.'_ Aurora thought to herself. "Sonne's skill! Ultimate break!" Yukari declared. I discard 3 cards from my hand and send Sonne to the G zone face up. Then I can ride a grade 3 from my hand onto the Vanguard at stand position." Yukari held the one card she had in her hand. This was it. The card that would lead her to victory. "Champion of the entire galaxy, crash onto this battlefield and crush my enemies! Superior ride! Galaxy Blaukluger!"

"Not a bad move." Yukari smirked, not seeming worried in the slightest.

"I'm not done." Aurora smirked back. "Neumond's skill. Since Galaxy rode over it, I can stand 4 Blau units and give them all 5000 power. So I'll go ahead and stand all of my rear guards and give them the power. Then Venus's and Mars's skills add even more power to themselves since my vanguard hit."

"And if Galaxy's attack hits, you'll be able to activate another series of skills." Yukari noted.

"That's right. How do you like my finisher? Planetary Bombardment!" Aurora kept up her assault on her opponent. "Mars attacks!"

"Guard."

"Fine then, Uranus is up next!"

"No guard." Yukari took a look at the top card of her deck. "No trigger."

"Last but not least is Galaxy Blaukluger, coming in at 26000 power!"

"The thing about that dangerous on-hit skill-" Yukari said as she grabbed a card from her hand. "It's not dangerous if it doesn't hit." She placed the card on the guardian circle. "Stone Element, Ballista. Perfect guard."

Aurora gritted her teeth. She had hoped to get rid of all the major defensive cards in her opponent's hand during her first onslaught of attacks. Bu she had still managed to keep a perfect guard stashed away for this moment. "Twin drive." Aurora turned over both cards, each of them critical triggers. But with no standing units, they were wasted.

"Turn end." Aurora muttered grimly.

"My turn." Yukari stood her units and drew.

Aurora watched her opponent. Her had had been depleted guarding everything last turn. So if that unit wasn't a grade 3, she wouldn't be able to stride. That was Aurora's only chance at victory.

As if reading Aurora's mind, a smirk came to Yukari's lips. "Prophecy Element, Atmos's Generation Break 2. All of the Cray Elementals in my hand get grade +3 when paying the cost to stride." She took the card in her hand and placed it in the G Zone. "Stride Generation. Cosmic Element, Paleos."

Aurora looked at the cards in her hand. She had thrown away everything in her hand for that turn, leaving her with only the two cards she received from Galaxy Blaukluger's twin drive, and the card she got from her draw trigger during Sonne's attack. She knew she no longer had any chance at winning.

The attacks from Yukari's units came, far too powerful for Aurora to guard. The critical trigger Yukari scored in her triple drive when her vanguard attacked was all that was needed to finish her off and put her at 6 damage.

' _I lost…'_ Aurora thought to herself.

"That was a fun game." Yukari said with a small smile. "It seems looks aren't the only thing you inherited from her."

"Again with the "her". Who is "her"? Who are you talking about?" Aurora asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yukari said. "I'm talking about your mother."

Aurora lost her hold on the cards in her hand as they both fell onto the table. She stared silently at the silver haired girl. "My mother…? You knew my mother…?"

"Knew? What's with the past tense?" Yukari asked.

"Well my mother's dead. She died when I was a baby." Aurora explained.

"Is that what you think?" Yukari asked.

The little girl's words caught Aurora's attention. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yukari looked at Aurora with a knowing grin. "Your mother isn't dead. She's very much alive."

The words rang in Aurora's ears. Alive? Her mother was alive? How could that be? Her father had said she died years ago. If she was alive, then where was she? "How do you know that? Just who in the world are you?"

"That's something you don't need to know yet." Yukari told her. "But I do have a parting gift for you." Before Aurora could say another word, a cluster of light descended from above. It came down to Aurora, who held out her hand as the light fell into it. As it dimmed down, the blonde girl was presented with a Vanguard deck.

"What is this?" Aurora asked. She took a look at the cards, not recognizing any of them. She took a look at what clan they were from and found a name she didn't recognize for them.

' _Star Chaser?'_ She looked over at the girl that had given her this. "What are these units? What is this clan?"

"I can't tell you that I'm afraid." Yukari told her. "If you want to know more, you'll have to fight your way to me. And you'll need those cards to do it." She turned and began to walk away. "I sincerely hope you are able to make your way to me."

"Wait!" Aurora called out, but she was suddenly blinded by a white light.

When she could see again, Aurora found herself back in her family's card shop. She blinked in disbelief, wondering what had just happened. The girl that had been standing across from her was gone without a trace.

' _Was that all just a dream?'_ Aurora asked herself. As she looked down at the table, she was greeted by a sight that proved to her it was no dream. Her deck was fully together on the table. And right next to it was another one. Aurora grabbed the other deck and looked at it, the very same one she had received from Yukari right before the girl vanished.

' _Star Chaser… Just what is this clan?'_ Aurora wondered.

"Ah, Aurora. I see you're all changed." Aurora turned to see her father walk in.

"Dad, did you see someone just leave here? A little girl with long silver hair?"

"Long silver hair? Sorry can't say I did." her father said with a shake of his head. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"Not really." Aurora answered. "Never mind. Forget I asked." She quickly grabbed her deck, along with the new one left with her and put them away. "So what do you need me to do?"

Her father raised a curious brow at his daughter's behavior but shrugged it off. "Just work the register for now. I'm going to do inventory."

"You got it, boss." Aurora said. She stood at the counter as her father went into the other room. Once he was gone, Aurora took another look at the new clan left with her. Star Chaser. As she looked at the first card, her eyes narrowed at the picture of the unit.

It was a teen female with long blonde hair. A long silver sword was in her right hand with a star shaped crossguard. Shooting stars were seen in the background. Aurora couldn't help but notice that the unit seemed to bear a bit of a resemblance to her.

' _Star of Hope, Hikari.'_ Aurora read the name of the unit. ' _A girl with a deck of Cray Elementals. A new clan I've never seen before. And a unit that looks similar to me. Just what is going on?'_

 **A/N: What do you all think so far? I know what you're thinking, a clan of what sounds like space voyagers sounds a lot like the Union Verse clan for the recently published Vanguard manga. The truth is, Deviljho's Hatred and I had the idea for this about a month ago before the details about the Union Verse clan were revealed. The plot of the story needs Star Chaser to be a clan that ventures out into space, so we weren't really able to change it. One difference we can state right now between the two clans is that Star Chasers are originally from Cray, unlike Union Verse. We hope you are able to forgive this as you read and continue the story.**

 **On another note, doing a fic based off of a card game is a first for both me and Deviljho's Hatred. As a result, things might be a bit hard to follow at first during the cardfights. If there is anything we can do to help make the fights clearer (show total power on attacks, show damage and hand count at start of each turn, etc) please let us know either through review or PM. Your input is very much appreciated and if there is anyway for us to make this fic more enjoyable for you all, we are more than happy to try it out.**

 **One more thing before I end here. Starting next chapter, at the end of each chapter we will be putting full "official" skills of all original units for this fic as they are introduced each chapter.**

 **Next time: Roar of the Thunder**


	2. Roar of The Thunder

**A/N: Hey readers. Glad to see the support this has so far. I'm going to be considering your comments on how to describe the fight throughout these first few chapters. It might change a bit here and there until Deviljho's Hatred and I find a style that fits. Feel free to give us any ideas you may have via reviews or PM.**

 **Also, starting with this chapter, there will be a card gallery at the end of each chapter, showing off the "official" skills of any units that premiered in the chapter that are unique to this story. We hope that this will make it easier later on to understand what the cards do without spoiling anything mid-game.**

Night darkened the sky as Aurora sat on her bed in her room. All she had done since dinner was stare at the cards in the mystery deck left to her. None of the units were ones she had seen before. That only made sense though, since she had never even heard of this clan before to begin with.

' _I think I've got a decent idea on how this deck works now that I've read their skills.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But still, why me? Who was that girl? And why did she leave this deck with me?'_

One unit in particular had her interest more than any of the other cards in the deck. Star of Hope, Hikari. No matter how she looked at it, the unit looked so similar to her. It wasn't close enough to be an exact replica, there were small differences in the face and other features. But it was still an uncanny resemblance.

Suddenly a knock was heard at the door of her room. "Aurora, can I come in?"

"Yeah dad." she answered.

Her father opened the door and walked in. "You doing homework? Sorry if I'm interrupting."

Aurora shook her head. "No, I already finished it. I'm just going over my deck."

"Ah, I see." the older man said. "You get a new idea for your Nova Grapplers?"

"Something like that." Aurora lied. She couldn't very well tell her father about the new mystery clan and how she had got it. There would be too many questions and frankly she didn't have answers to most of them herself.

"You can always playtest it against me if you want." he offered.

"Nah, I'm good. Besides, I know your deck too well. I'd cream you." Aurora said with a teasing grin.

"Ouch. Watch it young lady, I still consider myself a pretty good cardfighter." he said with a joking laugh. "Well I'll leave you to it then. Holler if you change your mind."

"... Hey dad?" Aurora asked just before her father left.

"Yes dear?"

"Could… could you tell me about mom?" she asked. "Like what kind of person she was? And… how she died?"

Her father was silent for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden question. "What brought this up all of a sudden?"

"Just curiosity." Aurora answered. "I just feel like I don't know a lot about her."

The older man let out a small sigh as he came in and took a seat on the bed with his daughter. "Your mother… well she was an amazing woman. So kind, and cheerful. A very upbeat person. My times with her were some of the happiest of my life." He smiled as he ruffled his daughter's hair. "I see so much of her in you."

A small smile came to Aurora as she heard this. It was soon replaced with a frown as she asked her next question. "And how she died?"

Her father's expression grimaced too at this. "It was a car accident. You were around a year old at the time." He let out a sigh. "I miss her a lot. Not a day goes by where I don't think about her."

"I see…" Aurora said. "You just don't talk about her a lot."

"It's not easy talking about a person you loved who's gone." her father explained.

Aurora nodded understandingly. "How did you and mom meet? Was she a Vanguard player?"

Her father nodded his head with a smile. "Vanguard was the reason your mother and I met at all. She was a very skilled player, always knew what to do in even the hardest of situations." He smiled as he looked at his daughter. "She could have taught you a lot better than I ever did."

"You still taught me everything I know, and I'd say I'm a pretty good cardfighter." Aurora answered with a grin. "I had a great teacher."

"Thanks sweetie. That means a lot." he said. "Anything else?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, I think I'm good for now. Thanks dad."

"Anytime." he said as he got off the bed. "Good luck fine tuning your deck."

As her father closed the door to her room, Aurora laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She couldn't tell what was truth and what wasn't anymore when it came to her mother. Yukari had told her she was alive, yet her father said she was dead. She didn't know who to believe.

Deciding to get her mind off the subject, Aurora turned on the tv in her room. The first channel to show on the screen was the news. Just as Aurora was about to change it to something else, the subject on the news caught her attention.

"We bring you back to the latest highlight of today's news." the anchorwoman said. "Earlier today, the Tatsunagi Corporation announced it will be sponsoring a world wide tournament for the popular card game Cardfight Vanguard."

The screen switched to an image of a press conference. Camera flashes and mics were seen on screen. "We will now here some words from one of the company's leading executives, Yukari Tatsunagi."

Aurora widened her eyes as a young girl with long silver hair walked up to the podium. The very same girl that had come into the shop the other day.

"The Tatsunagi Corporation has always been a large supporter of Vanguard." Yukari spoke. "To further promote the game and show its popularity worldwide, we believe a gathering of the world's best cardfighters is the best way to do so. Entrees will participate in teams of three players. Anyone is allowed to enter, no matter their skill level. We wish to see famous players from around the world as well as new faces no one has ever heard of. And there is one more important addition I want to announce." Everyone in the audience stayed silent as they waited for what she would reveal. "There is one player in particular that will be using a brand new clan not yet officially released into the game. The identity of that player will remain a secret for now, until they reveal themselves at the tournament."

Gasps followed from the reporters there as a multitude of questions were asked about the mystery clan. Aurora however was silent as she looked at her tv.

' _Me. She's talking about me.'_ Aurora realized. She looked at her deck. ' _Star Chaser. Is this why she gave it to me? But why go to all that trouble? And why me in particular?'_

Suddenly she was reminded of Yukari's words to her. " _If you want to know more, you'll have to fight your way to me. And you'll need those cards to do it."_

' _This is her invitation to me. Her way of telling me how to get to her again.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _This may be the only way to find out the truth about my mother. So if you want me in your tournament Yukari, then bring it on.'_

* * *

As soon as school let out, Aurora immediately left for her family's card shop. Talk of the upcoming tournament was all over social media and the internet. It had been all Aurora thought about today. She considered herself a good fighter, but taking on the best in the world? That was going to be a challenge if she ever heard of one. She would need to up her game considerably.

' _Come to think of it, I'll also need a strong team.'_ she thought as she walked. ' _But who would make for good teammates?'_

Aurora began making a mental list of skilled players she knew. Frankly, it was pretty short. She wasn't one to participate in big tournaments usually. She rarely even participated in regionals. That left her with players she knew from shops nearby.

Out of all of them, there was one player she felt conflicted about. She knew he had skill. But when it came to his personality, there was a lot to be desired in her opinion.

When Aurora arrived at her family's card shop and walked in, she was greeted by the voice of the very player she had just been thinking about.

"That's 6 damage. I win."

Looking over at one of the tables, Aurora saw a player with a victorious smirk on his face. Anthony gave a victorious smirk of self satisfaction over his opponent who was currently fuming at the loss.

"You crit stacking jerk! There is no way you can be this lucky!"

The winner of the cardfight turned his heel and waved away the complainer. "Don't blame my drive checks, blame the fact that you wasted all your perfect guards so early in the fight. You knew I had that stride so you could've prevented it from happening."

The other player didn't say anything to the retort. Instead, he picked up his deck and walked past the Aurora in a huff.

"Come back again if you ever want your butt kicked again! I'm always here for you!"

"Another 'fan' of yours, eh Anthony?"

The boy's attention shifted to the daughter of the store owner. He flashed a quick smile and gave a thumbs up. "You know it! I'm the best in shop for a reason."

"One of the best. Don't let your head get so big that you push everyone out of the shop." Aurora quipped. "Our record is practically half and half, you know."

For as long as she had known the guy, Anthony was always a player whose deck seemed to speak to him. Whether it was drive checking triggers like crazy or getting the right set up for a power play, he always could make the best out of bad situation. Which is one of the reasons why she was considering him as a teammate for this tournament. But his ego at times left a lot to be desired with him lording over his opponent at times of advantage.

' _Even so, he's one of the few options I have.'_ Aurora thought with annoyance. "So Anthony. Did you hear about the announcement of TV for the tournament?"

He nodded while giving a small glance and point to the TV hanging up near the card display. "Yeah, everyone at the shop saw it a little while ago. Everyone is all hyped up to make teams to enter in."

"So you probably know where I am going with this." She inwardly groaned at seeing Anthony puff up his chest in pride.

"Why Aurora, are you asking me to be on your team?"

His ego was tempered slightly with the girl giving him a look that left no room for humor. "Anthony, don't make this difficult as you always do."

He held up his hands in surrender to her stare and rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright! I see that you're serious about this. So…" The teen brought his deck up to eye level and smirked at her. "Let's see if you have what it takes to handle me on your team!"

"I don't think anyone can handle dealing with you for a long period of time. Really, I'm doing everyone a huge favor here."

"Ouch. But I'm not hearing a no."

Aurora sighed softly and brought up her new deck to accept the challenge being sent out. "Just don't make excuses when I kick your butt again."

The other players at the shop all focused their attention to the two of them. Whenever Aurora and Anthony played against each other, it always was a close game won by the skin of one's teeth. With the crowd surrounding the fight table, both card fighters looked each other in the eye and placed their hands on their starting Vanguards.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

Anthony smirked as he called out his starting unit "Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dacokid**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Star Cadet, Dipper!"

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

Anthony eyed the card curiously when he saw it. "Star Cadet Dipper? What unit is that?" He took a closer look at the card. "I've never seen that unit before. What clan is it from?"

"A clan known as Star Chaser." Aurora smirked.

"Star Chaser? Since when is there a clan called…" Slowly, the teen's eyes widened as he realized what this meant. "You're kidding me! You mean the player with the new clan is YOU?!"

"Yup!" Aurora said with a big grin. Words couldn't express how much she loved seeing Anthony's deadpanned shocked expression on his face as he looked at her.

The outburst from Anthony caused several players at the shop to stop what they were doing and come look at the fight. All of them gasped as they saw the new clan Aurora was using.

"So that's the new rumored clan?"

"It sounds so cool!"

"I wonder what kind of units it has."

Whispers of gossip spread amongst the onlookers. Aurora smirked at Anthony. "So? Still think I need to prove myself to you?"

Anthony scoffed at the blonde girl's claim. "You think having a fancy new deck means anything? You gotta show me what you can do with it first." A small grin could be seen on his face. "Although… I won't say I'm not interested to see what this new clan of yours can do."

"Well then, allow me to show you just what it can do. Stand and draw." Aurora looked at the cards in her hand. She had looked over the deck extensively last night and practiced some possible combos with it, but this would be her first actual game using the clan. ' _Let's hope it works the way I want it to.'_

"I ride Cosmos Storm, Aquarius." Aurora said, placing the unit on the vanguard circle. The unit was a female with emerald green hair and a large shuriken-like weapon in one hand.

 **Cosmos Storm, Aquarius (VC)**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 5000**

"Dipper moves back with Forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Anthony(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Anthony said. "I ride Chain Bolt Dragoon."

 **Chain Bolt Dragoon (VC)**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Hardrod will move behind the vanguard with Forerunner." Anthony said. "With a boost from Hardrod, Chain Bolt attacks the vanguard."

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(0)]**

"I'll end my turn with that." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Anthony(6).]**

"Alright then. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Nebula Gunner." The new unit was what looked like a robotic soldier, wielding a laser gun in each hand.

 **Nebula Gunner (VC)**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Dipper boosts for an attack against Chain Bolt Dragoon." Aurora declared.

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Anthony did not guard the attack. Aurora's drive check revealed nothing, and Anthony's damage check yielded the same.

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(1)]**

"My turn ends." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Anthony(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw. I ride Plasmatron Dragon."

 **Plasmatron Dragon (VC)**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"With a boost from Hardrod, Plasmatron attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Anthony(1)]**

' _It's been a pretty slow game so far.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But that'll change once we both get to grade 3.'_

She could see it based by the look in his eyes that Anthony was thinking the same thing. "Turn end." he said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand(6), Anthony(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said, drawing a card from her deck. She looked at one card in particular in her hand. ' _It's finally time.'_ She took the card and held it up in the air.

"Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike down your foes with the speed of a shooting star! I ride Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari (VC)**

 **Grade:3, Power: 11000**

Ever since Aurora started playing Vanguard, she had known it was a game where imagination was key. She always pictured herself becoming one with the units she rode. But this was unlike any other time she had ridden a card. She had never felt so in tune with a unit before, so in sync. Even with her Blau deck, she had never experienced something like this. She pictured her soul fusing with Hikari, drawing her blade and pointing it into the air.

"Here I come! I call Galaxy Saber, Gemini, and Nebula Shield, Orion!"

 **Galaxy Saber, Gemini (RC: Top Right)**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

 **Nebula Shield Orion (RC: Bottom Right)**

 **Grade: 1, Power:6000**

The picture of Galaxy Saber, Gemini showed a male swordsman, wielding two swords that seemed to be made of light, one red and one blue. Nebula Shield Orion was a sentinel unit and the picture showed that even further, a male soldier wearing heavy armor and holding up a massive circular shield that was even larger than him.

Anthony narrowed his eyes when he saw Orion, a sentinel unit. ' _Why is she calling a sentinel so early in the game? She knows it'll just give me more cards to bind.'_

"Hikari attacks the vanguard with a boost from Dipper!" Aurora declared.

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check. Stand trigger. Power to Gemini, and I stand Dipper." Aurora was happy to get the trigger, though she cursed her luck for it being a stand when she didn't have any rear guards that had attacked yet. A bad move on her part perhaps. "Second check. No trigger."

"Damage check. Heal trigger." Anthony frowned as he looked at the damage count. "I can't heal since I have less damage, but I'll still give the power to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Anthony(2)]**

"Next up, with a boost from Orion, Gemini attacks."

 **(9000+5000+6000)**

"Guard." Anthony said, placing a grade 0 with a 10000 point shield.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(6), Anthony(7).]**

"Time for me to kick things into high gear." Anthony smirked. "Stand and draw." He took a unit from his hand, with both him and Aurora knowing what the card was.

"The power of the skies is in your hands! Descend upon this battlefield and blow all foes away with your wrathful lighting! Ride, Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

' _Anthony's ace unit.'_ Aurora silently thought. ' _And next up will probably be…'_

"Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Canquisher "VMAX"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

' _And here comes the binding onslaught.'_

"Stride skill! Retire and bind one of your rear guards, and bind a unit from your drop zone." There were no cards in Aurora's drop zone, so that meant the only card going into Aurora's bind zone was whichever rear guard she chose, which was Orion.

"Hardrod's skill. I rest him and bind one of your units in the drop zone."

"But since there are no cards to bind, you can counter charge and give 3000 power to a unit with the Thunderstrike ability." aurora finished, knowing the card's skill by heart.

Anthony smirked. "You know it. I'll give the power to VBUSTER. Next, I call Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant "Sigma"!" Anthony said, placing the grade 3 on the field.

 **Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant "Sigma" (RC: Top right)**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"VBUSTER's skill activates! Retire and bind one of your rear guards and bind a unit from your drop zone!" Once again, there was nothing in Aurora's drop zone so the only card bound was one of her rear guards, to which she chose Gemini. "Next, I give 3000 power to three units of my choice. But since I only have 3 units currently, I won't have to choose. Now I'll have VBUSTER attack your Vanguard!"

 **(26000+3000+3000=32000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora said, placing the sentinel on the field. She discarded a card from her hand and nullified the attack.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check." A small grin came to Anthony's face when he saw the card. "Stand trigger. Power to Sigma, and I'll stand Hardrod. Third check, no trigger." His hand went to his rear guard. "Now it's Sigma's turn. Attack the vanguard!"

 **(11000+3000+5000=19000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said as she held up a critical trigger from her hand.

Anthony seemed slightly annoyed that he hadn't managed to deal any damage, but still knew he had a good start to getting his skills off. "Turn end." He looked at his opponent. "Well Aurora, still think it was a good idea to play those rear guards so early? Not only did you lose a sentinel, you also managed to help me build up my Thunderstrike. The more cards you play, the more I'll have to bind." A grin was on his face. "By next turn, I'll easily be able to have all the skills I need online."

To Anthony's surprise, Aurora showed a smirk of her own. "Yes, I suppose it does look like that. But the thing is, you binding cards isn't anything I have to worry about. In fact, it's exactly what I need."

The male teen narrowed his eyes. "Come again?"

"The time has come. Let me show you what the Star Chasers are capable of." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(3), Anthony(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said as she drew. "Here we go! Stride Generation!" Aurora had to discard a grade 1 and grade 2 from her hand to stride, but she knew it would be more than worth it. She took a card from her G Zone and placed it onto the field. The G Unit she played was a winged horse with a shining white body. Its two wings shimmered with stardust. "Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

' _So this is a Star Chaser G Unit.'_ Anthony thought.

"Hikari's stride skill!" Aurora called out as she counter blasted a card. "I choose up to one card from my deck to bind. Then I can call a unit from my bind zone."

"What?!" Anthony gasped.

"I bind Nebula Shield Orion from my deck. Then I call Galaxy Saber Gemini from the bind zone! Add 3000 power!"

' _She put a perfect guard into the bind zone?'_ Anthony thought. He already had an idea what she was going to do. ' _Don't tell me…'_

"Orion's skill from the bind zone! While I have two Orions in the bind zone, I can send one of them to the drop zone and add the other to my hand." Aurora did just that, with a smirk on her face. "Look at that. Two less cards for your Thunderstrike, and I get a sentinel into my hand."

Anthony knew this was going to be trouble. His deck revolved around Thunderstrike, and that meant binding as many cards as possible. But if Aurora's Star Chaser deck was able to manipulate the bind zone so much, it could also cause trouble for him. And it didn't help that most of the skills that allowed him to bind units allowed Aurora to choose which units got bound.

"Now I call Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet!" Aurora said, calling the unit out to an open rear guard circle.

 **Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 4000, Stand trigger**

"Warphole Commander's skill! I send him to the bind zone and add 3000 to a unit of my choice. I choose Pegasus. And Warphole Commander has a skill that can be activated when he's in the bind zone. I send him to the bind zone and choose any card from my deck to add to my bind zone. I choose Nebula Gunner. And now I'll use Cosmos Pegasus's skill." Aurora counter blasted a card and turned a copy of her G Unit face up from the G Zone. "I select cards from my bind zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone and call them to the rear guard, and they get 5000 power. Since I only have one faceup card right now, I can only call one. I choose Nebula Gunner. Nebula Gunner's skill allows it to gain 2000 power and Boost when it's called from the bind zone." she explained as she called it to the remaining empty circle in her front row.

' _Not only is she manipulating the bind zone, she's also getting cards out of it. I won't be able to use my Thunderstrike at this rate.'_ Anthony thought as he watched his situation worsen.

"Gemini's skill. When a unit is called from the bind zone, I can give one of two skills to Gemini." Aurora explained. "I can either give him Boost, or the skill to return to my hand at the end of the turn. I choose the skill to send him to my hand at the end of the turn. And with that done, Gemini will attack Sigma!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard." Anthony said as he moved his rear guard to the drop zone.

"Pegasus will attack next, with a boost from Dipper." Aurora said.

 **(26000+3000+5000=34000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, stand trigger!" Aurora said as she showed the card. "All effects to Gemini." Aurora turned over the second card, not getting a trigger. But the third card was one she was more than happy to see. "Heal trigger. Power to Nebula Gunner. I recover one damage."

"Damage check." Anthony grumbled. "Critical trigger. Power to my vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(3).]**

"Nebula Gunner attacks!" Aurora said.

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Generation guard!" Anthony responded. "Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon! With its skill, you choose one of your rear guards to retire and bind."

Aurora put her Nebula Gunner into the bind zone. She wasn't overly keen of losing a possible intercepter, but at least she had a good card to call on her next turn. "Gemini will attack."

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger." Anthony said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(4).]**

"Turn end. Gemini returns to my hand with its skill." Aurora said, now leaving her with an almost empty field, except for Dipper sitting behind her vanguard. But she had a good lead in damage right now, allowing her to relax a bit. Not to mention there were no cards in her bind zone, meaning Anthony had a lot of work ahead to build up his Thunderstrike once again.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(6), Anthony(8).]**

"I'm not going down easily, Aurora. Stand and draw." Anthony said. "Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon! Dragonic Vanquisher "VOLTAGE"! Stride skill, bind a card from your drop zone! Then I rest Hardrod to make you bind from your drop zone again."

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VOLTAGE"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Aurora did just that, taking two copies of Orion from her drop zone and binding it. With two of them in there, she'd be able to use Orion's skill again on her next turn. Had VOLTAGE been a Thunderstrike unit, she would have had to bind her only rear guard as well. But she knew what her opponent was going for right now.

"I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura, and Vianne." Anthony said, placing the two units together in the same row. "I activate Hardrod Dracokid's skill to send him to the soul. Bind Dipper, and add 3000 power to Chatura. Next, I use Vianne's skill to send her to the deck. I counter charge and draw one." Anthony looked at the card he drew and smirked. "I call Plasmatron Dragon. Using his skill, you bind another card from the drop zone." The card Aurora chose this time was a different grade 1, called Sagittarius. "I call Smash Boxer Dragon behind Plasmatron. Next I activate VOLTAGE's skill." Anthony turned over a copy of the card in his G Zone. "Since you have 4 cards in your bind zone, my front row gets 12000 power and VOLTAGE gains another skill when he hits your Vanguard."

The power was somewhat worrying for Aurora, but she knew she could afford some damage with her only being at one damage to her opponent's four.

"Chatura attacks the Vanguard." Anthony said.

 **(8000+3000+3000+12000=26000)**

"Generation Guard!" Aurora said as she dropped a heal trigger. "Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Andromeda's skill. Since I have at least two cards in my bind zone, add 10000 to the shield." Aurora explained. The extra shield was more than enough to guard Chatura's attack, a smart move since she knew how dangerous Chatura could be if its attack landed.

"Don't think you're safe yet. Dragonic Vanquisher "VOLTAGE" is coming in next!"

 **(26000+12000=36000)**

Aurora looked at her hand. She had managed to protect herself against Chatura's attack, but she wasn't holding onto a lot defensive wise. She still had Orion in her hand, but it was probably best to save that for now. She could use a few cards for counter blasting anyway. "No guard."

"Triple drive." Anthony turned the top three cards over, not getting a single trigger. Likewise, Aurora didn't get a damage trigger.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Anthony(4).]**

"VOLTAGE's skill. Since he hit, I can take two cards from your drop zone and bind them." Usually there would be a retire as well, but Aurora's field was already empty as it was. He looked through Aurora's drop zone, knowing he had to make sure not to give his opponent anything to work with in the bind zone. He picked out a draw trigger and critical trigger to bind, knowing there was little his opponent could do with that. He attacked next with Plasmatron, which Aurora let through, once again, not getting a trigger. With that, Aurora's turn was over.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Anthony(4).]**

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(5), Anthony(8).]**

Aurora started her turn, standing her units and drawing a card. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!" she had been forced to discard a pair of grade 2s from her hand, but she knew she wouldn't be touching her hand much this turn so it mattered little.

"With Orion's skill from the bind zone, I send one copy to the drop zone and add the other to my hand." Aurora said. "Next I call Planet Smasher, Scorpius from my hand."

 **Planet Smasher, Scorpius**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

The new unit was a male warrior with large muscles. A robotic-looking tail that was shaped like a scorpion's extended from his rear and was resting on his shoulder, the tip of the tail looking like some form of laser canon.

"Cosmos Pegasus's skill." Aurora said as she counter blasted and turned a copy of the unit face up in her G Zone. "There are now 4 face up G Units in my G Zone, so I can call 4 units from my bind zone. And each of them gain 5000 power." Aurora searched her bind zone for the cards she wanted. "I call Fiery Star, Saggitarius to the front row, Gravity Gunner behind him, Star Cadet Dipper behind Pegasus, and Sun Smasher Apollo behind Scorpius!"

 **Fiery Star, Sagittarius**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

 **Gravity Gunner**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 4000, Draw Trigger**

 **Sun Smasher, Apollo**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 4000, Critical Trigger**

"That's not all." Aurora explained. "Since I called two or more units with this skill, Cosmos Pegasus gets an extra critical. In addition, Sagittarius has a continuous skill." She pointed to the grade 1 in her front row. "Whenever a unit is called from the bind zone, he gains 3000 power until the end of the turn. Since three other units were called alongside him, he gains 9000 power."

' _She emptied out her bind zone again. This is starting to get really annoying.'_ Anthony thought to himself, seeing his Thunderstrike fall to zero yet again.

"Here we go, Scorpio attacks Chatura with a boost from Apollo!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard."

"Alright then, Pegasus will attack with a boost from Dipper next!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard! Summon Lightning Dancing Princess, Anastasia!"

Aurora proceeded with her triple drive, but didn't manage to get any triggers with it. She also realized a mistake she had made. Her critical trigger had a skill that activated when her vanguard attacked, allowing her to get power and draw a card. There wasn't much she could do about it now though. This deck was still new to her. She was bound to make a few mistakes.

"Sagittarius attacks next!" Aurora said.

 **(7000+4000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Anthony(5).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora declared.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(7), Anthony(8).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Anthony said. He looked at the board. He was at five damage. One more and he would lose. Aurora on the other hand only had three damage. He'd have to deal a full three damage this turn to have a shot at winning. In most cases, he'd try to close the game with VMAX, but looking at his resources, he wouldn't be able to achieve the necessary Thunderstrike.

' _No choice. I'm gonna have to try and finish it with this unit.'_

"Generation zone release!" Anthony called out. He grasped the card from his G Zone and held it out. "Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"! Stride skill! Bind a card on your field and a card in your drop zone! Next I call Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel! Then I use VBUSTER's skill to bind a card from your field and drop again! Add 3000 to Grizel, Plasmatron, and VBUSTER!"

Aurora removed Orion and Gemini from her drop zone and placed them in her bind zone, and did the same with Apollo and Scorpius on her field. She looked at her hand. It was decent sized, but there weren't a lot of cards with high shield values. If Anthony hit her hard enough, she could lose here.

"Finally, I call Trainee Monk Dragon. Activating his skill to send him to the soul to give my vanguard another attack target this turn. Then I use Plasmatron's skill. I counter blast and it gains 2000 power for every card in your bind zone, totalling together for an 8000 point boost."

Aurora looked at her opponent's field. His back row was empty, but he still had his front row completely filled and ready to attack. ' _This is gonna be close.'_

"Grizel attacks!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"I guard!" Aurora said as she played a stand trigger from her hand.

"VBUSTER is charging in!"

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

Aurora glanced at her hand. She could guard this attack with the perfect guard in her hand, but if Anthony pulled two critical triggers, it would all go to Plasmatron. The total power it would have would be too much for her to guard. She knew she was going to have to take a chance.

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check." Anthony smirked as he saw the card. "Critical trigger. Power to Plasmatron. Critical to my vanguard."

Aurora grit her teeth. If her opponent got one more critical trigger, she would hit six damage and lose. ' _Don't pull it…'_

"Second check. No trigger. Third check." All eyes were on Anthony to see if he would get the card he needed. Everyone watching held their breath in anticipation. Finally, the teen turned over the card. "No trigger."

Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. "Damage check." she turned the top two cards over, not scoring any damage triggers. But she was still at five damage, and still in the game.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Anthony(5).]**

"Plasmatron attacks!" Anthony declared.

 **(9000+8000+3000+5000=25000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora said, holding up Orion in her hand.

"Turn end." Anthony said with a frustrated sigh.

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Aurora(4), Anthony(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She could tell by the state of the game that she had to end things this turn. She couldn't risk giving Anthony another turn to finish her off. "Generation zone release! Stride Generation!"

Aurora placed a new card onto the vanguard circle. This unit was a large silver dragon with heavily armored scales. Two massive wings sprouted from its back, looking equally as powerful as the rest of it. In the background, there was what seemed to be a series of comets flying through space. "Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I won't bind a card from my deck, but I'll call Gemini from the bind zone and add 3000 power! Giving him the skill to Boost. Then I call Sagittarius behind Gemini." With those calls, Aurora had a full field. But she wasn't done just yet. "Star Cadet Dipper's skill. I bind him from my field and take a card from my deck to put into the bind zone. I choose Nebula Gunner. Then I call Gravity Gunner. With its skill, I can send it to the soul to give one of my units 3000 power. I activate the skill for both of my Gravity Gunners on the field, and give the power to my vanguard both times. I call Orion behind the Sagittarius in my front row and Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet behind my vanguard."

With that call, Aurora no longer had any cards in her hand. It was clear she planned to end it here. "Sagittarius attacks with a boost from Orion!"

 **(7000+6000+3000=16000)**

"Guard!" Anthony called out as he used a critical trigger from his hand.

"Gemini attacks with a boost from Sagittarius."

 **(9000+7000+3000+3000=22000)**

Anthony played a draw trigger from his hand. "Guard!" He then moved both his grade 2s on the field to the guardian circle as well. "Intercept!"

"With a boost from Warphole Commander, Meteor Shower Dragon attacks your vanguard!"

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check. Heal trigger. I give the power to Meteor Shower Dragon and recover one damage. Second check. No trigger. Third check. No trigger."

"Anastasia's skill. At the end of the battle, I can draw a card." Anthony smirked at the blonde. "Well Aurora, looks like somebody's out of attacks. I guess it's game over for you."

To his surprise, Aurora came back with a smirk of her own. "That's what you think. But I'm not done just yet. I activate Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon's skill! Generation Break 3!"

Anthony widened his eyes. A skill at this time?! That could only mean one thing.

"I bind all cards on my field!" Aurora said. "Then I can call up to the same number of cards from my bind zone as cards that were just bound. Since five were bound, that means I can call 5 units! I call Gemini, Nebula Gunner, Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet, and two Sagittarius units!"

Anthony gasped as he watched his opponent's board fill back up with standing units all at once. "What?!"

"Don't be surprised just yet." aurora said. "Since five units were called, Meteor Shower Dragon stands back up! Drive minus 2!"

Just like that, Aurora now had another three attacks at her disposal. He looked at the cards in his hand. He didn't have enough to protect himself from this onslaught.

"Let's try this one more time!" aurora said. "Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon! Attack the vanguard!"

"... No guard." Anthony said. The attack hit him and he turned over the top card of his deck, not getting the heal trigger he so desperately needed.

"Aw yeah! I win!" Aurora said with a grin as she made a V sign with her fingers. "So, what do you think? My new deck is pretty awesome, isn't it?"

"It's unique, I'll give it that." Anthony admitted. "Well then, I guess you've managed to convince me with that game. You're worthy enough for me to team up with."

"Hmm… now I'm thinking maybe I should pick someone stronger instead." Aurora said aloud as she brought a finger to her chin.

"What?! You were the one that asked me in the first place you little-"

"Relax, I'm joking." Aurora said with a teasing giggle. "Welcome aboard, Anthony. Glad to have you on the team."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Just try not to hold me back in the tournament."

"Excuse me?! Who was it that just won our fight?!"

"Your deck counters mine! Don't even try pulling that crap on me!"

"You wanna go again?! I'll kick your butt as many times as it takes to show you who's better!"

As the two new teammates argued between each other, the spectators began to disperse. They were all talking about the star Chaser clan and the interesting cards it had. From the counter though, Aurora's father looked at his daughter with narrowed eyes.

' _Star Chaser… What is that clan doing here? And how did Aurora manage to come into contact with it?'_

 **Aurora: Ha! I win again!**

 **Anthony: Damnit, I WILL beat you one of these times! I swear it!**

 **Aurora: I am loving this new clan. I've never felt more in tune with a deck like this one.**

 **Anthony: So if we're entering the tournament, we're gonna need a third member, right? Any ideas on who we should pick.**

 **Aurora: … Um….**

 **Anthony: … You really didn't think this through, did you?**

 **Next Time: The Spotlight of the Moon**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Starship Cadet, Dipper  
Grade 0

Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **ACT RC GB1:** CB1 and put this unit into soul. Search your deck for up to one Star chaser, bind it, and give your vanguard **"** _ **CONT: When your unit is called to RG from bind zone, until end of turn give it +3000 power.**_ **"** until end of turn.

* * *

Sun Smasher, Apollo

Grade 0

Power: 4000

Critical Trigger

 **ACT RC:** Send this unit to soul. When your VG with "Hikari" in its name attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card and your VG gets +5000 power until end of battle.

* * *

Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet

Grade 0

Power: 4000

Stand Trigger

 **ACT (Bind zone):** Send this unit back to the bottom of the deck. Search your deck for up to one card and place it in your bind zone. Shuffle your deck.

 **ACT RC:** Send this unit to bind zone. Choose one of you Star Chasers and give it +3000 power.

* * *

Cosmo Nurse

Grade 0

Power: 5000

Heal Trigger

* * *

Gravity Gunner

Grade 0

Power: 5000

Draw Trigger

 **ACT RC:** Send this unit to soul. Choose up to one of your Star Chaser, and it gets +3000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Nebula Shield, Orion

Grade 1

Power: 6000

 **CONT:** Sentinel

 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.

 **ACT (Bind zone):** Choose another card from your bind zone named "Nebula Shield, Orion" and send it to your drop zone. Add this card to your hand.

* * *

Cosmos Storm, Aquarius

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **AUTO:** (Choose a grade 3 in your hand and reveal it) When this unit is placed on RC from hand you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for one card with "Hikari" in its name, reveal it, put it into your hand, shuffle your deck, and choose a card from your hand and discard it.

 **CONT (Hand):** When you are paying the cost for STRIDE, this unit gets grade +2.

* * *

Fiery Star, Sagittarius

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **CONT RC GB1:** When a unit is placed on RC from your bind zone, this unit gain +3000 power.

* * *

Galaxy Saber, Gemini

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **AUTO GB1 1/Turn:** When a Star Chaser unit is placed from the bind zone to the RG this unit gains either " **CONT: This unit gains Boost until the end of the turn."** or " **AUTO: At the end of the turn, you may return this unit to your hand."**

* * *

Planet Smasher, Scorpius

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **ACT GB1:** SB1 When this unit is boosted, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one card from your bind zone, call it to RC, and give it +2000 power.

* * *

Nebula Gunner

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on RC from bind zone, this unit gets +2000 power and "Boost".

* * *

Star of Hope, Hikari

Grade 3

Power: 11000  
 **VG AUTO:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, search your deck for up to one card, bind it, then call up to one card from your bind zone to RG and give that unit +3000 power.  
 **VG AUTO:** At the start of your turn, choose up to one RG and bind it. If you bound a card, CC1 or SC1.

* * *

Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus

Stride

Power: 15000+

 **ACT VG 1/Turn:** CB1, take a facedown card named "Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus" and turn it face up. Choose cards from your bind zone up to the number of faceup cards in your G Zone, call them to RC, and give them +5000 power. Then, if you called 2 or more, this unit gets +1 critical.

* * *

Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon

Stride

Power: 15000+

 **AUTO VG GB3 1/Turn:** CB2 and take a facedown card from your G Zone and turn it face up. After a battle that this unit attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, send all of your rear guards to the bind zone, take up to the same number of units from your bind zone and call them to separate RC. All of them gain +5000 power. If you called 5 or more units, stand this unit and this unit gets Drive -2.

* * *

Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda

G Guardian

Shield: 15000

 **ACT:** When this unit is placed on GC, if you have 2 or more cards in your bind zone, add 10000 to this unit's Shield.


	3. Spotlight of the Moon

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait for this chapter. Had a lot going on with school. So I'm sure many of you that are into the game have heard about the new mechanic coming out soon. I'm going to say now that Deviljho's Hatred and I will not be using it for this fic. It's not that we hate it, we actually are very excited for it. We just feel that it would be way to hard to construct decks using a new mechanic when most of the ones we have in mind for this fic focus on the current one.**

 **Either way, we hope you enjoy the chapter.**

"Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"! Attack the vanguard!" Anthony called out.

"Perfect guard!" the player fighting him said. A smirk came to his face. "How do you like that?"

"Sorry, but it won't help you." Anthony said. "VMAX's skill. Since you have no rear guards, one damage to the vanguard."

"What?!" the player gasped. He performed his damage check, putting a sixth card in the damage zone.

"Sorry pal. Maybe next time." Anthony said with a smirk.

The player walked away in disappointment. Aurora walked over to her teammate. "Another miss, huh?"

"Didn't even put up a challenge. We'll need someone way better than him."

Aurora let out a sigh. It had been nearly two weeks since the announcement of the world tournament sponsored by the Tatsunagi Group. In that time, Aurora and Anthony had been working on trying to find a third teammate for the tournament. But so far, they had yet to find anyone that fit the bill.

"You know… we don't HAVE to pick someone that can fight on par with us." Aurora suggested. "We only need two wins each round to pass, so as long as you and I win our fights, we'll be good. Better than nothing, I think."

Anthony shook his head. "No way. I'm not teaming up with some random player. I know I can win my fights no problem, but I don't have the same confidence in you."

"Yet I'm the one who won our fight." Aurora mumbled to herself.

"We're gonna be up against the best in the world. Players that have been playing for years, and mastered the game of Vanguard." Anthony said. "And you've been using your new deck for what, two weeks? Excuse me if I feel less than confident about you winning every game you play."

While she didn't like Anthony's ego gloating, he did raise a point. If either of them lost, it would be game over if they didn't have a strong third member. And there was a lot more than some simple championship riding on this for her.

' _I just wish we could find someone good enough. All the strong players of this shop are already on teams. The only ones left are the amateurs and newbies.'_

The sound of the front door opening snapped Aurora out of her thoughts. She watched as a male teen walked into the shop. He had brown hair and dark blue eyes. The way he looked around the shop made him seem like a newcomer.

"Sorry, gotta help out. Still on my shift." Aurora said. She walked up to the mystery teen. "Hello. Welcome to Card Galaxy. Is this your first time here?"

The teen nodded his head. "Yeah. I was wondering if you have any of the new Vanguard set in."

Aurora nodded her head. "We sure do. Right this way." She led him over to the counter, where she grabbed the box of the latest set. "How many packs were you planning to buy?"

"Just three is fine." he answered.

"Alright then. Here you go." Aurora said. The teen grabbed the packs from her and handed Aurora the money. "So are you a new player?"

The teen shook his head. "No, I've been playing the game for awhile now. I just decided to try out a new shop."

"Well we're always happy to see a new face." Aurora said with a smile. A thought suddenly came to her mind. "Actually, if you've got time, how about a game? I'm a cardfighter myself."

"You?" he asked.

"Don't let this pretty face fool you though, I'm one of the best players at the shop." Aurora grinned. "So what do you say? You up for it?"

The teen nodded. "Sure. I've still got time."

"Weren't you just saying you were working?" Anthony commented from the table he was sitting at.

"Oh hush you." Aurora told him. She led the teen over to one of the standing tables. "My name's Aurora by the way. What's yours?"

"Dan." the teen said simply as he placed his deck on the table. "You ready?"

' _He sure isn't much of a talker.'_ Aurora thought silently. She placed her deck on the table as well. "All set."

Both players drew their opening hands. Once her hand was ready, Aurora looked across the table, surprised by the look in her opponent's eyes. She could see a passionate flame in them, the same type she saw from those who loved playing Vanguard with all their heart.

' _Maybe there's more to this guy after all.'_

Both players flipped their starting vanguard over and began the fight. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Starship Cadet, Dipper!"

"Cat Knight in High Boots!"

Aurora looked at the card. "Pale Moon, huh? Not a very common clan."

"I could say the same about yours." he said. "I've never even heard of that unit. Is it new?"

A smirk came to Aurora's face. "You hear about the rumored new clan that only one player has at the moment? Well you're looking at it."

Dan widened his eyes. "That's the new clan? The one that the Tatsunagi Group mentioned?"

"Yup. Take a good look at Star Chaser." Aurora said. "I'll show you just how powerful this clan can be."

A smirk could be seen on Dan's face. "Well then, I guess I better go all out too. I draw." He quickly took a card from his hand and placed it onto the vanguard circle. "I ride Cutie Paratrooper!"

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Dan(5).]**

"My turn then. Draw." Aurora said. "I ride Fiery Star, Sagittarius."

 **Fiery Star, Sagittarius**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"I slide Dipper back with forerunner." Aurora said, bringing the grade 0 directly behind her vanguard. "With a boost from Dipper, Sagittarius attacks your vanguard!"

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"No trigger for me either." Dan said as he performed his damage check.

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Dan(1).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(6), Dan(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said. "I ride Flying Peryton!"

 **Flying Peryton**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Darkside Princess and Darkside Swordmaster." Dan declared as he called the two units to a column together. "Peryton attacks the vanguard!"

"I guard!" Aurora said, holding up a stand trigger with 10,000 shield.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Aurora said, not getting a trigger either.

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Dan(1).]**

"Boosted by Swordmaster, Darkside Princess swings in. With her skill, another 5000 power is added."

 **(9000+5000+4000=18000)**

"No guard." Aurora said, taking her second damage.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Dan(1).]**

"Because I used Darkside Princess's skill, she goes to the soul at the end of the battle." Dan explained, sliding the grade 2 unit into the soul. "That's it for my turn."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Dan(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora knew she couldn't let her opponent get too much of an advantage over her this quickly. The Pale Moon clan was capable of some devastating power once they got their combos going.

"I ride Planet Smasher Scorpius!" Aurora said as she played her grade 2.

 **Planet Smasher, Scorpius**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Galaxy Sabre, Gemini! Gemini attacks!"

"Guard." Dan said, holding up a 5000 shield unit.

"Dipper boosts. Go get him Scorpius!"

"No guard."

"Alright then. Drive check." Aurora grinned as she saw the card she turned over. "Critical trigger. All effects to the vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Dan(3).]**

"Turn end." Aurora smirked. The momentum had turned back in her favor. She could handle this guy.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(6), Dan(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. He held a card out, closing his eyes. "The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signaling for the true show to begin. Time for the star of the show to make his appearance! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

Aurora could see the determination bruning in Dan's eyes. It was clear he was a serious cardfighter just by looking at him. And he seemed to have a deep connection with his deck, just like any cardfighter would.

"Masked Phantom, Harri's skill. I look at the top two cards of the deck. I then send one to the soul and put the other on the bottom of the deck." Dan explained. He looked at the two cards, putting Face Magician, Lappin into the soul. "Harri attacks! With Darkside Swordmaster's skill, I send her to the soul. Adding 5000 power to Harri, and I draw one card."

"No guard." Aurora declared.

"Twin drive. First check. No trigger. Second check." This time it was Dan's turn to grin at his drive check. "Heal Trigger. Power to Harri. Recover one damage."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Dan(2).]**

"That's all for me." Dan said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(6), Dan(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora held out her grade 3, ready to take this fight to the next level as well. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Come with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Here we go! Stride generation!" Aurora said. "Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Nebula Gunner from my deck and then call it. Giving it an extra 3000 power with the skill as well." Aurora said as she called it to the open front row rear guard circle she had, filling up her front row. "In addition, when Nebula Gunner is called from the bind zone, it gains 2000 power and Boost. Then I use Star cadet Dipper's skill! I send him to the soul and bind a card from my deck. I choose Sagittarius! Then I can give a skill to my vanguard, allowing anything called from the bind zone for the rest of the turn to gain 3000 power."

Dan paid close attention as he watched Aurora's moves. This was his first time witnessing the Star Chaser clan. He had no clue just how much power they possessed or not.

"Cosmos Pegasus's skill! I flip over a copy of Pegasus from the G zone. Next I can call any number of cards from my bind zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone to the rear guard, and give each of them 5000 power. And thanks to the skill my vanguard gained from Dipper, another 3000 will be added on top of that. The card I call is Sagittarius!" Aurora said, placing the card behind Gemini. "Gemini's skill also activates since a card was placed from the bind zone. I can give him one of two skills, and the skill I choose is for him to return to my hand at the end of the turn."

Aurora had used three counterblasts in quick succession, meaning she had no face up cards in her damage zone. But it would be worth it with this turn.

"I call Sun Smasher Apollo behind Nebula Gunner! Boosted by Apollo, Nebula Gunner attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+4000=18000)**

"No guard." Dan declared.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Dan(3).]**

"Cosmos Pegasus, take flight!" Aurora called out. "Attack the vanguard! Sun Smasher Apollo's skill! Send him to the soul to add 5000 power to Pegasus and I draw!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard with Lovely Companion!" Dan said, holding up the unit.

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. I give all effects to Nebula Gunner! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Gemini!"

Dan grit his teeth. Those drive checks had given Aurora a big advantage in her offensive power this turn.

"Nebula Gunner, attack!"

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Dan(4).]**

"Coming in with a big boost from Sagittarius, here's Gemini!"

 **(9000+7000+5000=21000)**

"Generation guard!" Dan called out. "Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival! With its skill, I check the top three cards of the deck, send one to the soul, and put the other two on the bottom of the deck in any order I wish." Looking at the three cards, Dan selected one a placed it in the soul. "Since the card I added is grade 1 or higher, 5000 is added to the shield."

' _He hasn't even strode yet and he already has a pretty decent soul built up.'_ Aurora thought to herself. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7: Hand: Aurora(9), Dan(3).]**

"My turn." Dan said, wasting no time in getting things started. "Stride generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"First off I'll activate the skill of Cat Knight in High Boots. When a card is placed onto the vanguard circle, he can call himself to the rear guard. Then with his second skill, I can call another unit from soul when he's called out. I call Cutie Paratrooper. With Cutie's magia, I soul charge and call Darkside Princess from the soul. Add 5000 power."

' _Cutie and Darkside together in one column. And Cat Knight behind his vanguard.'_

"There's more. Harri's stride skill!" Dan said, paying the cost of a soul blast. "I call one magia unit to the rear guard. Flying Peryton! Then with Peryton's magia, I soul charge and call Darkside Swordmaster behind it!"

Aurora's eyes widened. ' _He created a full field of units just like that! And he didn't even have to touch his hand!'_ The scariest part of that to Aurora was that the move was so fluent, as if he had performed the same combo multiple times before. ' _This guy's no pushover. He really knows how to use that deck of his.'_

"Peryton attacks with a boost from Darkside Swordmaster." Dan called out.

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a grade 1 from her hand.

"Darkside Princess is up next! Activating her skill to add another 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda! In addition to that, I guard with Gravity Gunner!"

"Darkside Princess's skill sends her to the soul. Boosted by Cat Knight, Harri attacks!" Dan declared as he finally attacked with his vanguard. "Darkside Swordmaster's skill. Draw and add 5000 to the vanguard. Next I use Masquerade Master, Harri's skill. I send Cutie Paratrooper and Flying Peryton to the soul. Then I can call three units from the soul to rear guard. Cutie Paratrooper! Flying Peryton! Happiness Collector!"

Aurora's eyes widened. ' _Those three units…'_

"Happiness Collector's skill. When a card is called to the rear guard from soul, I can send her to the soul to draw and soul charge. Then I use Cutie and Peryton's magia skills. I call Face Magician Lappin in front of Cutie Paratrooper and Moonlight Melody Tamer Betty behind Flying Peryton."

' _Incredible.'_ Aurora gasped. ' _He got out two more full columns, added to his hand, and he didn't even have to call over anything. He's fully mastered that deck and his clan.'_

The game had caught the attention of several players in the shop. The spectators quickly went from being just Anthony to nearly all of the players in the shop. There weren't many who could fight on par with Aurora so seeing such an intense game was exciting to watch.

"Masquerade Master also has a continuous skill." Dan explained. "All my magia rear guards gain 3000 power for every face up card in my G Zone with Harri in its name. Since Masquerade Master, Harri was flipped up as part of the cost, my magia rear guards all now have 3000 extra power, including Cat Knight in High Boots."

 **(26000+5000+5000+3000=39000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Triple drive." Dan turned over the first card, revealing a grade 2. His second card however was a card he was happy to see. "Critical trigger. Power to Peryton. Critical to the vanguard."

The tension was thick as everyone watched the game. If Dan's last card in his drive check was a critical trigger, it would be enough to push Aurora to 6 damage.

"Third check." Dan said. He turned the card over. "No trigger."

Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. "Damage check. Her first card revealed nothing but her next card gave her what she needed. "Draw Trigger. Power to Hikari, and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dan(4).]**

"Boosted by Cutie, Lappin attacks!" Dan said. "Lappin's skill makes me soul charge the top card of my deck when she attacks. If that card is a magia unit, she gains 5000 power. If it isn't, she'll only gain 2000." Dan turned the top card of the deck over. "Lovely Companion. It has the magia skill, so that's 5000 to Lappin."

 **(9000+3000+5000+7000+3000+5000=32000)**

Aurora knew that she couldn't take another point of damage. Luckily, her damage trigger had brought her vanguard's power up to 16000. But she wouldn't need the power for this attack with what she had in hand. "Perfect guard!"

"With Betty's boost, Flying Peryton attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+7000=24000)**

"Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet will put a stop to that!"

"Betty's skill. After she boosts, I counterblast and send the boosted unit to the soul. I can then call out a magia unit to rear guard. I send Peryton back and call him back out. Then with his magia, I soul charge and call Lovely Companion behind it. Attack!"

 **(9000+3000+6000+3000=21000)**

"Protect me, Apollo!" Hikari said, placing the critical trigger from her hand.

There was nothing else Dan could do for the turn. His stream of attacks had come to an end. "Turn end. All the units called with magia return to the soul." With that, every single rear guard he had besides the Peryton called out with Betty went to the soul.

 **[Turn 8: Hand: Aurora(3), Dan(8).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. She looked at the board, her damage at 5 with her opponent at 4.

' _I can't survive another onslaught like that. I have to end it on this turn.'_

"Star of Hope Hikari's skill. At the beginning of the turn I can bind one of my rear guards. In return, I can counter charge or soul charge. I bind Nebula Gunner and counter charge." Aurora looked at her now three face up cards in the damage zone. ' _Everything's all set.'_

"Generation zone release! Stride generation!" Aurora called out. "Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Gasps and cheers of excitement filled the shop as everyone watched Aurora go into her strongest unit. Dan stayed on guard, knowing whatever was coming it was going to be big.

"Hikari's stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from my deck and call it. Add 3000 power. Then my other Sagittarius gains 3000 power since a card was called from the bind zone. Next I call Gemini, Star of Hope Hikari, and Gravity Gunner." Her Gemini and Hikari filled up the front row while Gravity Gunner was placed behind the vanguard.

' _21000 on the left. 19000 on the right. 30000 in the center.'_ Dan thought. ' _But she hasn't activated her G unit's skill yet. What is it?'_

"Gemini attacks with a boost from Sagittarius!" Aurora said.

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"I guard with Prankster Girl of Mirrorland!"

"Hikari is up next, with a boost from Sagittarius!"

 **(11000+7000+3000=21000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check. Heal trigger." He wished the trigger had shown up a bit later, considering he couldn't heal with the damage score the way it was. "Power to Harri."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dan(5).]**

"Meteor Shower Dragon attacks with a boost from Gravity Gunner!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Lovely Companion! Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger. All effects to the vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Even with a trigger, it still won't go through." Dan said. "And in addition, I use Lovely Companion's skill. I soul blast and call Darkside Princess from the soul!"

"That's fine with me." Aurora smirked. "Meteor Shower Dragon's skill! Generation Break 3! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call the same number of units from the bind zone! Gemini! Hikari! Nebula Gunner! Sagittarius! They all gain 5000 power as well!" Soon Aurora's field was completely filled up once again. Two Sagittarius units were together in the left column. On the right were Hikari and Nebula Gunner behind her, leaving Gemini behind the vanguard. "Since five units were called, my vanguard stands back up! Drive minus 2!"

Dan gasped. Just like that, Aurora's field was full of standing units. Even her vanguard had stood back up.

"Nebula Gunner's skill allows him to gain Boost since he was called from the bind zone. And since Galaxy Sabre Gemini saw a unit called from the bind zone, I can choose to give him Boost as well. Lastly, Sagittarius gains 3000 power whenever a unit is called from the bind zone."

Dan looked at the cards in his hand. ' _Am I going to have enough?'_

"Nebula Gunner boosts Hikari's attack."

 **(11000+5000+9000+2000+5000=32000)**

"Guard! Intercept!" Dan played a 10000 shield from his hand. Combined with the two intercepts he had, it brought him to just enough.

"Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon! Attack once again!"

 **(26000+5000+9000+5000=45000)**

Dan looked at his hand and let out a sigh. "No guard."

Although Hikari's drive check didn't reveal anything, the critical trigger that her vanguard had from its previous triple drive meant the game was over once the attack hit.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dan(6).]**

"Yes!" Aurora grinned as she did a fist pump in the air. She smiled as she held out her hand to her opponent. "That was an awesome game. You're a really good player."

"Thanks. So are you." Dan said as he gathered his cards and put his deck back together. "Your clan is really interesting. Star Chaser, you said it was called?"

"Yup. I plan on winning the world tournament with this clan." Aurora nodded.

"The world tournament? You mean the one the Tatsunagi Group is sponsoring?" Dan asked.

"That's the one." Aurora told him. "You gonna be entering?"

Dan shook his head. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little interested, but I don't really know anyone to form a team with."

"You don't say…" Aurora and Anthony glanced at each other before turning back to Dan. "Thing is, me and Anthony here are actually looking for a third member. Would you be interested?"

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise. "Me? You sure?"

"Well you sure know what you're doing with how well you played." Anthony said. "I mean, you're not as good as I am, but-"

"Oh shut it with your ego." Aurora said as she elbowed Anthony in the gut. "But seriously dan, we'd be happy to have you. You seem like a nice guy, and you're a really good cardfighter. So are you in?"

Dan stayed silent for a few moments as he thought about it. Aurora's expression brightened when she saw him nod. "Sure. Count me in."

"Alright!" Aurora said with a grin. "With this, we've finally got a full team! Let's go and win this thing!"

"Sounds like a plan." Dan nodded. "By the way, what's our name?"

"... What?"

"Our name. You know, one for our team?"

"Um… well…"

Anthony let out a sigh. "You didn't even think of a team name? Seriously?"

"I-I can come up with one! Just give me a second!" Aurora said. "Let's see… umm…"

"If I may interrupt" Aurora's father suddenly said from the counter, catching the attention of the three teens. "How about naming yourselves after this shop?"

"After Card Galaxy?" Anthony asked. "Let me guess, you just want the free publicity?"

The older man let out a chuckle. "I won't deny that's part of the reason. But something space themed seems like it would fit you three."

"Space themed… that's it!" Aurora exclaimed. "We'll be Team Cosmic Trio!"

"Cosmic Trio?" Anthony questioned with a raised brow.

"Yeah, we'll be the best team in the entire cosmos. What do you think?"

Anthony mulled it over for a second before nodding. "Sure, why not?"

"Sounds good to me." Dan agreed.

"Alright then, that settles it." Aurora said. "Team Cosmic Trio, let's go out there and win!"

 **Aurora: We've got three weeks before the preliminaries of the tournament. We'll need to be sure we're all at the top of our game if we're gonna win.**

 **Dan: We'll be up against the best in the country. After that, we'll be up against the best in the world.**

 **Anthony: Who cares? I say bring it on! We can take anyone that comes our way!**

 **Dan: Is he always this gun ho?**

 **Aurora: Don't worry, you'll learn to ignore it over time.**

 **Next time: Preparations for the Tournament**


	4. Preparations for the Tournament

**A/N: Hey readers. New chapter time. Hope you all like it.**

Aurora flipped through a magazine as she sat in the cafeteria. Most girls her age usually read magazines about fashion, or famous actors and actresses, and whatnot. Aurora though was instead reading a magazine for Vanguard. It had all kinds of up to date information about the game and famous teams throughout the world.

There were all kinds of famous players featured in the magazine. Players that she would probably have to face in this big tournament that she had gotten thrown into. On one of the front pages was a story about William Lewis. Not only was he a British champion, but he had also been the top fighter in the Euro League for the past three years. It was no surprise that he was a favorite to win the upcoming tournament. There was also an article about a famous female cardfighter, Rose Orchards. She had quite a following of her own due to her looks. But her cardfighting skills were no joke, as the title of French champion did not come easily.

Then of course there was the current Japanese champions, Team Genius Prodigy. It was a team of three that had taken the Japanese regional tournament by storm last year. Apparently they each attended a prestigious school that produced exceptional cardfighters, though of course the students excelled in a variety of subjects outside of Vanguard too.

To get to the main tournament, a team needed to win the preliminary tournament that would be held in their country. And to get there, they had to win one of the regional tournaments held in the country first. But if Aurora and her team wanted to proceed to the main tournament, chances were they'd have to face Team Genius Prodigy eventually to do it.

' _There's so many tough fighters.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Can I really do this?'_

"Aurora? Aurora?!"

"Huh?!" Aurora snapped out of her daze as she lifted her head and saw two of her friends from school staring at her. "S-Sorry. I was lost in thought. What was that?"

"We were talking about what to do over summer break." one of them said. "You have thought about it, right? There's the beach, going to the water park-"

"Actually… I'm going to be busy most of the summer." Aurora told her friends. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't mentioned the Vanguard tournament to any of her school friends. None of them were really interested in Vanguard, though they didn't bully or tease her for playing the game which was nice.

"Really? With what?"

"Well… there's this big Vanguard tournament that's going to be held. I'm entering as a team with two others. It's worldwide so I'll be out of the country for a bit over the summer."

"So you're traveling out of the country. That sounds exciting. Gonna go sightseeing?"

"The main reason I'm going is the tournament. So I'm not going to have much time for being a tourist."

Her friend pouted at her. "Come on, you're not going to do anything FUN?! You'll be in another country for crying out loud!"

"Hang on." her other friend said. "You said you'll be in a team, right?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah."

"Any guys on it?"

"Yes…?" Aurora answered, not sure she liked where this was going. 'The team is me and two other guys."

"Oooooooo." the two girls giggled. "Scoring two guys to go traveling with. Aurora, you lucky girl."

"Wh-What?! No! It's not like that!" Aurora exclaimed with a red blush on her face. "They're just some guys I know from the card shop."

"Mhm. Suuuuurrre."

Aurora let out a sigh. Even though she was a girl, talking about the usual girl-type gossip with her school friends exhausted her sometimes.

After lunch period was over, Aurora went to her afternoon classes. Once school was over, she gathered her things and headed straight for the card shop. The tournament hung at her mind. Things were going to get very busy for her. The regional qualifiers for the preliminary tournament were next weekend. Then the week after that would be the preliminaries themselves. Once that was over, summer break would be right around the corner. And once that came, she and her team would be fighting in the main tournament. Assuming they could win there way there in the first place.

Aurora took out her deck and looked at it as she walked. Star Chaser. It was such a unique deck. Certainly it would give her an advantage in the tournament. But she still needed to up her game if she wanted to assure her victory. After all, this was the only way for her to meet Yukari again.

' _And then I'll finally get her to explain what she was talking about.'_

After a short walk, Aurora finally arrived at the shop. Walking through the front door, she was greeted by a large commotion. It didn't take long to guess what the source was when she saw a crowd of people gathered around a table where Dan and Anthony were playing.

"Face Magician, Lappin attacks your vanguard!"

"Guard!"

Aurora walked over to her father at the counter. "Those two seem to be going all out it already."

"Yeah. They got here not too long ago. They started fighting each other once they got here." her father answered.

"Well they've beaten just about everyone else in the shop this past week." Aurora noted.

Anthony smirked at his opponent. "You're going down. You don't have any attacks left, and there's no way I'm letting you survive my next turn."

"That's what you think." Dan countered. "I activate Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty's skill."

Anthony's eyes widened. "Crap! I forgot about that skill!"

Cheers came from the players watching. Aurora could see where this fight was headed so she made her way to the employee room. "I'm gonna go change. Be out soon."

As Aurora went into the room to get some privacy while she changed into her work attire, Anthony let out a groan. "One more game! I almost had you there!"

Dan smirked. "Bring it. I'll beat you as many times as it takes."

"Get ready to eat those words."

"I've got winner!" Aurora shouted from behind the door.

"Then it looks like it's Aurora vs me next." Dan said.

"In your dreams. No way am I losing to you again."

Dan rolled his eyes. "You're fighting style is straightforward and easy to read. You need to try and use some strategy instead of just punching your way through every problem."

"Hey, nothing wrong with a straightforward approach. It's how I roll. That's why the Narukami clan is the perfect fit for me."

Dan sighed and shook his head. "Well you're not wrong there, but it wouldn't hurt for you to think a bit in your fights instead of relying on power and triggers."

"He's right, you know!" Aurora called from the other room.

"Oh yeah?!" Anthony yelled as he turned to the door to the employee room. "You wanna get out here and say that to my face?!" he asked as he walked up towards the door.

Aurora's father showed a worried look. "Uh Anthony, I wouldn't do that. Aurora's-"

It was too late unfortunately as Anthony already opened the door. He realized almost immediately that this was a bad idea when he saw the blonde girl in the middle of changing. Her shirt was off, leaving her upper body covered only by her bra.

An awkward silence filled the shop as everyone froze. Anthony quickly covered his eyes, partially out of common sense, but mostly because the glare Aurora was sending his way seriously scared him. "Umm… I'm sorry, I-"

"CLOSE THE FREAKING DOOR YOU IDIOT!" Aurora shouted, grabbing the first object she could find and throwing it right at Anthony's face, hitting it dead center.

Anthony closed the door and had a hand on his head, which was aching in pain from having a blunt object thrown at it. "Ok, I deserved that."

Aurora's father sighed and shook his head. He could very well scold Anthony for what he did, but he knew it was an honest accident. Plus, anything he could say would pale in comparison to the scolding he was going to get from Aurora once she got out of that room.

A couple minutes passed before Aurora finally came out, now dressed in her work outfit. She was seething at Anthony as she glared daggers at him.

"You… You…" Aurora couldn't even think of the words to describe how royally pissed she was right now. "You moronic idiotic buffoon! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Look, it was an accident okay?! I'm sorry!" Anthony pleaded as he waved his arms in front of him.

"Oh no. You're not sorry. Not yet." Aurora said as she cracked her knuckles.

The tension was suddenly interrupted as Anthony heard his cell phone ring. He pulled it out and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello? Yeah, I'm at the shop." the next thing he heard caused his eyes to widen. "What?! Seriously?! Okay, yeah, I'll be home as soon as I can." Anthony hung up and put the phone in his pocket before looking at Aurora. "Ok look, I know you really want to kill me right now but I've got to get going."

"You're not getting off that easily." Aurora glared.

"Sorry, I'll explain next time. I promise." Anthony said as he quickly grabbed his schoolbag and ran out of the shop before his team leader could strangle him.

Dan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "So… you up for a game?" The look he got from Aurora gave him all the answer he needed. "I'll take that as a no."

* * *

Anthony had to be grateful for his aunt calling him when she did. He just dodged one hell of a bullet from the howitzer that was Aurora. But he was hoping what she called him for wasn't just another false alarm. Finally reaching his home, he opened the door and locked it behind him while taking off his shoes. "I'm home!"

"Oh, Antonio! In the kitchen!" A kind voice called from said room.

Putting his bag down by the front door, Anthony moved to the kitchen and saw two more people who weren't usually here. "Mom, dad!"

Both parents smiled at their son who returned the gesture. Anthony hardly ever really saw his parent's regularly due to their jobs in Europe keeping them there. Born in Spain, he spend the first three years of his life being raised by his parents but their profitable careers starting keeping them away from him. Not wanting their son to feel neglected and lonely due to their demanding jobs, they sent him to live with his aunt in Japan so he could be raised proper. His aunt Maria, who married a hardworking Japanese business man, took him in with open arms and did the best she could to raise Anthony right.

And for the most part, he did come out as a nice boy. If not a bit full of himself but that was a minor quirk if anything.

Seldom was it ever a time where his parents could come home and visit, but it always made his week when they did. Seeing his family gathered around the table made his heart fill with joy, but he noticed one person missing. "Where's Uncle Hideyoshi?"

"Oh, that boss of his put him on a project that made him work late. He should be home later tonight though." Maria said with a mild bit of distaste in her mouth.

"Come, sit with us Antonio." His mother, Helena, said whilst patting the chair next to her. "Tell us what has been happening in your life."

And he did just that. It has been around two years since their last visit and despite such a huge gap between, the family carried the conversation as though it was just another night. It was a very warm feeling in the household, even continuing unabated as they moved into the living room once Hideyoshi arrived.

"-And best of all, my friend Aurora just got a cool new clan in Vanguard that no one has ever seen before." In the back of his mind, he knew there was gonna be hell to pay come tomorrow. "We're entering the tournament to try and make it to the top as the best cardfighters around!"

Both his mom and dad looked at each other with slight confusion and worry in their eyes. "You're still playing that card game Antonio?"

"Huh?"

"Don't get us wrong, we love that you are having fun over here and made good friends through it. But you're already a sophomore in high school, don't you think you should be focusing on finding a career soon?"

Anthony's once smiling face fell a bit at his parent's reactions to the news. "What are you talking about? This game has been with me ever since I first moved over here. There's no way I could just give it up, especially with this tourney coming up!"

"But this game has been a part of your life for the better part of a decade. We just want to see you focus such passion into a more fruitful endeavour."

Both Maria and Hideyoshi could see this was going downhill and would only snowball faster if this conversation continued. There wasn't much that would stick with Anthony if it didn't interest him. But if something caught his attention, he'd dedicate everything he had towards it. Vanguard was one of those things that allowed him to first make friends after moving in with them. So there would be no way he was gonna just drop the game without a fight. "Now, now. Antonio is very psyched for this tournament so I think he should be focused on that with his studies. He is a skilled player and is respected in the shop he frequents. Perhaps it would be better if we talked about it after it's all said and done."

Anthony didn't like that this conversation was going to be put off for later. But that was a long while where he wouldn't have to confront this issue. Hopefully winning the whole thing could change his parent's minds for the better.

He could only hope with how serious they sounded.

* * *

Dan had stayed at the shop until it started to get dark. He had to admit that Aurora had everyone a bit on edge with how angry she still was at Anthony. But all things considered, Card Galaxy was a pretty lively shop. There were a lot of good people there.

Which was more than he could say for _other_ places.

As Dan walked home, he could see he was running late. Perhaps he should have left a bit sooner. He contemplated his options, and decided to take a shortcut. It was one he rarely liked to take but he didn't want his parents mad at him for getting home late.

Moving through the city streets, Dan saw another card shop in the distance. He barely gave it a passing glance as he walked by, staying on the other side of the street. He didn't want anything to do with it and hoped he'd be able to simply pass by without any incident. Unfortunately the sound of the door to the shop opening just had to be for a certain group leaving the shop.

"Hey, isn't that him?"

Dan cursed his luck, recognizing the voice all too well.

"Yeah, I think it is. Let's go pay him a visit."

Dan quickly picked up the pace. He ran into an alleyway as he made a sharp turn into a corner. He could hear the footsteps of the group catching up with him. Luckily, he knew a special spot to get away. The alleyway lead into an empty parking lot that was rarely used. Dan hightailed it to the dumpster, ducking behind it for cover. It was just in time too as the footsteps came into the parking lot only a few seconds later.

"Shit, where'd he go?"

"The loser must have noticed us. Lucky punk."

"He must have gone out that way." one of them said, pointing to the only other path leading into the parking lot. "Let's hurry and maybe we'll spot him."

Dan breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the trio leave. He had been able to escape without incident, although it had been quite a close call.

"He hasn't been to the shop in awhile. You think he finally gave up?"

"Maybe. Who cares? I still can't believe how long he believed we'd actually give him his card back."

"I know, right? I still remember how disappointed he'd get sometimes. I think he almost cried once, haha!"

The words stung Dan hard as they left. The only thing he had with those three and the shop they played at was bitter memories. He didn't want anything to do with them anymore. He waited for a few minutes just to make sure it was safe before coming out from hiding and continuing his way home.

' _Get over it. You're done with those guys and that shop. You have a new place.'_ Dan told himself. ' _That's right. A new place. With people that won't take advantage of me.'_

* * *

Aurora was still getting over her anger as she sat in the car with her father. She had gotten plenty of time to cool down before the store closed, but she was still a bit annoyed at Anthony. She'd be giving him an earful the next time they met, that was for sure. But there were more important things she had to think about right now. Like the tournament.

' _There's less than two weeks before the qualifiers for the preliminaries.'_ Aurora thought. ' _We'll be going up against the best players in the country. And after that, the best players in the world.'_ Normally she'd be scared out of her mind for such a big challenge. But she had stepped up her game considerably in preparation for this tournament. Her entire team had. They just had to have faith in their skills and believe they could pull this off.

"Aurora" her father's voice snapped Aurora back into reality. "Do you feel ready for the tournament? It's next weekend after all."

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah dad. I'll make sure to win, don't worry."

"That's good to hear." he said. "It must have been quite a surprise. Getting that new deck of yours in the mail out of the blue."

"Y-Yeah…" Aurora said. That was the lie she had told her father. The truth would sound way too bizarre for anyone to believe. Even now, she barely believed it herself.

After another few minutes, they finally arrived home. Aurora's father pulled into the driveway and the two got out of the car. "I'll be there in a second. Just gonna go get the mail." he said.

"Got it, dad." Aurora said as she headed in the house.

Aurora's father walked over to the mailbox and pulled out the envelopes inside. He quickly looked through them all before closing the mailbox. As he was about to walk to the house, a voice caught him off guard.

"Ryuji Fujou, I presume?"

The man quickly turned to find Yukari Tatsunagi standing before him. Most people would be quite bewildered to find such an important figure in the world standing in front of them. But instead, he narrowed his eyes at the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I simply wanted to chat, nothing more." Yukari said. "This is our first time meeting I believe, though you've met my predecessor before once or twice, correct?"

"I don't have time to beat around the bush. Now what are you doing here?"

"Straight to the point I see. Very well." Yukari said. "How's that daughter of yours doing with the Star Chasers?"

"I figured it was you who gave Aurora that deck." he said with a sigh. "What's your endgame, Yukari? Why did you expose her to Star Chaser?"

"Why did you lie to your daughter about her mother being dead?" Yukari countered with a smirk.

Ryuji looked back to the house, making sure Aurora was inside and couldn't see what was going on. "How I raise my daughter is none of your business."

"Did I hit a sore spot? My apologies." Yukari said with a small giggle.

"I don't know why you gave Aurora that deck Yukari, but you better not be planning to get my daughter wrapped up in something dangerous."

Yukari's expression turned serious. "I won't force her to do anything. What she decides to do will be up to her."

"She's still a child. She shouldn't even be put in a position to begin-"

"Ryuji, Cray is facing a crisis." Yukari told him, cutting him off.

"Well shouldn't it's guardian be fixing this issue herself then instead of involving an innocent girl?"

Yukari let out a sigh. "I may be the guardian of Cray and Earth, but I can only do so much. My job is supposed to be as an observer, only interfering when absolutely necessary. If we are to combat this upcoming threat, we will need people that can help defend the two planets. We will need Vanguards."

"But why Aurora?! Why her?!"

"You know the answer to that already, Ryuji." Yukari told him. "You can't keep the truth about Aurora's mother from her forever. Eventually, she will find out." Yukari turned to walk away. "Your daughter is already strong. You should be proud of her."

As Yukari left, Aurora's father let out a frustrated sigh as he walked back to his house. "Of course I know that." he muttered to himself. "She is _her_ daughter after all."

* * *

Several days passed by before it was finally time. The qualifiers for the preliminary tournament had finally come. Teams from all over the country would be competing today and tomorrow in regional tournaments across the country. For Aurora and her team however, it was today rather than tomorrow.

"I'm so pumped!" Aurora said excitedly. "This is gonna be awesome!"

"There sure are a lot of teams." Dan noted, seeing a large number of players walking around, some headed towards the building that would serve as the location for the venue.

"You ever compete in a tournament this big before, Dan?" Aurora asked.

"No." he said with a shake of his head. "What about you?"

"Me neither." Aurora answered. "I've never been one for big tournaments like this."

"Heh, well don't worry. With me on our team we'll be sure to handle these weaklings no problem."

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself Anthony. You've never been in this big of a tournament either."

Anthony waved off his team leader's concern. "Big deal. We're still gonna win, no problem."

"Well at least you're confident, if nothing else." Aurora said with a sigh. She quickly put her game face back on, hugging an arm around both her teammates. "Alright, let's do this Team Cosmic Trio! Let's win this and become the best in the world!"

Dan and Anthony nodded as they followed Aurora into the building. This was it. They were ready to take on the world.

 **A/N: Aurora: If we want to get to the main event, we need to win the preliminaries.**

 **Dan: Before that though we need to win here. We may not be up against the Japanese champions yet, but these teams don't look like they'll go down easy.**

 **Anthony: We'll have them shaking in their boots before long.**

 **Dan: Yeah. I sure hope so. And it looks like we're up against... oh boy.**

 **Next Time: Facing Ones Demons**


	5. Facing Ones Demons

**A/N: What's up readers? I've seen the reviews this story is getting and I'm really liking them. Deviljho's Hatred and I really appreciate hearing your feedback, so please continue to do so. You're encouraging words help us keep going.**

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the regional qualifiers for the Vanguard World Tournament!" a loud voice spoke out to the large crowd gathered with a mic in hand. "I'm your host, Sachi Fukazawa. It's an honor to be here at such an exciting event, and to bear witness to the amazing cardfights we'll be seeing today."

Aurora, Dan, and Anthony stood together in the crowd of teams gathered inside the lobby. Everyone was looking at a monitor where the woman called Sachi was speaking from. She had long black hair and was wearing a white dress with blue trim. It was easy to tell from her attitude that she had plenty of experience with her profession.

"There you are." the team of three turned to see Aurora's father walk through the door to the building.

"Hey dad, what took you so long?" Aurora asked.

"You had me drop you kids off up front and I had to find parking. It was a nightmare." he said.

"Well maybe we would have gotten here sooner if _someone_ hadn't spent forever getting ready." Anthony commented.

Aurora pouted at her teammate, knowing the comment was directed at her. "It's a big event! I had to make sure I looked perfect for it!"

"Whatever. Dan, back me up here."

"Don't get me involved in this." Dan told him. "Let's just be glad we got here on time."

The team chat was interrupted as Sachi continued. "First off, let's remind everyone of how the tournament works. Teams will have three players fighting each round, one at a time. Whichever team manages to score two wins is the winner. Win and you'll advance to the next round. Lose and it's the end of the line. Winning here today will earn you a spot in the prelims being held in two weeks time. Win there too, and you'll move onto the main event. Now are you ready to cardfight?!"

A roar of excitement was the answer Sachi got from the crowd. It was clear that everyone was eager to get things started. "Moving on, let's find out the pairings for the first round." A large monitor behind her shuffled through the list of teams, selecting the multitude of pairings for the first round. Once it was done, team listings were shown on the screen for everyone to see.

Aurora scanned the screen as she looked for their name. "Let's see… where are we?" After a bit, she finally spotted their name. "There! And we're up against… Team Dragon Inferno."

"A dragon team, eh? Sounds like my kind of fight." Anthony smirked. "I call dibs on first game."

"I'm second then." Aurora said.

Dan looked at Aurora. "Are you sure we should send you out so early. Your Star Chaser deck is one of a kind. It might be better for us to save you as a secret weapon." he suggested, keeping his voice low so no one nearby could hear.

"I agree with Dan." Aurora's father said. "Strategy wise, it makes the most sense. The more you play, the more info that becomes available about your deck."

"But it's my first big tournament. I can't just sit out until you or Anthony lose." Aurora argued. "I want a crack at some of the players here."

"If we want to up our chances at winning, we should save you for last though." Dan said.

"Don't bother." Anthony told him. "There's no arguing with her. She's way too stubborn."

"How about this then? Once a round comes where you have to play, you can go whenever you want." her father suggested. "With the skilled teams here, we're bound to have someone lose a game at some point." Dan and Anthony looked at the man, who shrugged. "Hey you kids are good, but you're not perfect. I'm not saying the three of you will lose a match, but one of you might lose a game or two today."

Aurora crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine." Under normal circumstances, she'd be fine with using a smart strategy like this. But she was a cardfighter at heart and she loved to play.

"Well we're not in the first game." Dan said. "I'm gonna go and grab a snack."

"Alright then. See you in a bit." Aurora said with a wave goodbye as Dan walked away.

Dan walked through the building as he looked for the food vendors. It was a surprisingly large place, so it was easy to get lost. As he found a directory to try and find his way around, a voice spoke from behind him.

"Well look what we have here."

Dan nearly jumped in surprise as he turned around to become face to face with three male teens, all with condescending grins on their faces. It was the very same three that he had ran from the other day.

"What do you want?" Dan asked.

"Now, now, is that anyway to treat your old friends?" the one on the right asked.

The middle one reached out to put a hand on Dan's shoulder, but it was quickly swatted away by the teen. "Well, well, looks like someone thinks their hot stuff now. You haven't been by the shop the past couple months. So you found a new group?"

"What's it to you?" Dan asked with a glare.

He chuckled as he looked down at Dan. "Do they know about your past? The things you've done?" The silence from Dan was all the answer he needed. "Some friends they must be if they can't even be trusted with that."

"What I do is none of your business." Dan said, shoving his way past them and beginning to walk away.

"How would you like the chance to get your card back?"

Dan froze, not moving a muscle as he heard this. A brief silence followed before he responded. "We both know you're lying. You've made that promise before."

"I admit, I haven't been overly honest about it before, but this time I'm dead serious." he said. "All you have to do is throw the game if we get matched up."

"You seriously want to win like that?" Dan asked.

"Hey this is a tournament. Anything goes, as long as you win." he told Dan. "Again, I'm serious about the card. I've even got it right here." Dan turned around and saw him hold up the card. "All you have to do is throw your game. Do that, and if your team loses I'll give this back to you. Do we have a deal?"

Dan stayed silent for a long moment. Finally he turned and walked away. "You'll have my answer on the field."

He let out a chuckle as he watched Dan walk away. "You know my terms, Dan. Keep in mind what's really important."

Those words hung at the back of Dan's mind as he walked away. If they were serious, this was a chance. A chance to finally get back the card that meant so much to him. But to do that, he'd have to betray his teammates. The two people that had been kind to him and had asked him to join their team.

* * *

"We will now begin the next match! Team Dragon Inferno vs Team Cosmic Trio!" the referee announced. "Both teams, please select your first fighters."

"Wish me luck." Anthony said with a smirk. He tugged on the special image gloves he was wearing. Aurora's father had given them to the three of them, apparently an item given out to every team participating.

' _Never used a Motion Figure System. This should be fun.'_

Across from Anthony stood a male player with a smug grin on his face. "Let's get this over with."

The tough talk barely fazed Anthony. "I'll show you how to really use dragons pal."

"The first match. Anthony Férgus of Team Cosmic Trio vs Kenta Iragashi of Team Dragon Inferno. Begin!"

Simultaneously, the two players turned over their starting Vanguards. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

From the side bench, Dan and Aurora watched the game play out. Despite the name Dragon Inferno, it was clear that Anthony was the better player as he wiped out his opponent's forces and dealt the finishing blow with his Vanguard.

Throughout the game, Dan's mind wasn't on the match. It was on what he would be dealing with if he was forced to fight a game where he had to either give up on something that meant so much to him or betray his friends. It wasn't until the game ended that Dan snapped out of his thoughts.

"Winner! Anthony Férgus of Team Cosmic Trio!"

"And that's how it's done!" Anthony said with a smirk as he listened to the applause from the crowd. He walked back over to his teammates. "Alright Dan. You're up."

"R-Right." Dan nodded as he got up from the bench. He took a deep breath before walking up to the field.

Aurora and Anthony sat on the bench as the game began. As the game went on, Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Does something about the way he's playing seem… off to you?"

Anthony nodded his head. "Yeah. It's weird. It's like his heart's not in it."

"He's acting sloppy too." Aurora's father said. "This doesn't look good."

It wasn't long before Dan got his sixth damage. He hung his head low as he walked back over to his team. "Sorry guys. I lost."

"It's alright." Aurora said. "Just leave the rest to me."

Dan said nothing as he took a seat on the bench. Aurora walked up to the field, preparing herself. She had been hoping to be able to play soon, but not like this. The way Dan was acting was off, and that concerned her a lot more than not being able to play.

' _First thing's first though.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _I need to win this game. Looks like the Star Chaser clan is about to make its tournament debut.'_

"Get ready to lose." the player on the other team said.

Aurora smirked back at him. "I'm gonna make you eat those words."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

The Motion Figure System changed the field around her. Within seconds, it seemed like the two of them were really standing on the planet Cray.

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

"Star Cadet, Dipper!"

The appearance of Aurora's unit got the attention of not only her opponent, but also a large majority of the crowd in the stands. Quickly whispers of gossip spread around, everyone wondering what the new unit was.

"Hey what is this?" Aurora's opponent said. "I've never heard of that unit. What are you trying to pull?"

A grin came to Aurora's lips as she looked at her opponent. "This is the new clan that's been rumored about. Say hello to Star Chaser."

"You got the new clan? Come on, that has to be a lie."

"Actually it's not." The sound of a voice caused everyone to turn and gasp when they saw Yukari Tatsunagi standing next to Sachi. Seeing the organizer of the tournament here was almost as much of a shock as the new clan being used by Aurora. "Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present the new clan that is being revealed for the first time at this tournament. Star Chaser."

Murmurs spread around the crowd, amazed at this stunning development. Aurora's opponent widened their eyes at finding out that this truly was the brand new clan. Aurora could see her opponent breaking out into a nervous sweat.

' _This is gonna be fun.'_

* * *

"Boosted by Sagitarius, Gemini attacks your Vanguard!" Aurora called out.

"No guard."

With that attack, the sixth damage point fell for Aurora's opponent. He bowed his head in defeat, overwhelmed by the power of the new clan.

"Winner! Aurora Fujou of Team Cosmic Trio!" the referee declared.

"And there it is folks!" Sachi said in her mic. "Team Cosmic Trio has come out on top with a stunning win! And who would have thought we'd all be lucky enough to witness the premiere of a brand new clan! This is history in the making people!"

The crowd cheered with excitement for Aurora's victory. The blonde haired girl looked at everyone in the stands. They were all cheering for her. This feeling was unlike anything Aurora had experienced before. She looked over at Yukari, the two making eye contact with each other.

' _I'm coming for you Yukari. Just you wait.'_ Aurora thought to herself. She glanced over at her teammates at the bench. ' _But first, I've got some business to attend to.'_

Anthony gave his team leader a thumbs up. "Nice job. You kicked butt out there."

Dan nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Good game, Aurora."

"Dan." Aurora said, staring at him. "We need to talk."

Dan lowered his gaze, knowing full well what it was she wanted to talk about. The team of three left the field and went back to the lobby. They sat together near a corner, away from any prying eyes.

"So are you going to tell us what was up with your last fight?" Aurora asked. "That wasn't a case of nerves, besides it's not like you to get nervous like that."

Silence followed as Dan didn't say anything. He contemplated what he should tell them. What they would think if he told them the truth. He expected Aurora to scold him further, but to his surprise, she put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw her looking at him with a caring expression.

"It's ok Dan. Whatever it is, you can tell us."

The warm caring look in Aurora's eyes broke through Dan's silence. The teen finally let out a sigh. "Before I started coming to Card Galaxy, there was another card shop I frequented. A place called the Demon's Den."

"I've heard of that place." Aurora's father said. "Rumor has it it's not exactly a friendly shop to play at."

"That's putting it lightly." Dan told them. "Cardfighting there isn't like your usual cardfights. The players there bully those weaker than them, even taking their cards when they lose."

"That's horrible!" Aurora gasped. "How can the store owners allow that?!"

"Because some of the best players in the shop ARE the owners, despite their age." Dan explained. "The strong make the rules and the weak are forced to follow."

"Ok, but if it's so bad there why did you stay for so long?" Anthony asked.

Dan sighed. "The first time I went to that shop, I saw how bad it was there. The owners that I mentioned were bullying a little kid who had lost. I stepped up and tried to defend the kid. So I challenged them." They had a pretty good idea what was coming next in Dan's story. "I lost. Not only did I lose the game, they took a card that was really important to me. They said they'd give it back to me if I did what they said." Dan clenched his hands together. "I did some pretty bad things. Things that I'm not proud of. I fought for them. Putting the weaklings in their place, as they put it. Over and over again, they promised they'd give the card back if I just did this or that for them. But everytime I still didn't get it back. Eventually, I realized they were never planning to give it back to me. So I stopped going there. I searched around for a new shop to play at and found myself at Card Galaxy. And you know the rest."

"Dan…" Aurora didn't know what to say. Forcing him to bully others in order to get back something so important to him. And to top it all off, not giving it to him at the end. It was horrible.

"There's more." he said. "Three of those guys I mentioned are here today. They confronted me before the game started."

"And that's why you were so distracted during the game." Anthony realized.

"There's one other thing." Dan added. "They told me that if I threw the game if we got paired up, they'd give me my card back if our team lost."

They all gasped as they heard this. Anthony glared at his teammate. "Well? Are you gonna do that?!"

Dan stayed silent for a brief moment. He stood up and walked past his two teammates. "You'll have my answer on the field. But regardless, let me play the first game if we do get matched up."

Aurora and Anthony watched as Dan walked away. Anthony turned to Aurora. "You're not seriously going to let him play, are you?"

"..."

"Aurora? You're not gonna risk our victory on him, are you?"

"I don't know Anthony." Aurora's father said. "Let's give Dan a chance. He may just surprise you."

The teen rolled his eyes. "Well let's just hope that we don't get matched up against those guys he mentioned."

Unfortunately, no such luck existed. The next pairings were soon announced. Team cosmic Trio would be facing off against Team Dark Demons, the very team made up of the players Dan had mentioned.

* * *

"Alright cardfighting fans, time for the next game!" Sachi said into her mic. "For this next pairing, we've got Team Cosmic Trio going up against Team Dark Demons."

Both teams stood on the opposite ends of the room. Aurora and Anthony could see the smug condescending looks of the other team, telling them Dan's description of them hadn't been an exaggeration.

"As many of you may remember, Team Cosmic Trio features Aurora Fujou, the player using the brand new clan known as Star Chaser. Will she show us more of what her clan has to offer? On the other hand, the Dark Demons were no pushovers in their first round, easily winning the first two games." Sachi explained to the crowd. "What kind of fight will we see here?"

The referee stood in the center. "Will both teams please select their first fighters?"

Dan walked up, tugging at the gloves on his hands. Anthony whispered over to Aurora. "Are you sure we should let him do this? He could throw the game for us."

"I trust Dan." Aurora told him. "And besides, even if he were to throw it, all we'd have to do is win our two games."

"Betting it on us again like last round. Great." Anthony muttered sarcastically with a sigh.

As Dan stood at the ready, he watched as the player from Dark Demons stepped forward. He was surprised to see it was the leader of the group. "You're fighting me, Akira? I'm surprised you'd waste your time with something like this."

"Oh now I couldn't go and pass up the chance to play against my old buddy, now could I?" Akira said with a smirk. "Better yet, why don't we really make this game exciting?"

Dan narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"

Akira pulled out a pair of heavy metallic wristbands. "You remember these things, right?"

Dan's body tensed up as he saw the objects in Akira's hand. Aurora could tell something bad was going on and spoke up. "Just what the heck are those?"

"They're called shock cuffs." Akira explained. "As you take damage, it hits you with an electric shock that gets more intense with each damage point accumulated. We use them all the time at Demon's Den. And these models are made especially for Motion Figure Systems."

Everyone in the room gasped. Aurora couldn't believe that these people would pull a stunt like this. "You've gotta be kidding me! There's way too dangerous!"

"I guess you guys don't have much excitement going on at whatever shop you play." Akira said. "But I'm sure Dan remembers these. You played with them all the time." He tossed one of them over to Dan.

Dan caught the device. He had more experience with these than he cared to admit. Having to inflict real pain on the people he played against disgusted him. But like everything else before, he had done as he was told. But the cries of pain from the innocent fun-loving cardfighter still haunted him.

"H-Hold on!" the referee said. "You two can't go using things like-"

"I'll allow it." Yukari said, cutting off the referee. All heads turned to the organizer in disbelief. "I have no problems with it, so long as both sides agree to it."

Dan knew what Akira's game was. Trying to get him to throw the game wasn't enough. He wanted to torture him through it, making him feel both physical and mental pain. This was why he had decided to fight him instead of waiting for another of his teammates.

"Well? It's all on you." Akira said, staring directly at Dan.

Aurora quickly tried to talk some sense into her teammate. "Dan, don't do it. You don't have to listen to what this guy-"

Dan ignored Aurora's words and hooked the device onto his wrist, plugging the wire attached into the system.

"Well now it's a party." Akira said.

"One more thing." Yukari added. "Just to clarify, you both agreed to a kind of fight where you both have this handicap on. As such, any sort of faulty equipment will result in immediate disqualification for you. Such as a shock cuff that doesn't actually work, for instance."

Akira shot a small glare at the young girl, who smirked back at him, knowing what he had originally planned. He tossed the wristband he had aside and grabbed another. "That one seemed a bit buggy. Better go with this one just to be sure." he said.

Several glares came Akira's way, knowing full well what his original plan had been. Dan didn't seem surprised in the slightest, knowing Akira's style first hand.

"W-Well I guess this will be a unique match." Sachi said nervously, put off just as much as everyone else by this cruel addition to the game.

"You ready?" Akira smirked.

"Yeah." Dan said solemnly. "Let's just get this over with."

"The first game! Begin!" the referee declared.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

The field changed with a giant flash of light for Dan and Akira. Both of their starting vanguards appeared at their sides.

"Cat Knight in High Boots!"

 **Cat Knight in High Boots**

 **Grade:0, Power: 5000**

"Deranged Singular!"

 **Deranged Singular**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

' _Dark Irregulars. Same as always.'_ Dan thought to himself.

"I'm up first. Draw." Akira said. "I ride Wertiger Jaeger."

 **Wertiger Jaeger**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Deranged Singular moves back with forerunner." Akira said, sliding the card right behind his vanguard. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Akira(5).]**

"My turn. Draw." Dan said. "I ride Cutie Paratrooper."

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Cutie attacks your Vanguard."

"Guard." Akira said, holding up a 10000 shield from his hand.

"Drive check." Dan said, turning over the top card of his deck. "Critical trigger. All effects to Cutie."

"Shame it won't be enough." Akira smirked.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(6), Akira(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Akira said. "Ride, Succubus of Jealousy."

 **Succubus of Jealousy**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"That's not all. I also call Demonted Executioner." he said, placing the grade 2 next to his Vanguard. "With Demonted's skill, I check the top seven cards of my deck for a card with Darkness and add it to the soul." He picked out one of the cards and tossed it into the soul. "Demonted attacks Cutie Paratrooper."

"I guard." Dan said, holding up a grade 1.

"You may have blocked that, but what about this?" Akira said. "Deranged Singular boosts for an attack with Succubus of Jealousy."

"No guard."

"Drive check." Akira's smirk grew even wider when he saw the card he turned over. "Critical trigger. All effects to Succubus."

"Damage check. No triggers." Dan said as two cards went to his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Akira(0).]**

As the cards fell there, the band on his wrist sent a jolt of electricity through his body. "Ahhhh!"

"Dan!" Aurora exclaimed.

Akira laughed as he listened to Dan's cry of pain. "Been awhile, hasn't it? I hope that sparked your memory of what these babies can do, hahaha!"

"You jerk!" Aurora shouted. "How can you call yourself a cardfighter?!"

"Hey, this is how we Demons do things. Your teammate knew exactly what he was getting into." Akira shrugged. "I even wasted a card from my hand to let him be the first to experience it. See what a selfless guy I am?"

Aurora couldn't stand this kind of behavior. As badly as she wanted to go up and take a swing at the guy right now, she knew she couldn't. All she could do was sit there and hope for the best.

"Go ahead. It's your turn, Dan." Akira said. "Or was that already too much for you?"

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(5), Akira(5).]**

Dan still felt the pain from the shock, but managed to endure it as he took his turn. "Stand and draw. I ride Flying Peryton."

 **Flying Peryton**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Happiness Collector." Dan said, calling it to the back row of one of his empty columns. "Peryton attacks Succubus of Jealousy."

"No guard." Akira said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

Akira performed his damage check, not getting a trigger either.

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Akira(1).]**

The shock band on his wrist sent a small shock through his body. He wasn't unused to this kind of feeling, but he much rather preferred it when it was happening to his opponent rather than him.

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(5), Akira(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Akira said. He grinned at the card he drew. "Bringer of despair, show him the true horrors that await him! The light of victory is only for me! I ride One Who Proceeds Towards Daybreak, Scharhot!"

 **One Who Proceeds Towards Daybreak, Scharhot**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Demonted attacks!"

"Guard." Dan said.

"Deranged boosts. Get him, Scharhot!"

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger." A chuckle escaped Akira as he saw the trigger. "All effects to Demonted."

"Damage check. No trigger." the shock came to him once again. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Akira(1).]**

"Demonted's coming in again! Get ready!" Akira said.

"No guard." Dan muttered.

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Akira(1).]**

Aurora trembled as she heard another cry of pain come from her teammate. This wasn't right. This wasn't the Vanguard she knew and loved. This was an insult to the game.

Dan took a moment to recover from the shock, his body shaking from the pain. This was Akira's kind of cardfight. He made his opponents feel real pain, giving them real fear. He broke them inside and out, until there was nothing left.

"I think that'll do for now." Akira said with a cocky smirk. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(4), Akira(7).]**

Anthony rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous. He's throwing the game."

Aurora turned to her friend. "But he's in pain! Don't you care?!"

"Look, watching this pisses me off too." Anthony told her. "But look at Dan. His heart hasn't been in it this entire game. He's letting this guy walk all over him."

"But-"

"Face it. It's up to you and me to win this. He obviously doesn't care about the team." Anthony said.

Over on the field, Dan started his turn. "Stand and draw." he said. "The spotlight from the moon is the signal of his arrival! Get ready for the star of the show! I ride Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Harri's skill. I look at the top two cards of the deck. Adding Face Magician, Lappin to the soul. The other card goes to the bottom of the deck." He tossed a card from his hand into the drop zone. "Stride Generation. Masquerade Master, Harri."

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Cat Knight in High Boots's skill. When a card is placed on top of the vanguard circle, I can call him from the soul. Next up, Happiness Collector's skill. When a card is called from the soul I can send her to the soul to draw and soul charge. After that, I'll use Cat Knght's on call skill to call out Flying Peryton. With Peryton's skill, I soul charge and call Happiness Collector behind it." Dan said, giving himself a full column as well as Cat Knight sitting behind his Vanguard. "There's more. Harri's stride skill. I soul blast and call Cutie Paratrooper. With Cutie being called out, I activate Happiness Collector's skill to draw and soul charge once again. Then with Cutie's magia, I soul charge and call Face Magician, Lappin. Add 5000 power."

"Alright, he's got himself an almost completely full field." Aurora said.

"That's not all." Aurora's father added. "Did you see the card he soul charged?"

"Huh? It was a stand trigger, right?"

Her father nodded. "That's right. Prankster Girl of Mirrorland to be more precise."

The blonde girl's eyes flashed with realization. "Oh right! That unit has a skill when sent to the soul!"

"Prankster Girl of Mirrorland's skill." Dan said. "Since she was sent to the soul I can return her to the deck. I then search my deck for any other card I wish to add to the soul. I add Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty."

"Are you done yet?" Akira asked.

"Not yet. I call Darkside Swordmaster." Dan said, placing the critical trigger right behind Peryton. "Boosted by Swordmaster, Peryton attacks."

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Guard." Akira said, holding up a card from his hand with 5000 shield.

"Lappin's up next with a boost from Cutie. With Lappin's skill, I soul charge and add 2000 power, and another 3000 if it has magia." The soul charged card was Darkside Princess, meaning only 2000 was added.

 **(9000+5000+2000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Akira said. He took a damage, not getting a trigger. An electric shock hit his body, making him wince slightly.

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Akira(2).]**

"Cat Knight boosts Masquerade Master, Harri. With Darkside Swordmaster's skill, I send her to the soul to add 5000 to Harri and draw." Dan said. "Next up, Masquerade Master's skill. I send Cutie Paratrooper and Flying Peryton to the soul. Then from the soul I call Cutie Paratrooper, Flying Peryton, and Happiness Collector. Since it was called simultaneously with Cutie and Peryton, I activate Happiness Collector's skill. Sending her to the soul to draw and soul charge once more. Then with Cutie's magia, I soul charge and call Face Magician, Lappin. Adding 5000 power. After that, Peryton's magia calls out Masquerade Bunny."

Akira smirked. Usually, Dan would use this opportunity to call Betty from soul for even more attacks. But instead, he called Masquerade Bunny, a useless grade 1. ' _He really is planning to throw this game. He just wants to make it look convincing. That's fine with me.'_

"With Masquerade Master's skill, all my magia rear guards get 3000 power for each face up card in my G Zone with Harri in the name. There's now one so that's 3000 to all of them." Dan explained. "That boosts the power of my Cat Knight that boosting my Vanguard too."

 **(26000+5000+5000+3000=39000)**

"Perfect guard with Fallen Angel of Disconnection, Akrasiel!" Akira said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. I give the power to Peryton and stand Cat Knight. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Lappin and I heal one."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Akira(2).]**

' _He even healed a damage. Even better.'_ Akira thought. ' _That just means I get another chance to inflict pain on him.'_

"Peryton attacks with a boost from Masquerade Bunny."

 **(9000+5000+3000+7000=24000)**

"Generation guard! False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat! With its skill, I soul charge two cards."

"Lappin is up next with a boost from Cutie. With its skill, I soul charge." Dan looked at the card. "Another Prankster Girl of Mirrorland. It doesn't have magia, but I'll use it's skill to return it to the deck and add Betty to soul."

 **(9000+3000+5000+2000+7000=26000)**

"No guard." Akira took another damage. Getting shocked from the wristbands was starting to aggravate him, but it would still be fine in the end. After all, that just meant he had three cards to work with for counterblasts.

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Akira(3).]**

"Turn end." Dan said. "All my rear guards called with magia go to the soul." With every one of his rear guards being called with magia, Dan's field was now completely barren.

Over by the bench, Anthony sighed. "He's barely even trying. He could have gotten two more attacks that turn if he'd used Betty like he usually does."

"I'm not so sure." Aurora said.

Anthony narrowed his eyes at her. "You're kidding me, right? Have you been watching at all?"

"I can't really explain it…" Aurora told him. "But I just feel like… like we should have faith in him. That he won't let us down."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(9), Akira(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Akira said.

' _He's currently got four cards in his soul.'_ Dan thought. ' _But that number's about to skyrocket.'_

"Stride Generation!" Akira called out. "One Who Hunts Souls, Balaam!"

 **One Who Hunts Souls, Balaam**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Akira looked at Dan. He had been playing with barely any spirit at all this game. It must be torture for him to have to betray his teammates. And then there were the shock bands. Every part of this had been set up to make him experience true humiliation.

' _I won't rest until you're kneeling at my feet.'_ Akira thought silently as a dark grin came to his face. ' _I'll beat you into the dirt and make you regret running away from us. I'll make it so you never have the will to cardfight again.'_ He chuckled to himself. ' _Dan… I will thoroughly kick your ass in this cardfight!'_

"Skill of Deranged Singular. I put him and all my grade 1 or greater rear guards to the soul. Then I draw 2." Akira explained. "Scharhrot's stride skill. I soul charge two cards. Then I add Akrasiel from my soul to my hand and put Wertiger Jaeger from my hand into the soul."

' _That's eight in soul.'_

"Next I counterblast with Wertiger's skill to draw." Akira said. "Now I use the skill of One Who Hunts Souls, Balaam. I flip a copy of Balaam face up and soul charge 2 cards for every face up card in my G zone. With Balaam and Agrat bat Mahlat, that means 4 cards are added to my soul. Normally I'd be able to retire a unit as well, but seeing as your field is empty that's not really an option. However, Balaam will gain an extra drive check."

' _Twelve cards.'_

"From my hand I call Covetous Succubus. With Covetous's Darkness, I soul charge and counter charge. Since my soul has ten or more cards, I also get to draw two cards and discard one. Then I call Baleful Repressor to rear guard, and Wertiger Plunderer behind Covetous Succubus."

' _Thirteen cards. He's reached it.'_ Dan thought. Akira had Baleful Repressor to the right of his vanguard and in the left column he had Covetous Succubus and Wertiger Plunderer. It was Balaam though that made this tricky.

"Balaam's Generation Break 3." Akira said with a smirk. "With thirteen or more cards in soul, you can't guard with grade 1s from your hand at all this turn. In addition, Wertiger Plunderer's Darkness adds 1000 to him for each card in soul, making an extra total of 13000 for him."

The leader of Team Dark Demons let out a smug laugh. ' _All I need is three damage to finish him. And he'll take it, then he'll lie on the ground like a loser.'_ He got ready to attack. "Boosted by Wertiger Plunderer, Covetous Succubus attacks Harri."

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Akira(3).]**

Electricity racked through Dan's body, making him let out another cry of pain. The cry sounded like music to Akira's ears. "Balaam attacks your Vanguard."

With the image of the Motion Figure System, Balaam charged at Harri. But to his surprise, something appeared in between the two units.

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!" Dan said. "With his skill, I flip over a G Guardian from my G Zone. Then, since I have four units of different grades in my soul, 15000 power is added to the shield."

Akira's eyes widened. What was going on? Dan should be letting him win. He grumbled and performed his drive checks. "Quadruple drive. First check, stand trigger. All effects to Succubus. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Baleful Repressor. Third check, no trigger. Final check, critical trigger. I give all effects to Repressor once again."

' _Just calm down.'_ Akira thought to himself. ' _Remember, he's trying to make this convincing. He probably knew the chances of me getting a stand or critical were high with four drive checks. I'll still win this in the end.'_

"Baleful Repressor attacks your Vanguard! With Darkness, I add 10000 power! And for this attack, you can't guard with a grade 0!"

 **(9000+10000+5000+5000=29000)**

"You're finished!" Akira shouted.

"Dan!" Aurora gasped.

Everyone watched, horrified of what was about to happen. But they all widened their eyes in surprise when Dan took four cards from his hand and called them to the guardian circle all at once, a sudden fire in his eyes. "Flying Peryton! Face Magician, Lappin! And finally, two Darkside Princesses! I guard!"

Akira gasped as he saw this. What was going on? Anyone would have believed that Dan didn't have the necessary cards in his hand to guard that. So why did he guard?

' _It can't be…'_

"Let me guess. You expected me to take that attack, regardless of whether I could guard it or not." Dan said. "Looks like you were wrong."

"Grr… Covetous Succubus attacks!"

"Guard." Dan said, holding up a 10000 shield grade 0.

"You… how dare you?!" Akira yelled. "You were supposed to lose with that turn!"

"And go out so early? You clearly don't know me very well." Dan said with a shake of his head. He then glared at Akira. "You also don't know me well enough if you thought you could get me to betray my teammates through blackmail."

"You mean… From the very beginning you…?"

"You sure seemed to buy the whole hopeless and depressed act." Dan smirked. "But then again, what kind of ringmaster wouldn't be able to pull off such a simple trick?"

Aurora's face brightened. "I knew it! I knew Dan would come through for us!"

Anthony was honestly a little surprised by this sudden twist. However, he still saw the current state of the fight. "He's not exactly in a great position right now though. His opponent only has three damage. And I don't think he'll survive Akira's next turn now that he's serious."

"I think he'll be just fine." Aurora's father said with a grin.

"Huh?"

"Haven't you been paying attention Anthony? Did you bother to notice what's in his soul after his last turn?"

Akira growled as he looked at Dan with anger. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(4), Akira(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said.

"You haven't won this yet." Akira glared. "All I have to do is defend through this turn. Then next turn, you'll be finished."

A small chuckle escaped Dan. "Next turn? There is no next turn."

"What?"

"Didn't you notice? The cards that were added to my soul last turn?"

"The cards you added?"

"Let me show you. Stride Generation!" Dan said as he discarded a grade 3 from his hand. "Masquerade Master, Harri! Stride skill! I call Cutie Paratrooper! With her skill, I soul charge and call Masked Magician, Harri! Then I use Cat Knight's skill to call himself out along with Peryton! Peryton's skill, I soul charge and call Lovely Companion!"

Akira looked at Dan's field. He had a rear guard Harri and Cutie Paratrooper in one column, and in the other one he had Flying Peryton and Lovely Companion. Then there was Cat Knight behind his Vanguard.

"Also, in case you didn't notice, the card I soul charged was Moonlight Melody Tamer Betty." Dan said. "That makes four in soul."

"Four?!" Akira gasped. "When did you-"

"On my last turn, I neglected my offense and focused entirely on soul charging and drawing." Dan explained. "Part of it was to make you think I was going to let you win so you'd get sloppy. But the main goal was to get as many Betty cards in soul as possible. Two of them were sent with Prankster Girl of Mirrorland last turn, and a third from a normal soul charge. And the one I just soul charged now this turn makes four. Then with multiple draws off Happiness Collector, I'd gain the cards I needed to defend through your turn."

' _He tricked me?!'_ Akira gasped. ' _And I fell for it!'_

"You didn't realize it, but I was in control of this fight the entire time." Dan told him. "Now then, are you prepared?" A cold glare was seen in his eyes. "This is for all the players you hurt, and the suffering you put me through."

' _Wh-What do I do? I have to find a way to protect myself.'_ Akira thought. "D-Dan if you don't stop this your card will-"

"Shut it." Dan told him. "I lost that card because I was a cocky idiot, like you. Even if I could get it back by losing this fight, I wouldn't be able to look at myself afterwards. I have more important things with me now. My friends."

"You little…"

"My rear guard Harri attacks with a boost from Cutie."

 **(11000+6000+5000+7000+6000=35000)**

"No guard." Akira took a damage. "Critical trigger! All effects to- Ahhhhhhhhh!" The jolt of electricity from the shock cuff cut him of. "All… All effects to Scharhrot…"

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Akira(4).]**

"Lovely Companion boosts an attack for Flying Peryton."

 **(9000+6000+6000+6000=27000)**

"Guard!" Akira said as he quickly called out two grade 0s with 10000 shield each.

"Masquerade Master attacks with a boost from Cat Knight in High Boots." Dan said. "You know how this goes. With Masquerade Master's skill, I send Cutie and Peryton to soul. I then call both of them out, along with Happiness Collector. With Happiness's skill, I send her to the soul to draw and soul charge. Then Cutie's magia calls out Lappin and Peryton's magia calls out Betty. In addition, with three face up Harris in the G zone now the boost goes from 6000 to 9000 for each magia rear guard."

 **(26000+5000+9000=39000)**

"Perfect guard!" Akira yelled out.

"Triple drive." Dan said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Lappin. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lappin once again."

"No way!" Akira gasped.

"I'm not done." Dan said with a smirk. "Third check. He turned the card over and held it up for his opponent to see. "Heal trigger. Power to Lappin. I recover one damage."

"Please…" Akira begged. "The sixth damage shock… Anything but that…"

"You should have thought about that before you decided to bring those things to this fight." Dan said. "Lappin attacks with a boost from Cutie." Using Lappin's skill, he soul charged the top card of his deck. "Masked Phantom, Harri. It has magia so that's another 5000 added on."

 **(9000+5000+5000+9000+15000+7000+9000=59000)**

Akira looked at his hand. Even if he could guard this, he wouldn't be able to survive the repeated attacks from Betty and Peryton with his hand more diminished than it already was. "No guard…"

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Akira(6).]**

Akira quickly tried to remove the shock cuff but the jolt came too quickly. He screamed in pain as electricity racked throughout his body. The shocks got stronger with each damage point. Taking the ones for five and six simultaneously was one of the most painful things to experience with them. He fell to one knee with his body feeling extremely weak.

"The winner! Dan Kisha of Team Cosmic Trio!" the referee declared.

With the game over, the holograms of the Motion Figure System vanished. Dan grabbed his cards and walked back over to the bench where his teammates were.

"That was awesome Dan! I knew you could do it!" Aurora told him.

"Thanks." Dan said.

"Hmph, I knew he had it in him the whole time." Anthony said with a grin.

"That's bull and you know it." Aurora said before turning her attention back to Dan. "Anyway, are you alright? That fight was really dangerous."

"Don't worry, I'll live." Dan assured his team leader.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Oh no, don't give me that." she said, grabbing Dan's arm. She took a look at his wrist where there was a slight electrical burn. "I knew it. You're not fine. What were you thinking accepting that kind of fight?!"

"Sorry. Guess I got a bit carried away." Dan told her.

"You should go to the infirmary." Aurora suggested.

"I'll go when the match is over."

"You're going _now_." Aurora told him sternly. "You leave the rest of this to me."

"She's right. You should really get that looked at." Aurora's father said. "Come on. I'll take you there."

Dan knew there was no arguing, and he couldn't blame them for being worried. He walked with Aurora's father out of the room. Now Aurora's sole focus was on their opponents, and how badly she wanted to bash their faces in.

"Damn that guy. Who does he think he is?" Akira grunted as he held his wrist in pain. "That seriously hurt!"

"Doesn't matter. We'll just have to make sure we win the next two games." one of his friends said. "Either way, he's never getting his card back."

"We should tear it up right in front of him. Show him what he gets for defying us." the other one suggested.

"Hey!" Aurora's shout grabbed the attention of Team Dark Demons as they all turned her way. "You're giving my teammate his card back!"

"Tch, why should we listen to you?"

"If that's how you want it, let's fight for it." Aurora said. She grabbed a card from her deck, her ace in the hole. Star of Hope Hikari. "You bet Dan's card and I'll bet this."

"Umm… hold on." the referee interrupted. "You can't just go making bets like-"

"It's fine." Yukari said from her seat. "Like before, as long as both sides agree to it then I see no problems with it."

"It's all up to you then." Aurora told the other team. "You game? Or are you gonna run away and show everyone here what cowards you are."

"Grr…. Fine! It's a deal!" one of the team members said. He walked up to face Aurora. "Just don't go crying when I beat you and take your card!"

"Oh I won't be the one crying." Aurora assured him, a fierce glare burning in her eyes.

* * *

"Go, Meteor Shower Dragon!" Aurora called out. "Finish this!"

The large dragon roared as it crashed down on Aurora's opponent, making him shriek in terror. He took his sixth damage, the damage trigger not being the heal he so desperately needed.

"The winner! Aurora Fujou of Team Cosmic Trio!" the referee declared.

As the images of the field vanished with the fight being over, Aurora glared at the other team. "You lost. Now hand over the card."

Akira growled in annoyance. He could very well take the card and tear it up right there and then. But with all these people watching, he knew it would end badly for them if he did. "Here! Take the stinking card!" he said, throwing it over to her.

Aurora caught the card in between her fingers. "Thank you." she said. She turned and walked back over to her team. "Oh and one more thing." she added, glancing back at Team Dark Demons. "NEVER blackmail my teammates again. Do I make myself clear?"

The vibe Aurora gave off made the three players quickly nod their heads in fear before running off.

Aurora looked at the card, the one that Dan had been separated from for so long. ' _Scream Dragon Master, Droll Kimberley.'_ she read, looking at the card. ' _This is an incredibly rare card. A powerful one too.'_

Anthony let out a chuckle as Aurora walked over to him. "Geez, you really do strike fear into people. Maybe it's your looks."

"Do you want me to hit you?" Aurora asked him with narrowed eyes. "Come on. Let's go meet up with Dan and my dad."

Anthony got up from the bench and walked out of the room with his team leader. The two of them made their way to the infirmary. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived, seeing Aurora's father standing outside of the room.

"How is he?" Aurora asked.

"Don't worry. The nurse said he'll be fine." he assured them. "He just needs to wear a bandage around his wrist for a week or so. They have him resting in bed at the moment."

"Will he be able to play for the rest of the tournament?"

"For the next couple of rounds, it's probably best that he rest up and keep from using his wrist much." her father explained. "I'd suggest saving him for last in the lineup for now. He should be ok to sit on the bench so if it comes to it, he can play last."

"So it's up to me and Aurora then." Anthony said. "Guess we'll have our work cut out for us."

"Can we see him right now?" Aurora asked.

"Well he is supposed to be resting." her father told her. "But I suppose you can see him for a quick moment."

Aurora nodded her head as she and Anthony walked in. The saw Dan lying down on the bed. He lifted his head when he saw his teammates walk in.

"How'd we do?" he asked.

"Like you even have to ask." Aurora grinned. "I could have handled both those remaining guys solo."

"I should have known." Dan said with a small chuckle.

"There's one more thing." Aurora said. "A gift for you."

Dan looked at her with a confused expression until she pulled out a card and handed it to him. His eyes widened when he saw what it was. "This is… How did you-"

"A little prize I took after I beat them." Aurora told him. "It is your card, right?"

Dan nodded his head, tears forming in his eyes. "I just… I never thought I'd see it again."

"Hey, don't cry too much. You'll get the card all wet." Aurora told him with a smile.

"Heh, yeah you're right." Dan said as he wiped his eyes. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Hey what are teammates for?" Aurora said. "And seeing as we're teammates, you can do me a favor."

"What is it?" Dan asked, quickly getting his answer as Aurora tugged on his ear.

"Don't you ever do something that reckless and stupid again. Cause if you do, I'll put you right in the hospital instead of a dinky little infirmary." she said sternly.

"Ow ow ow, okay! I'm sorry for worrying you!" Dan said, finally getting his ear free from his team leader.

Aurora looked at him with a smirk. "Good."

"In any case…" Anthony said. "I can see why that card is so important to you. It's a really rare one."

Dan shook his head. "It's not just that. This card… it has a lot of sentimental value to me."

Aurora and Anthony narrowed their eyes. "What do you mean?" Aurora asked.

Dan leaned back on his bed. "The first time I went to a card shop, I opened my first pack for Vanguard. This card was in that pack."

Both of his teammates widened their eyes. "Your first pack and you pulled _that_?!" Anthony exclaimed.

Dan chuckled as he nodded. "Yeah. The store owner pointed out how lucky I was too. He told me she was from the Pale Moon clan, a group of performers that also double as assassins. I really liked the clan so I decided then that Pale Moon would be the clan I used. It was like the card was calling out to me. The store owner even gave me another card to help further start my Pale Moon deck."

"What was it?" Aurora asked.

Dan pulled out his deck and shifted through it, finally arriving at the card. "Masked Magician, Harri. This unit started it all out for me. It took some time but I eventually managed to build a deck around him. That was how I started using the Pale Moon clan, and how I started playing Vanguard. The shop sadly closed down a couple years later, so I went to Demons Den. And well… you know the rest."

Aurora thought back to how she started playing Vanguard. She would always hang out at her father's shop after school and help out, even when she was little. Spending so much time at the shop, she got to see lots of card games. But none of them stuck out to her like Vanguard. She studied all the clans that there were, and used Nova Grapplers. And now she was using Star Chaser, a clan that she felt she connected with more than any other deck. She felt that every cardfighter had some sort of special story for how they started playing the game.

"Anyway, that's why that card means so much to me." Dan said.

"Well the important thing is you've got it back." Aurora told him with a smile. "Now you make sure to hurry and rest up before the next match. You can watch, but as for cardfighting, just leave the rest to me and Anthony."

"Thanks guys. Sorry to be such a burden." Dan said.

"Don't you worry about it. Just focus on healing up." Aurora told him. "We'll come get you before our next match starts. See you then."

Aurora and Anthony walked out of the room. The blonde haired girl let out a sigh. "We need to make sure we're at the top of our game for the rest of today. The less Dan plays, the better. His wrist needs to heal."

Anthony nodded his head in agreement. "Don't sweat it. You and me have got this. We'll win our fights no problem."

"I hope you're right Anthony." Aurora said. "I really do."

 **Aurora: I really hope nothing bad happens with Dan.**

 **Anthony: I'm just glad he didn't throw the game.**

 **Aurora: You could have had a bit more faith in him.**

 **Anthony: Well either way, we've got some serious cardfights coming up. The finals of the qualifiers are right around the corner.**

 **Aurora: I wonder what kind of team will be waiting for us when we get there.**

 **Next Time: Explosive Showdown! Qualifier Finals**


	6. Explosive Showdown! Qualifier Finals

**A/N: Hey readers, Deviljho's Hatred here! TheSib and I are really glad for the traction the fics been getting recently and the excitement for the new clan. Hopefully with what we got in store you'll be just as excited. Enjoy the newest chapter everyone!**

"Well cardfighting fans this has been an exciting semi-final round so far if you ask me." Sachi said as she spoke into her mic. "We are currently in the middle of seeing who the first team to move onto the finals will be, and the fights have been nothing short of breathtaking!"

Cheers filled the crowd as they watched the current match between Team Cosmic Trio and Team Overwhelm. The first game had been won by Anthony, though it was a close call. Still deciding to keep Dan on the bench unless he was forced to fight, Aurora had gone second. She was currently facing off against a player named Kenji, a user of Kagero.

The game had been pretty back and forth so far. Kenji had just finished his turn, pushing Aurora to 5 damage. Anyone watching could tell that Aurora had to win it this turn or it would be over. However, that would be easier said than done as Kenji's last turn had all but wiped out Aurora's field of rear guards.

"You did well to survive my last turn." Kenji said. "But there's no way I'm letting you steal victory from me. I'll defend against whatever you throw at me this turn and finish you off on my next turn."

"Let's see if you can really defend against it like you say." Aurora said. "Stand and draw."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(1), Kenji(5).]**

Aurora drew her card, adding a second one to her already minimal hand. "Here we go, Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast Cosmos Pegasus!" The image of the Motion Figure System they were using showed Aurora's G Unit appear onto the battlefield, spreading it's glimmering wings as it stood at her side.

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Hikari's stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from my deck and Gemini! Add 3000 power!"

"Oh my, it looks like Aurora is beginning to fill up her rear guards after having them all wiped out last turn." Sachi announced. "But she only has one more card in her hand. Even if she calls it, she'll only have a mere 2 rear guards. Whatever will she do?"

"There's no way you can mount a strong enough offense to beat me." Kenji smirked.

' _You're wrong. I'm not out of this yet.'_ Aurora thought silently. ' _I'll show everyone just how strong my clan and I are.'_

"Cosmos Pegasus's skill! I flip a copy of it from the G Zone! Now I can call cards from my bind zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone!"

Kenji widened his eyes. Aurora currently had 4 face up cards in her G Zone from going into Cosmos Pegasus last turn and using a Generation Guard to guard his attacks. That meant she'd be able to completely refill her field.

"I call all four Sagittarius units in my bind zone! They each gain 5000 power from Cosmos Pegasus's skill! In addition, since I called 2 or more units with this skill, Cosmos Pegasus gains a critical!"

"No way?!" Kenji gasped.

"If you liked that, then you're going to love this!" Aurora smirked. "Sagittarius gains 3000 power whenever another unit is called from the bind zone. And since they were all called together, that means 9000 power is added to each of them."

Kenji looked at his hand. ' _I can protect myself. I just need to guard 2 of her attacks.'_

"Here we go! Boosted by Sagitarius, Gemini attacks your Vanguard, Dragonic Blademaster!"

 **(9000+7000+9000=25000)**

"No guard." Kenji said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kenji(5).]**

"Boosted by Sagittarius, Cosmos Pegasus is flying in!"

 **(26000+7000+9000=42000)**

"Perfect guard with Flare Trooper, Dumjid!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to my front row Sagittarius."

' _Perfect.'_ Kenji thought with a smirk. ' _Even if she gets another trigger, I'll have just enough to guard it.'_

"Third check." Aurora said. "Stand trigger. All effects to Gemini."

"What?!"

"Here we go! Get him Gemini!"

Kenji couldn't believe it. With that stand trigger, his entire chances of winning had been ruined. "No… guard…"

The image of Gemini in the Motion Figure System dashed across the battlefield, slashing its two blades at Dragonic Blademaster. Kenji took his damage, not getting the heal trigger he wanted. He fell to his knees in defeat.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kenji(6).]**

"Winner! Aurora Fujou of Team Cosmic Trio!"

"Alright!" Aurora cheered as she jumped in the air.

"And there you have it folks!" Sachi said. "With that win, Team Cosmic Trio will be moving onto the final round!"

The crowd cheered loudly as the match concluded. They had enjoyed each of Aurora's fights so far, seeing as she was using a brand new clan that none of them had seen until today.

"In just a short bit we will see which team will be facing Team Cosmic Trio in the finals, Team Brilliant Shine or Team Deep Blue." Sachi told the crowd. "Don't go anywhere folks, cause the action is far from over."

* * *

"Woo! Finals here we come!" Anthony cheered while throwing his arms around his partners. "Just one more to go and we're hitting the big leagues!"

Aurora rolled her eyes and removed the eager arm of her friend. "Easy there. You're still on thin ice from what happened the other week at the shop. You didn't think I forgot, did you?"

Dan could've swore that he heard the guy curse under his breath but decided not to get in the middle of that feud. Mostly because he would be forced to take Aurora's side on it for multiple reasons. "Anthony's mistake aside, you think we should check out the other game to see who our opponents might be? It would give us a way to know what we're up against."

"That's not a bad idea but perhaps it would be best to check them out from the comfort of the concession stands." Aurora's father said while walking up to the trio. "I think you all deserve something good to eat after those good games."

Anthony was about to open his mouth in agreement but the sight of a waving hand caught his attention. From behind Aurora's father was his aunt and uncle walking up to the team. He slipped away from his teammates and gave them an apologetic look. "Sorry guys but I got some people to be with right now."

"You can't escape retribution forever Fergus!" Aurora called after him.

"That was an accident and you know it!" The guy was only digging his grave deeper at this point but he could hardly care. Not with his relatives waiting for him. He waved to his aunt and uncle while running to them. Smiling as the both of them embraced him and began complimenting the boy on his win.

Aurora sighed at the scene in front of him and shook his head. "He's making it hard to stay mad at him if his relatives are this happy for him."

Dan raised an eyebrow at her statement. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well Anthony's parents aren't really around that often." Her father chimed in. "So his aunt and uncle have supported him in everything he does. Even Cardfighting."

"I think you mean especially Cardfighting, dad."

Back with the family meet up, Anthony moved with his aunt and uncle to one of the nearby benches. Maria brought out a small lunch box and placed it in her nephew's lap. "Just a little something to help keep your energy up for the finals."

"Thanks!" Anthony bowed his head slightly before digging in to the meal.

"At least you haven't forgotten your manners with the high of victory." Hideyoshi laughed.

The family enjoyed a soft meal together while talking about their excitement for the coming finals. It was a shame that his mom and dad couldn't be here due to a conference call but he was just happy he had at least had Maria and Hideyoshi supporting him. Being a foreigner, friends didn't readily come to Anthony's doorstep since he could hardly speak the native language when he was a kid. He had to rely on family time and anime to keep himself entertained during his younger years. But that all changed when he was introduced to Vanguard.

It was an attempt by his aunt and uncle to see if he could make some friends by playing a popular game. He was shy at first but after getting into a cardfight with the shop owner, he had a lot of fun. Especially with the clan he played.

"Thanks again for being here Aunt Maria and Uncle Hideyoshi." Anthony said with an honest smile on his smile. "I really appreciate it."

"Oh Antonio, you know we're always here to support you in everything you do. This game has done such wonders for your social life."

His uncle ruffled his nephew's hair up a bit. "You're on a winning streak with that team of yours, we wouldn't miss your victory for the world."

"Wish mom and dad saw Vanguard the way you two did…" Anthony sighed, his mood sombering slightly.

"Antonio, you know they only want what's best for you. For you to be successful is every parent's dream." Maria soothed as she gave the teen a hug. "Give it some time, they'll come around soon enough. I did tell them to tune into the finals if they managed to get out of their call on time. So do your best like you always do."

Anthony smiled at his aunt for cheering him up like she always did whenever he was feeling down. Supportive didn't even begin to describe how much she helped him along in his life in Japan. It was her who bought him his first trial deck and first pack after all. "Thanks aunt Maria."

"Hey, Anthony! Hurry up and finish eating, the finals are starting soon!" Aurora called from down the hallway.

Anthony rolled his eyes while getting up from his seat. "Even from all the way down there, that girl is so loud."

"But she isn't wrong. Go on and kick some butt, we'll be in the audience cheering you on."

The boy smiled as he waved goodbye to his relatives and ran back to his waiting teammates. There was no doubt that they would win it all and get to the next level. Especially with the support from his aunt and uncle.

* * *

"It's finally time players! Are you ready?!" Sachi asked, speaking into her mic. "We will now begin the finals of the qualifiers. Allow me to introduce our two teams!"

The crowd roared as they awaited the excitement. This would be the last match today and both teams had showed exceptional talent throughout the tournament today.

"First up, let me introduce our first team. They won most of their matches this far with no game losses. Their leader uses the brand new clan that had been a complete mystery until today. Give it up for Team Cosmic Trio."

Aurora, Anthony, and Dan walked out onto the field. Unlike the row of Motion Figure Systems that had been set up earlier to allow multiple games at the same time each round, there was only one set up this time. The three cardfighters stood at their bench.

"And now let me introduce the next team. They won each of their matches with very little difficulty. A team that's so skilled, they've made it to nationals. Team Brilliant Shine!"

It was no surprise that the cheers were even louder this time as the team walked out onto the field. A team that had been to nationals would have far more notoriety than a brand new team with no tournament experience until now, even if one of their members had a new clan.

"So what exactly do we know about these guys?" Anthony asked, whispering to Aurora.

"They're no pushovers. They won each round with a perfect victory. Not a single game loss."

"Yeah, but with the exception of round one, we did the same."

"Except their leader hasn't even played once today." Aurora told him. "They won each game so far with their first two members. That means their leader is even stronger than that."

"Sounds exciting." Anthony grinned. "I'm fired up already."

"Let me play the first game." Dan said.

Aurora shook her head. "Dan we discussed this. You need to rest and let your wrist heal. You'll play the third game if it comes to it."

"But-"

"I know how you feel, but risking further injury to you isn't worth it." she told him. "Just leave this to me and Anthony."

Dan let out a sigh. "Fine."

Aurora understood Dan's desire to play. He probably felt useless with Anthony and her winning almost all the games for their team today. But even though they hadn't known each other for long, she considered Dan a close friend. And she refused to let her friends get hurt.

"We will now begin the first game. Will both teams please select their first players?" the referee asked.

Anthony stood up from the bench and stretched his arms. "Wish me luck."

As Anthony walked up, he saw his opponent walk forward as well. It was a girl with curly black hair and emerald green eyes.

"Congratulations on making it this far." the girl said. "Sadly, this is where your journey ends."

Anthony scoffed at the girl's bravado. "Please. A bit early to be declaring your victory, isn't it?"

"It's simple observation. Your team has some skill, but my team has reached the national tournament stage multiple times. It's simply a matter of experience."

Anthony placed his deck on the Motion Figure System. "Let's see how well that experience works for you after I've beat you."

"We will now begin the first game of the final round." the referee declared. "Anthony Fergus vs Maki Minamoto. Begin!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

As both players said this, the Motion Figure System changed the scenery for them. Both of their starting vanguards appeared on the field.

"Deity Spirit Loyalist, Ikutsu Hikone!"

 **Deity Spirit Loyalist, Ikutsu Hikone**

 **Grade:0, Power: 5000**

"Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dracokid**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first. Stand and draw." Maki said. "I ride Rapport Miko, Nazuna."

 **Rapport Miko, Nazuna**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Ikutsu Hikone moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

' _Oracle Think Tank, huh? Well let's see how much of a hand you can build up against my fierce attacks.'_ Anthony thought.

 **[Turn: 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Maki(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Anthony said. "I ride Trainee Monk Dragon! Hardrod moves back with forerunner."

 **Trainee Monk Dragon**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"With a boost from Hardrod, Trainee Monk attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Maki said as she turned a card over. "Stand trigger. All effects to the vanguard."

 **[Damage: Anthony(0), Maki(1).]**

"Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn: 3. Hand: Anthony(6), Maki(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Maki said. "Here comes Foredoom Miko, Sachi! Ride!"

 **Foredoom Miko, Sachi**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 8000**

"Sachi's Oracle. As long as I have five or more cards in hand, she gains 2000 power at all times." Mika said. "Boosted by Ikutsu Hikone, Sachi attacks!"

 **(8000+2000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." Anthony declared.

"Drive check. Hel trigger. Power to Sachi and I recover one damage."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Maki(0).]**

Anthony wasn't liking this so far. With that heal trigger, Maki had pushed ahead. But it was still early in the game and he knew things could change very easily in this game.

"Turn end." Maki said.

 **[Turn: 4. Hand: Anthony(6), Maki(6).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw. I ride Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel!"

 **Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"I'm not done yet. Next I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura!" Anthony said as he called the grade 2 to one of his open front row rear guard circles. "Chatura attacks Sachi! With his skill, 3000 power is added!"

 **(8000+3000=12000)**

"Weather Girl, Lassi will stop that!" Mika said, playing the grade 1 card from her hand.

"Let's see you stop this next one! Grizel attacks with a boost from Hardrod!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Maki looked at her hand. "No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Maki(1).]**

"My turn's done." Anthony said.

 **[Turn: 5. Hand: Anthony(6), Maki(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Maki held her next card into the air. "Master of predictions, guide me towards the path that leads to victory! I ride Spiritual Sword of Rough Deity, Susanoo!"

 **Spiritual Sword of Rough Deity, Susanoo**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Next I call Deity Spirit Loyalist, Ame-no-oshiho and Divine Sword, Kusanagi to rear guard." Maki said, calling the two units back to back in one of her columns. "With a boost from Kusanagi, Ame-no-oshiho attacks!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"I guard!" Anthony said, using a grade 1 from his hand.

"Susanoo attacks with Hitsune's boost! Kusanagi's skill, send it to the soul. Add 5000 and draw."

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Maki said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Maki(1).]**

"Turn end." Maki said. "Now then, show me what you can do."

 **[Turn: 6. Hand: Anthony(5), Maki(6).]**

"With pleasure. Stand and draw." Anthony said as he drew for his turn. "Master of the savage skies, strike your foes down with your wrathful lightning! Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Get ready, cause here I come! Stride Generation!" Anthony called out. "Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill, bind a card from your drop zone, and retire and bind one of your rear guards!" Anthony said. Maki retired and bound Ame-no-oshiho from her field and a card in her drop zone. "Next I call Grizel, and two Lightning of Triumphant Retur, Resephs!"

With those calls, Anthony had a full field. Grizel had occupied Anthony's open front row rear guard, while the two Resephs were positioned behind Grizel and Chatura.

"Nice! He's off to a great start!" Aurora grinned.

"Skill of VBUSTER! Bind a card from your drop and one of your rear guards! Then, I add 3000 power to three units, which will be the cards in my front row!" Not having any other choice, Maki put her only rear guard, Ikutsu Hikone, in the bind zone, as well as the last card in her drop zone. "Next up is Hardrod's skill! I rest him, but since you can't bind a card from your drop zone I can countercharge and add 3000 power to Grizel. Now I'll have Chatura attack with a boost from Reseph!"

 **(8000+3000+3000+4000=18000)**

"Generation guard! Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu! With its skill, 10000 is added to the shield. Then I soul charge and look at the top card of the deck." Maki took the top card off her deck and looked at it. "I'll leave it on top."

 **Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Boosted by, Reseph, Grizel is up next!"

 **(9000+3000+3000+4000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check, stand trigger. All effects to the vanguard."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Maki(2).]**

"VBUSTER's crashing in! Activating the skill of both Resephs! Send them to the soul, then draw and add 5000 power to the vanguard for each one!"

 **(26000+3000+5000+5000=39000)**

Maki hated to waste the damage trigger she had gotten, but she couldn't afford to use up so much of her hand this early. "No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger." The lack of drive triggers was beginning to annoy the teen. "Final check." as he turned the card over, a grin came to his face. "Heal trigger. Now that's what I'm talking about. Power to VBUSTER and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Maki(3).]**

"I think that's enough for one turn." Anthony smirked. "You're up."

"Perfect! He got four cards in his opponent's bind zone and got himself ahead by two damage! He's got this!" Aurora grinned.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Aurora." her father told her. "Anthony got a good start, that's true. But I have a feeling this Maki girl is about to show her strength too."

 **[Turn: 7. Hand: Anthony(6), Maki(5).]**

"It's my turn. Stand and draw." Maki said. "Spiritual Deity of Benevolence, Ame-no-sagume!"

 **Spiritual Deity of Benevolence, Ame-no-sagume**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast 2 cards and draw! Then I call Ame-no-oshiho!" Maki explained. "Ame-no-oshiho, attack! Activating its Oracle! I counterblast, and check the top five cards of the deck for one card with Oracle and add it to my hand. I add Higher Deity Protection Official, Amatsu-hikone to my hand. Then, 3000 power is added to Oshiho."

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"As if I'd let that puny attack through." Anthony smirked, holding up a card from his hand with 5000 shield. "I guard."

"Then how about this one?" Maki said. "Ame-no-sagume attacks! Activating her skill since I'm at Oracle. She gains a skill."

"No guard."

"Triple drive." Maki flipped over all three cards, not getting a single trigger. "The skill Ame-no-sagume gained from Oracle. Since the attack hit, I draw 2 cards, discard 1, then counter charge and soul charge."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Maki(3).]**

"Turn end." Maki said.

Over by the bench, Aurora and Dan watched the game play on. "She didn't inflict much damage, but she's got a giant hand now." Dan noted.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. And at least one of them is a perfect guard. It's gonna be tough to break through her defense."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony(5), Maki(11).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. He looked at the field. Damage wise he was in a good spot, but with Maki's current hand, getting anymore damage through would be tough.

' _It doesn't matter. Aunt Maria and Uncle Hideyoshi are watching me. So are mom and dad if they were right. I can't mess up here.'_

"Dragonic Vanquisher SPARKING's Thunderstrike 4. A card from your drop zone is bound, and I soul charge." Anthony said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind another card from your drop zone, as well as a card on your field! Then Hardrod's skill to rest it and bind another from your drop zone!" Maki bound the only rear guard she had, Oshiho, leaving her with a barren field. With the consecutive binding skills her opponent had used, there were a total of 8 cards in her bind zone now.

"VBUSTER's Generation Break 3. Thunderstrike 7. Plus 5000 power to the front row and add an extra drive and critical to VBUSTER." Wasting no time, Anthony began his assault. "Chatura attacks the vanguard!"

 **(8000+3000+5000=16000)**

"Generation guard. Sun of Eternity Amaterasu." Maki once again used the gkill of the g guardian to check the top card of the deck, leaving it on top.

"VBUSTER, get in there!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"As if I'd let that through! Perfect guard!" Maki said, holding up the sentinel from her hand.

"Quadruple drive. First check, draw trigger. Power to Grizel and I draw. Second check, draw trigger once again. Just like before, I give power to Grizel and draw. Third check, no trigger. Final check, no trigger." Anthony smirked. "You're not the only one that can get a big hand."

"Amazing!" Sachi spoke. "With those two draw triggers combined with his four drive checks, Anthony Fergus has added a total of 6 cards to his hand just like that! He's actually managed to surpass his opponent in hand size!"

"I'm not done." Anthony grinned. "Grizel attacks!"

 **(9000+9000+5000+5000+5000=33000)**

"No guard. Damage check." Maki grinned at the card she got. "Heal trigger. Power to the vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Maki(3).]**

"Turn end." Anthony said. ' _Damn, she got a lucky break with that heal trigger. But I built my hand up. I should be able to defend against her attacks no problem.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony(11), Maki(8).]**

Maki started her turn. "Stand and draw. Susanoo's Oracle. I look at the top card of my deck and place it back on either the top or bottom of the deck." Taking a quick look at the card, she returned it to the top. A smirk came to her face. "Now let me show you the difference in our ability. Stride Generation! Still Water Festival Deity, Ichikishima!"

 **Still Water Festival Deity, Ichikishima**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soulblast and draw!" Maki said, adding back to her hand. "Ichikishima's skill! I counter blast and soul blast to draw 2 cards! Next up is Ichikishima's Generation Break 3! For the rest of this turn, you can't guard with G Guardians or grade 0s from your hand."

Anthony's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Oh my goodness! Would you look at that?!" Sachi spoke in her mic. "Anthony Fergus built up a large hand last turn, but a large amount of his defensive options have been sealed off. Now the only cards in his hand he can guard with are grade 1s, 2s, and 3s! A severe disadvantage if you ask me!"

Aurora clenched his hands tightly, growing worried. "It's alright. Anthony only has 2 damage. He can afford to take a couple hits."

"That's not the real problem though." Dan pointed out. "His opponent is only at 3 damage. If Anthony doesn't finish her off next turn, assuming he lives through this one, there's a good chance he'll have to deal with this skill again."

Aurora couldn't deny Dan's point. This was going to be a tough battle for Anthony. All she could do was believe in her friend.

"Don't think I'm letting you off easy this turn." Maki said. "I call a pair of One Advantage Miko, Nanase and Rapport Miko, Nazuna." Just like that, Maki had two columns of attacks, with a Nanase and Nazuna on both sides next to her vanguard. "Nazuna's Oracle, both of them give a skill to the Nanase in front of them to add 1000 power to them for every card in my hand. And Nanase also gains that same boost from her own skill. Here comes the first Nanase and Nazuna attack!"

 **(9000+7000+7000+7000=30000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. He watched as a card went into his damage zone, not being a trigger like he needed.

 **[Damage: Anthony(3), Maki(3).]**

"Nazuna's skill. At the end of the battle, I retire her and draw." Maki said. "Ichikishima attacks next!"

"Perfect guard!" Anthony said. "Summon Lightning Dancing Princess, Anastasia!"

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to my standing Nanase. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger." A smirk came to Maki's lips, while Anthony frowned. "Once again, all effects to Nanase."

"Anastasia's skill. Thunderstrike 4. I draw a card." Anthony said.

Aurora gasped. If this next attack hit, Anthony would take three damage. Without a heal trigger, he'd go to six and lose.

"Boosted by Nazuna, Nanase attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+11000+11000+7000=48000)**

"Perfect guard, once more!" Anthony said, holding up a second Anastasia. "And once again, her Thunderstrike allows me to draw."

"Tch, Nazuna's skill. Retire and draw." Maki said, disappointed her attack hadn't finished her opponent off. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Anthony(9), Maki(12).]**

"Stand and draw. Skill of SPARKING. Bind a card from your drop zone and I counter charge." Anthony said. He looked at his hand. Not a single grade 3 among them. Having no other option, he took two grade 2s from his hand and discarded them. "Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VOLTAGE"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VOLTAGE"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill, since VOLTAGE doesn't have Thunderstrike, only a card from your drop zone is bound." Anthony explained. "Next I call 2 Dragon Dance, Viannes and activate Hardrod's skill to bind a card from your drop. Then I use his second skill. I send him to the soul to retire one of your Nanases, and give 3000 to Chatura. Since a card was bound, both Vianne's activate their skill. They return to the deck, and I counter charge and draw. Then I call Smashboxer Dragon and Reseph." Anthony called the two units out, with Reseph behind Chatura and Smashboxer behind Grizel.

"That's 12 cards in the bind zone!" Aurora grinned. "A now it's time for…"

"Activating VOLTAGE's skill! My front row gains 3000 power for each card in your bind zone, making a total of 36000 to each of them!" Anthony said with a grin. "I also activate Grizel's Thunderstrike 5. She gains 9000 power, and by counter blasting she can battle your Nanase on the right in addition to her regular attack."

"Well folks, I think it's clear that Fergus is going all out this turn!" Sachi said. "He's powering up his units to insane levels of power!"

"Boosted by Reseph, Chatura attacks!"

 **(8000+3000+3000+36000+4000=54000)**

"No guard." Maki said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(3), Maki(4).]**

"Chatura's skill. Since the attack hit, I bind a card from your drop zone and draw. With another card in your bind zone, another 3000 is added to the front row. Now VOLTAGE attacks! With Reseph's skill, I send it to the soul to add 5000 and draw."

 **(26000+39000+5000=70000)**

' _I already let Chatura's attack hit. I can't let this hit too.'_ Maki thought to herself. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive then. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger." The revelation of the trigger caused gasps to fill the crowd. "All effects to Chatura."

Maki grit her teeth. Chatura was a dangerous unit to let hit. She had already been forced to let it hit once. She couldn't let that happen again.

"Here for an encore performance, give it up for Chatura!"

 **(8000+3000+3000+39000+5000=58000)**

"Intercept with Nanase! guard!" Maki shouted, dropping a full 6 cards from her hand to fully block the attack.

"Grizel attacks with a boost from Smashboxer!"

 **(9000+9000+39000+7000=64000)**

"No guard. Damage check, critical trigger." Maki said. "All effects to Susanoo."

 **[Damage: Anthony(3), Maki(5).]**

"Smashboxer's skill. Send him to the soul to counter charge and draw. Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Anthony(12), Maki(4).]**

' _I couldn't finish her. But I still depleted a lot of her hand.'_ Anthony thought. ' _She shouldn't be able to launch much of an attack this turn. Still… this could be tight.'_

"Stand and draw. Susanoo's skill. I check the top card. I put it on bottom and soul charge." Maki said. "Time to end this! Stride Generation! Ichikishima!"

 **Still Water Festival Deity, Ichikishima**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soulblast and draw! Next I call Psychic Bird! I use its skill to send it to the soul and draw. Ichikishima's skill to draw 2 cards. Then I use her Oracle to prevent you from using your grade 0s and G Guardians to guard this turn."

Anthony grunted. His opponent hadn't had a lot of cards in her hand at the start of the turn, but she had already managed to build it back up.

"I call Weather Girl, Shake and Divine Sword, Ame-no-murakumo to one column and Nanase to another." Maki said, getting out three rear guards one after another. "Boosted by Ame-no-murakumo, Shake attacks! Her skill allows me to check the top card of the deck." Maki looked at the card, deciding to leave it on top.

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Intercept with Chatura and Grizel!" Anthony called out, moving both his front row rear guards to the guardian circle.

"Ichikishima attacks next."

"Perfect guard!" Anthony said as he held up the card from his hand.

Maki's eyes widened. "A third perfect guard?!"

"Come on, you think I wouldn't have these saved up after knowing you can block off my grade 0s and G Guardians?" Anthony said. ' _Although in truth, I was just lucky I managed to draw this card from Smashboxer's skill. Without it, I'd be in trouble.'_

"Grr… triple drive!" Maki announced. "First check, stand trigger. All effects to Shake. Second check, stand trigger. Stand Ame-no-murakumo and power to Shake. Third check, no trigger. Shake attacks again!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+5000=26000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Maki(5).]**

"Nanase attacks! With her skill, 8000 power is added!"

Anthony quickly held up two grade 2s from his hand. "Guard."

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 12. Hand: Anthony(9), Maki(8).]**

' _This time, I'm going to end it for real.'_ Anthony silently thought. "Stand and draw. SPARKING's skill. You know how this goes by now, right. Bind a card from your drop zone and I counter charge. And next, Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher," VMAX"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"**

"Stride skill! Bind a rear guard and a card from your drop zone!" Just like that, another two cards were bound, with Weather Girl, Shake being removed from the field. "I call Dragonic Descendant Sigma, Plasmatron Dragon, and Smashboxer Dragon to rear guard!" Quickly, his empty field was filled up, with Plasmatron and Smashboxer in one column and Descendant in the other. Plasmatron's skill. I counterblast in order to give him 2000 for every card in your bind zone. There are 17 cards, so that's 34000."

Maki looked at her hand. She could guard his attacks, but VMAX's skill would be a problem.

"VMAX attacks! With his skill, he can attack a rear guard in addition to his normal attack for each face up Vanquisher in my G Zone. So now he's attacking your entire field!"

"Perfect guard!" Maki called out. She wanted to block another of his targets too, but then she'd be defenseless against his rear guards.

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Sigma. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger." Anthony wasn't done however. "VMAX's skill, Thunderstrike 5! Since you have no rear guards remaining after this attack, one damage to the vanguard!"

Everyone watched with anticipation as Maki turned over the top card of her deck. She sighed when it wasn't the heal trigger she needed.

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Maki(6).]**

"And there you have it!" Sachi spoke to the crowd. "Anthony Fergus takes game 1 for Team Cosmic Trio!"

"Aw yeah, that's how it's done!" Anthony said, raising a fist into the air. "Get ready people! Team Cosmic Trio is in it to win it!"

Dan rolled his eyes. "Does he have to stroke his ego that much? Whether he admits it or not, that was a close game."

"Let him have his moment. He won the first game, that's what's important." Aurora said.

Anthony grabbed his deck and walked back over to his teammates. "You're up. Make sure you win, Aurora."

"Leave it to me." Aurora said, high fiving her teammate as she passed by him and walked over to the field.

"It's time for the next game." Sachi said. "Team Cosmic Trio is following its trend and sending their leader, Aurora Fujou, out to play game 2. Now who will Team Brilliant Shine send out as their second fighter?"

In each of their matches that she had played the second game so far, her opponents had always saved their leader for the third game. Aurora had expected the same to happen this time. But to her surprise, she saw the player that served as the leader for Team Brilliant Shine walk out.

"And it seems this will be a fight to remember, people. Brilliant Shine is responding to Aurora's challenge by sending out their leader, Minato Orito! This is a player that has led his team far in the national tournament in previous years! How will the dark horse Aurora tackle this mighty player?"

Minato held his deck out. "Let's see just how good this unique clan of yours is."

Aurora responded by holding her deck out in front of her as well. "This match is ours. We're going to the top, and you can't stop us."

The referee saw both players place their decks down and draw their opening hands. "The second game. Begin!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Cadet, Dipper!"

"Blue Wave Dragon, Dagger Master Dracokid!"

The crowd watched as the second game began, the leader of each team facing each other in what would most likely be the most exciting game of the day so far.

 **Anthony: Woo, did you see me in that fight? I kicked butt!**

 **Dan: Now it's up to Aurora to get us our second win.**

 **Aurora: Leave it to me. This guy's toast.**

 **Minato: Oh really now? I think you'll find me a lot harder to beat than you think.**

 **Next time: Master of the Raging Sea**


	7. Master of the Raging Sea

**A/N: Hello readers. Once again, thanks for the awesome reviews you guys are sending our way. Hearing your positive feedback really inspires me and Deviljho's Hatred to write out these chapters as soon as possible.**

 **Also, we got a request to release deck lists for each of the main characters. That's a bit tricky right now, as their deck lists will change from time to time. However, we may release them at certain points of the fic to give readers an idea of what their decks consist of.**

 **With that out of the way, let's get on with the chapter.**

 **Ask: No, Anthony's uncle's name is not a Tokyo Ghoul reference. Any possibilities of a reference are pure coincidence.**

"You stand no chance against me." Minato said.

"Yeah, that's what your last player said to Anthony and look at what happened to her." Aurora smirked. "Sorry pal, but I'm not losing to you."

Minato sighed and shook his head. "The fact of the matter is you may have some skill, but you're relying on that new deck too much. The other fighters simply underestimated it. But I'm different."

"Well you're sure modest." Aurora commented sarcastically.

"Once I heard about that new clan of yours I watched all of your fights. So now I know your deck inside and out. You can't surprise me with any skills your cards may have."

Aurora couldn't fully deny Minato's point. It was true that part of her victory streak had been that there was no information on the Star Chaser clan available until now. Not knowing the full extent of her clan's abilities had caused a few players to lose. But she refused to believe that was the only reason.

"You can have a full encyclopedia on my clan if you want. I'm still going to win." Aurora said.

"Fool. What can a novice to this level of play do against someone that has made it to the national stage?" Minato said.

"I'll show you." Aurora said. "Stand and draw. I ride Cosmos Storm, Aquarius!"

 **Cosmos Storm, Aquarius**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Star Cadet, Dipper moves back with forerunner." Aurora said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Minato(5).]**

Minato began his turn. "Stand and draw. I ride Blue Wave Soldier, Bright Shooter. Dagger Master moves back."

 **Blue Wave Soldier, Bright Shooter**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Bright Shooter will attack your Vanguard."

' _He moved his grade zero to the back row of another column. He's planning to use it to boost a rear guard next turn.'_ Aurora thought. ' _In that case, better stop some damage while I can.'_

"I guard with Warphole Commader!" Aurora said, showing the stand trigger from her hand.

"Very well, drive check." Minato turned the top card of his deck over. "No trigger. Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(4), Minato(6).]**

"Stand and draw. I ride Nebula Gunner! Then I call Planet Smasher, Scorpius to rear guard."

 **Nebula Gunner**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Scorpius attacks your Vanguard!"

"Guard." Minato said as he held up a critical trigger from his hand.

"In that case, Nebula Gunner will open fire with a boost from Dipper!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Draw trigger." Aurora grinned at the welcome sight. "Power to Gunner, and I draw."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Minato(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Minato(5).]**

"Let me show you the difference in our abilities. Stand and draw." Minato said as he began his turn. "I ride Blue Wave Marine General, Galleass. Then I call Tidal Assault and Blue Wave Marine General, Foivos."

 **Blue Wave Marine Genera, Galleass**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"My vanguard gets the first attack. Get her Galleass!"

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Minato(1).]**

"Tidal Assault is up next!"

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Minato(1).]**

' _Come on. I seriously need a damage trigger.'_ Aurora thought.

"Tidal Assault's skill. After attacking the vanguard, it stands back up with minus 5000 power." Minato explained. "Foivos attacks next. Foivos's skill, Wave 3! I counterblast and restand him at the end of the battle with 2000 more power."

"This is bad. He's still gonna have another 2 attacks after this." Dan said from the bench.

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check." Turning over the next card, Aurora finally saw a saving grace. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Dan and Anthony both let out a sigh of relief. With that extra 5000 power, none of Minato's remaining attacks would be able to hit her vanguard.

"Very well then. Foivos attacks Scorpius."

"No guard." Aurora said as she put her rear guard into the drop zone.

"Turn end." Minato said.

"And with that, Minato's turn has come to an end." Sachi said to the crowd. "He was only at grade 2, but managed to pull off a devastating barrage of attacks. Aurora was lucky to be saved by that damage trigger she pulled, but not before suffering three damage. How will she fight back after that?"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Minato(4).]**

' _I'll show you how I'll fight back.'_ Aurora said silently in her mind. "Stand and draw."

"You were saved by that damage trigger earlier. But don't let that get to your head." Minato told her. "After all, I've still got one damage to your three."

"I'm well aware." Aurora told him. "And since you apparently know my deck so well, you should know what's coming next." Holding up a card from her hand into the air, Aurora knew she had to get serious if she wanted to win. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike down your foes with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done. Next I call Galaxy Sabre, Gemini and Fiery Star, Sagitarius." Aurora said, calling the two units to one of her empty columns. "With a boost from Dipper, Hikari attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Gemini and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Minato(2).]**

"Gemini is up next, with a boost from Sagittarius!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Minato(3).]**

"That's it for me." Aurora said.

"Well folks this has been a surprising turn!" Sachi spoke. "Aurora was behind by two damage but in this one turn, she's managed to pull ahead of her opponent by one!"

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(5), Minato(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Minato said. He looked over at Aurora. "It's only fair to warn you. If you thought my last turn was scary, then you'll be in for a real surprise with this turn."

"Do your worst."

Minato took a card from his hand. "Master of the waves, call forth a raging storm to wash my opponents away! Ride! Blue Wave Marshal, Valeos!"

 **Blue Wave Marshal, Valeos**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done, Stride Generation!" Minato called out. "Blue Wave Marshal Dragon, Flood Hazard Dragon!"

 **Blue Wave Marshal Dragon, Flood Hazard Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Valeos's stride skill! Soul blast!" Minato smirked at Aurora. "I hope you weren't banking on a damage trigger saving you again, cause with this skill, your Vanguard's power becomes fixed at 11000 until the end of the turn."

Aurora gasped as a ring of water bound itself around Hikari, restraining the unit. No matter how much Hikari struggled, the water binding held tight.

"Now I call Battle Siren Mallika. I use her skill to send her to the soul and add 3000 power to Tidal Assault. Then I call Blue Wave Soldier, Brutal Trooper. With his skill, I return him to the deck to give a skill to my Vanguard. And to finish things up, I call Blue Wave Soldier Senior, Beragios behind Foivos."

' _He's depleted most of his hand with that.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But with those skills…'_

"Tidal Assault, attack the vanguard!"

"Guard!" Aurora said as she called a card from her hand.

"Flood Hazard is up next! With the skill it gained from Brutal Trooper, since this is the second battle of the turn or more, I draw a card."

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger." A smirk came to his face. "All effects to Flood Hazard. Third check, heal trigger."

' _Give me a break…'_ Aurora thought.

"Power to Tidal Assault. I recover one damage."

Aurora performed her damage checks. One of them was a draw trigger, but she couldn't give the power to her vanguard. That left her with the option of Gemini, at least giving her rear guard a bit of protection. The extra card in hand was also quite welcome since she'd need all the guarding power she could get.

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Minato(2).]**

"And now it's Minato who's turned the tables out of nowhere!" Sachi exclaimed. "He went from losing by one damage to being ahead by two just like that! And it's only his second attack!"

"Foivos swings in next with a boost from Beragios! With Foivos's skill, I counterblast in order to restand him a the end of the battle with an extra 2000 power!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard! Aurora said, quickly using a unit with 10000 shield from her hand.

"Tidal Assault comes in with attack number four, boosted by Dagger Master Dracokid!"

 **(9000-5000+3000+5000+5000=17000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check." The card revealed was a welcome sign of relief to her. "Heal trigger. Power to Gemini. And as for the heal, Valeos may stop my Vanguard from gaining power, but it can't stop it from healing."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Minato(2).]**

"That won't matter. Flood Hazard's skill! After the fourth attack, I can counterblast and discard 2 cards from my hand to restand Flood Hazard! Drive minus 3! In addition, when my Vanguard stands, Beragios also stands!"

' _Great. And his Vanguard still still the critical from before.'_

"Go Flood Hazard! Wash her away! And since this is also the second battle or more, I draw thanks to Brutal Trooper!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard with Orion!" Aurora called out.

"Beragios boosts! Get her, Foivos!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Stars, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Stars, Andromeda**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"You held off better than I thought." Minato said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(1), Minato(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora looked at her hand. A meesley two cards after her draw phase. Not to mention the fact that she was at a huge disadvantage with the score.

' _No choice. I've got to hit him hard this turn.'_

"Hikari's skill. I bind Galaxy Sabre Gemini from my rear guard, and soul charge." Aurora explained. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Scorpius from my deck and call it to rear guard! Add 3000 power! Sagittarius's skill also gives himself 3000 power." She called the grade 2 right in front of Sagittarius. "Next I counterblast for Dipper's skill and move him to the soul. I search my deck for a Star Chaser and bind it. I choose Sagittarius. In addition, my Vanguard gains a skill. Now whenever I call a card from the bind zone, 3000 power is added. And that's just what I'm going to do with Cosmos Pegasus's skill!"

' _Not bad. Because of her generation guard last turn, she'll be able to call two units instead of one.'_ Minato realized.

"I call Sagittarius and Gemini from the bind zone! They gain 3000 power from the skill gained from Dipper, and another 5000 from Cosmos Pegasus's skill. And since I called two or more units, Pegasus gains a critical!"

"Alright! Now she's got some momentum going!" Anthony said with a grin.

"Minato isn't holding onto much either. She might have a shot here." Dan added.

"Gemini's skill. I choose to give it the skill to return to my hand at the end of the battle since another unit was called from bind zone. In addition, the Sagittarius that was called with Gemini gains 3000 power while my other Sagittarius gains 6000."

"Impressive." Minato said. "For a novice, at least."

"You know, that attitude of your is really starting to piss me off." Aurora said. "Sagittarius and Gemini, teach this guy some manners!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+7000+3000+3000+5000=32000)**

"Generation guard. Blue Storm Deterrence Dragon, Ice Barrier Dragon. Since it's the first battle of the turn, 10000 is added to the shield."

 **Blue Storm Deterrence Dragon, Ice Barrier Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus attacks!" Aurora declared.

Minato shrugged. "Go ahead. No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to Gemini."

"Damage check." Minato said. "Draw trigger. Power to Valeos and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Minato(4).]**

"Gemini charges in!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+5000=22000)**

"Intercept with Tidal Assault." Minato said. "In addition to that, I guard with Bright Shooter."

"Sagittarius boosts an attack for Scorpius!"

 **(9000+3000+7000+9000=28000)**

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Minato(5).]**

"Turn end. Gemini' skill returns itself to my hand." Aurora said. She cursed her luck. A critical trigger would have helped a lot with that last turn. And even though Minato was at five damage, he didn't seem concerned at all. ' _That's because he's planning to finish it this turn.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Minato(2).]**

"You put up a decent fight." Minato said. "But it's time for me to end this. Stride Generation!" The G Unit he strode into was the same as before. "You remember this guy, right? Blue Wave Marshal Dragon, Flood Hazard Dragon!"

 **Blue Wave Marshal Dragon, Flood Hazard Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Valeos's stride skill. Your vanguard becomes fixed at 11000 power." Minato said. "Next I call Blue Wave Marine General Galleass."

"And like that, Minato's front row is filled up once again!" Sachi said. "With the barrage of attacks that Aqua Force is known for, and her vanguard's power fixed at 11000, can Aurora survive this turn?"

' _I can't lose this.'_ Aurora told herself. ' _If I lose, then Dan will be forced to fight. If that happens…'_ Aurora shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _No! I'm going to win this! Not just for my sake but for Dan's too!'_

"Dagger Master Dracokid's skill. I counterblast and send it to my soul. In return, my Vanguard gains 2 skills. And thanks to Flood Hazard's Generation Break 3, not only does my Vanguard gain an extra drive, my front row gains 2000 power."

Dan's body tensed up. "This is bad. Minato has a dangerous formation set up."

"And Galleass doesn't help Aurora's situation either." Anthony added. "With that unit's skill and Flood Hazard's restand ability, Galleass can attack three times."

"He can get six attacks off this turn." Dan said. "Is Aurora seriously going to lose?"

"I wouldn't worry." Aurora's father said.

Anthony looked at the older man with widened eyes. "Seriously? Look, I don't want Aurora to lose either, but this is a pretty bad situation."

"You kids should really pay attention." the man said with a knowing grin. "Aurora already has a way to pull through this."

Dan and Anthony looked to the field. They had no idea what Aurora's father was talking about, but they sure hoped he was right.

"Galleass attacks first!" Minato declared. "With his skill, I counterblast and discard a card from my hand. He gains a skill. Whenever my Vanguard attacks, he stands back up with an extra 2000 power. And since it's the first battle of the turn, Galleass stands back up."

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

Minato smirked as he watched his unit leap at Hikari. He only needed to deal two damage this turn. And with his series of attacks, and Aurora's small hand, his victory was all but assured.

To Minato's surprise however, Aurora let out a chuckle. "You know, it's actually pretty funny."

"What is?" Minato asked with a raised brow.

"You talked before about knowing my deck in and out from watching all my games today." Aurora said. "But what about the cards in my deck you didn't see?" Aurora took a heal trigger from her hand and discarded it. "Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

Minato's eyes widened. ' _A new G Guardian?! She was saving it for this!'_

"Warphole Papillion's skill! I soulblast 2 cards and bind the attacking rear guard!"

"What?!" Minato exclaimed. He watching as a warphole opened up in front of Galleass, his unit disappearing into it. At the same time, the card on his field moved to the bind zone.

Dan and Anthony gasped. "I forgot she had that card!" Dan said. "Star Chaser usually binds its own units, but that Generation Guard allows her to do it to her opponent!"

"That's one less attacker to worry about! Alright!" Anthony grinned.

"That's not all." Aurora's father said. "Take a look at Minato's damage. There's only one more card face up."

Dan's eyes widened. "That means…"

"You can't use Flood Hazard Dragon's skill anymore." Aurora smirked. "You could get 4 attacks off this turn, but you'd need to counterblast using Foivos's skill to do it. Then you couldn't pay the cost to restand Flood Hazard."

Minato gritted his teeth. This was what Aurora had been aiming for. She had a heal trigger saved up in her hand for this very moment.

"You underestimated me, thinking my wins so far were because of me having a new clan." Aurora said. "But the truth is I'm a serious cardfighter. Star Chaser may be a new clan to me and everyone else, but I have more than enough skill to wield it."

Minato hated to admit it, but she was right. But he refused to give up here. "Flood Hazard attacks! With the skill gained from Dagger Master, I draw!"

 **(26000+2000=28000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out.

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Foivos and I heal. Final check, no trigger." Minato called out his next attack. "Foivos attacks! With his skill, he restands at the end of the battle with 2000 more power."

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"I guard." Aurora said as she placed a stand trigger on the guardian circle.

"Foivos attacks again, with a boost from Beragios."

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. She watched as a fifth card went into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Minato(4).]**

Minato let out a sigh. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(1), Minato(5).]**

Aurora looked at her hand. There was only one card in it. Galaxy Sabre, Gemini. She didn't have enough to pay the cost for stride currently.

' _Star Chaser may be a new clan. But it's a clan that I've never felt more in tune with.'_ Aurora thought to herself as she drew for her turn. She looked at the card. Star of Hope, Hikari. A grade 3. ' _I don't know why she looks similar to me, but I do know that Hikari and I share a bond. And even in my darkest moments, she'll be my guiding light.'_

"Generation zone release! Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius and call it. Add 3000 power." Aurora said, calling the unit behind her Vanguard. "Then I call Galaxy Sabre, Gemini." With that, her entire field was filled up. "Since a card was called from the bind zone, the two Sagittarius units that were already on the field gain 3000."

Minato looked at his hand. He let out a quiet chuckle. ' _This girl and her team really are something else.'_

"Sagittarius boosts! Gemini attacks!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard." Minato said as he used up 2 cards from his hand, each with 5000 shield.

"Sagitarius boosts an attack for Scorpius."

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Minato(5).]**

"Meteor Shower Dragon attacks with a boost from Sagittarius." Aurora said.

 **(26000+7000+3000=36000)**

Minato had three cards left in his hand, one of which was a sentinel, and another one being a heal trigger. However, he knew that wouldn't be enough to survive the turn with the skill Aurora's G unit had. "No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the vanguard. Third check, critical trigger."

Minato had a satisfied smile on his face, knowing this was the end. The attack from Meteor Shower Dragon hit, putting the last card in his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Minato(6).]**

"And there you have it, cardfighting fans!" Sachi said. "The winner is Aurora Fujou! That means the winners of the qualifiers are Team Cosmic Trio!"

Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the crowd in the stands as they all cheered for her and her team. This was the first time she had experienced such a feeling. Excitement bubbled up within her as she leaped into the air. "Wahoo! We won!"

"Nice job, sweetie." Aurora's father said as he and Aurora's two teammates walked up to her.

Anthony gave his team leader a thumbs up. "Way to go, leader. You kicked butt out there."

Dan nodded his head in agreement. "You were awesome, Aurora."

"Correction. _We_ were awesome." Aurora said. "This victory belongs to all of us."

Anthony showed a grin. "Well I don't like to brag, but I did do pretty well in my games."

Dan rolled his eyes while showing a grin of his own. "Don't like to brag. Like anyone would believe that."

"Congratulations." The team looked over as Minato and Team Brilliant Shine walked up to them. "We underestimated you. Today's victory was well earned."

"My, my, not acting so cocky anymore, are you?" Anthony asked with a smirk.

"We were overconfident. But it won't happen again." Minato told them. "Next time we face, our team will be the one to come out on top. Until then however, good luck for the next part of the tournament."

Aurora nodded her head. "We'll be sure to win. Don't you worry."

"Good. Now then, if you'll excuse us." Minato said as he and his teammates walked away.

"We will now begin the awards ceremony." Sachi announced.

Aurora and her team walked up to the podium while the crowd clapped their hands to congratulate them. Yukari Tatsunagi walked up to the team. She handed them a certificate, showing proof of their victory at the regional qualifier.

"Congratulations. I look forward to seeing how well your team does at the preliminaries."

"Heh, it'll be a piece of cake for us." Anthony said confidently.

Yukari let out a giggle. "You seem to have found yourself some interesting teammates Aurora."

"Yukari" Aurora said. "Will you tell me more now?"

"All in due time, Aurora." Yukari told her. "However, I do have a prize for you." The silver haired girl pulled out an envelope and handed it to Aurora. "I'm sure you'll find these useful for the future." She turned and began to walk away. "Until we meet again."

Aurora frowned slightly at not getting anymore information regarding her mother. But she'd just have to keep winning if she wanted to find out the secrets Yukari knew.

As Yukari walked out of sight, she thought about Aurora and her performance in the tournament today. ' _She's doing well. I was right to entrust the Star Chaser deck with her.'_ Yukari thought. ' _But she'll need to become even stronger if she is to help prevent the coming disaster.'_

* * *

"Look out world! Team Cosmic Trio is in it to win it!" Aurora cheered as she walked out of the building with her teammates.

"I still can't believe it." Dan said. "We're actually on our way to the preliminaries to fight against the best teams in the nation."

"Well believe it. You kids fought well today." Aurora's father told them.

"I'm just surprised we got to meet the tournament sponsor here." Anthony said. "Speaking of which, what was in that envelope she gave you?"

"I haven't checked yet. Let's see." Aurora pulled out the envelope and opened it. The contents of it cause her eyes to widen.

"Are those what I think they are?" Dan asked.

"New Star Chaser cards." Aurora confirmed with a nod.

"Well this should give your deck a nice boost." Aurora's father said.

"Hmm… these are actually pretty good." Aurora said as she looked at them. "I'll have to go over my deck, and find the best way to add these in."

"We've got two weeks before the preliminaries." Dan noted. "We should all go over our decks before then."

"Alright then. Let's get some training in!" Aurora suggested as she raised her fist into the air enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Now you're speaking my language!" Anthony cheered in full agreement.

"Oh Antonio!" The voice caused Anthony to turn and see his aunt and uncle in the distance. "We're heading home. Say goodbye to your friends."

"Coming!" Anthony said. He waved goodbye to Aurora and Dan. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow guys."

Dan looked over at Aurora as Anthony ran off. "Antonio?"

"His family comes from Europe. He prefers the name Anthony from his friends." Aurora said with a shrug.

"His aunt and uncle have the right idea though. It's starting to get late." Aurora's father said. "Come on. We'll drop you off at your house Dan."

"Thanks." Dan said. He walked with Aurora and her father together towards the car.

As they walked, Aurora looked up at the sky. ' _I've taken my first step towards learning the truth.'_ she thought. ' _I swear I'll win this tournament. And when that happens, I'll have Yukari tell me everything.'_

 **Dan: Wow, we really did it. We're moving onto the preliminaries.**

 **Anthony: Yeah, you better believe it! And we'll kick just as much butt there as we did here! Right Aurora?!**

 **Aurora: ...**

 **Anthony: Aurora?**

 **Aurora: Huh? Oh sorry. It's just something's on my mind.**

 **Dan: What is it?**

 **Aurora: My dad's been acting kinda off. I wonder what's up with him.**

 **Next time: A Father's Feelings**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion

G Guardian

Shield: 15000

ACT: SB2. When this unit is placed on GC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's attacking rear guards and bind that unit face up.


	8. A Father's Feelings

**A/N: Wow, I am on a role lately with these chapters. Though to be fair, this is a rather short one. Hope you all enjoy it.**

Aurora sat at her desk at home, staring at her deck. She had all the cards laid out, trying to figure out the best changes to make with the new cards she had gotten from Yukari. Deck building was an important skill for any cardfighter, and she took it just as seriously as anything else for cardfighting. For the past two days, the preliminaries were the only thing on her mind. She and her team had been able to win at the qualifiers, but now they'd be going up against the best in the nation. Her current best wasn't going to cut it anymore.

"Let's see… with this unit's skill, I could… yeah that could work. But then what about this one?" Aurora mumbled to herself as she swapped cards in and out. "Maybe… wait, but if I do this…"

Peeking into her room, Aurora's father saw his daughter focused intently on her deck. It was like she was in another world when remodeling her deck. He supposed all cardfighters were that way, even him back when he was younger. But at the same time, there was something that worried him.

' _She's become really attached to Star Chaser.'_ he thought silently. ' _If this continues though, whatever Yukari plans for her could come to pass. Is it right for me to want her to stay away from that?'_

"Alright, I think I've got it!" Aurora's voice snapped her father out of his thoughts. "I can't wait to try this out against the others tomorrow."

"Sounds like you're finished." he said.

"Huh?" Aurora turned to the door of her room, just now realizing her father was there. "Oh hey dad. Yeah, I think these new changes will work with the new cards I got."

"Well then, care to test them against your old man?" he said. "Why don't we see how good these changes you made are?"

An excited grin cam to Aurora's face. "You got it." She got out of her chair and rushed downstairs. Her father let out a chuckle at seeing his daughter so energetic.

' _But that enthusiasm for the game could lead to her getting in danger.'_

Aurora went to the kitchen table. She had played Vanguard against her father countless times here. She couldn't even count the number of games she played with him when she was first starting. It had always been the two of them. And lately, that was something that nagged at her. If the things Yukari had told her so far were true, then her mother was alive. That went against everything she had been told since she was little, about how her mother had died when she was still a baby. She wanted to believe her father was telling the truth. But why would Yukari make up such a lie to her?

There was so much she didn't know. That was why she had to get better, so she could win this tournament and talk to Yukari again.

Another minute or so passed by before her father finally came into the room. He took a seat across from Aurora at the table.

"Hope you're ready dad. I'm not gonna go easy on you." Aurora grinned.

"I think it's still a bit early for you to be saying that." he smirked back.

Both of them placed out their starting Vanguard. In unison, they both started the game.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Cadet, Dipper!"

 **Star Cadet, Dipper**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Young Balufetter!"

 **Young Blaufechter**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

Aurora's eyes widened when she saw the unit. "That's…"

"That's right. I took the liberty of using your old deck." he said. "Your Nova Grappler deck. The one you used before switching to Star Chaser."

Aurora was honestly a bit surprised by this sudden twist. "What about your deck?"

"I thought it'd be best for me to use this one instead." he said. "Well then? Aren't you going to start?"

"R-Right. Stand and draw." Aurora said as she started her turn. ' _Why is dad using my deck? He's never done something like this before.'_

Thinking about it wasn't going to get her anywhere. She'd just have to play this game out. "I ride Star Beast, Ursa!"

 **Star Beast, Ursa**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

The unit of the card was a large bear with brown fur standing on its rear legs. It had cybernetic attachments on its claws, as well as a helmet on with a visor covering its eyes.

"Haven't seen that one before." her father noted. "I take it he's one of the new additions to your deck?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yup. And he's not the only one." She continued with her turn. "Dipper slides back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Ryuji(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." her father said. "I ride Vesta Blauklinge."

 **Vesta Blauklinge**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Blaufechter moves back with forerunner." he said, moving the unit behind his vanguard. "Next I call Venus Blaukluger. Venus attacks!"

"Guard." Aurora said, playing a grade 1 from her hand.

"Boosted by Blaufechter, Vesta attacks."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. Her father performed his drive check, not getting a trigger. Her damage check also yielded the same result.

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Ryuji(0).]**

"I'll end my turn with that. Your move, Aurora."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(4), Ryuji(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra." The unit on this card was a girl with black hair tied up in a long ponytail. In each of her hands was a chain that was connected to a plate with a weight on it.

 **Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

' _Another one of her new units.'_

"I call another Libra." Aurora declared as she placed a copy of the card next to her vanguard. "My rear guard Libra attacks!"

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Ryuji(1).]**

"Dipper provides a boost for my vanguard Libra's attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, critical trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Ryuji(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(4), Ryuji(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryuji said. "I ride Regia Blaulanze. Then I move Venus back and call Uranus and Mars Blaukluger to rear guard."

 **Regia Blaulanze**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

' _He really knows what he's doing.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Just what I'd expect from the person that taught me how to play Vanguard in the first place.'_

Memories flooded her mind. About when she was first learning the game. How cool she thought each and every card looked to her. She'd blurt out random vanguard terminology in her fights simply because her father had said it earlier. Those were happy times.

"Mars attacks with a boost from Venus!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Ryuji(2).]**

"Blaulanze attacks with a boost from Young Blaufechter!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

' _If this hits, dad will be able to use Mars's skill. I can't let that happen.'_ Aurora quickly used two cards from her hand. One was a grade 1 and the other was a stand trigger, totalling 15000 shield together. "Guard!"

"Just as I thought, you know what your deck is capable of." her father said. "But stopping the vanguard attack doesn't mean you're safe. Drive check." Turning the card over, he grinned at what it was. "Critical trigger. All effects to Uranus Blaukluger."

Aurora cursed under her breath as she saw the card. Her hand was already running low, and she couldn't afford to block another attack this turn.

"Uranus attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger." The green trigger symbol was a welcome sign to the blonde haired girl right now. "Power to the Vanguard. I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Ryuji(2).]**

"I think that's enough for one turn." Ryuji said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(2), Ryuji(5).]**

"Alright then. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike your foes down with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

' _Star of Hope, Hikari.'_ Ryuji thought. ' _Her ace unit.'_

"I call Star Beast, Ursa behind Libra." Aurora said. "Boosted by Ursa, Libra attacks the Vanguard! Ursa's skill, when he boosts an attack, I can bind the top card of my deck face up and add 3000 power to him until the end of the battle."

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Ryuji(3).]**

"Hikari comes in next, with a boost from Dipper!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. I give the power to Hikari and draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Ryuji(4).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(4), Ryuji(5).]**

"Seems it's my turn then." Ryuji said. "Stand and draw." He looked over at his daughter. "Aurora, I was thinking… why don't you take a break from using Star Chaser?"

"Huh?" Aurora widened her eyes. "Why would you suggest something like that, dad?"

"For years, you always used this Blau deck you made from scratch." he told her. "And suddenly some new deck comes along, and you haven't used this one since."

"But-"

"Star Chaser isn't the only option out there for you." her father told her. "Perhaps you've forgotten the power of this deck. Let me remind you." He held out a card from his hand. "Ride! Neumond Blaukluger!"

 **Neumond Blaukluger**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Here goes! Stride Generation!" Ryuji called out. "Blazar Blaukluger!"

 **Blazar Blaukluger**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Uranus Blaukluger's skill. Whenever I ride a grade 3 Blau unit or stride into one, it gains 5000 power. In addition, it also gains a skill. Next, Neumond's stride skill allows me to add 5000 power to Mars Blaukluger."

' _Uranus has 19000 power now. And Mars and Venus together have 21000. And if his Vanguard hits, he'll be able to stand all of them.'_ Aurora thought to herself as she analyzed the situation.

"Venus will boost an attack for Mars!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryuji(4).]**

"Uranus attacks next!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check." Aurora sighed in relief when she saw the card she checked. "Heal trigger. Power to Hikari and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryuji(4).]**

"Blazar will attack with a boost from Blaufechter!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out, holding up an Orion from her hand.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check" As Ryuji turned the card over, both his and Aurora's eyes widened. "Heal trigger."

Aurora grinned. Usually an opponent pulling a heal trigger would be a bad thing. But in this situation, it would bring her father down to three damage, preventing him from using the Limit Break skill of his Vanguard.

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryuji(3).]**

"That's a shame. Oh well." her father said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(2), Ryuji(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She was glad she had been able to steer clear from the dangerous assault she would have had to endure had it not been for that heal trigger earlier. But there was something else nagging at her mind.

' _Why would dad suddenly suggest I switch decks like that?'_ Aurora thought. ' _I mean, it's not as if I don't like my Blau deck anymore. But this whole journey began with Star Chaser. It can lead me to the answers I'm looking for. But then… is that it? Am I just using Star Chaser for my own personal goals?'_

"Stride Generation." Aurora said. "Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus."

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill, I bind Sagitarius from my deck. Then I call it to rear guard. Adding 3000 power." The grade 1 unit was called to the back row of Aurora's left column, though there was nothing in front of it yet. "Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra's skill. At the beginning of my main phase, I can take a card from my deck and bind it face up. In exchange, she goes to the bind zone at the end of the turn. The card I'll bind is Sun Smasher, Apollo."

' _Her deck's gotten a lot more powerful with these new additions.'_ Ryuji thought. ' _Her options for binding her units from the deck have expanded dramatically.'_

"I call Galaxy Sabre Gemini from my hand." Aurora said, playing the card in front of her Sagitarius. "Next I activate Dipper's skill. I send him to the soul and bind another Sagitarius from my deck. In addition, any units called from the bind zone for the rest of the turn will gain 3000 power."

Ryuji watched his daughter. She really had come a long way since she had first started Vanguard. There were so many memories. He'd bring her to the shop after picking her up from school, and she'd watch all the cardfights going on in the shop with complete awe. It wasn't long before she started the game herself, building her very first deck.

" _Daddy, what's this clan called?"_

" _It's Nova Grappler sweetie. It's a clan that's known for their relentless non-stop barrage of attacks. The warriors of Nova Grappler never give up, always giving it their all."_

" _That's so cool! I wanna try it out!"_

"Skill of Cosmos Pegasus!" Aurora's voice snapped her father out of his thoughts. She flipped a copy of the G Unit face up in her G Zone. "I call units from the bind zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone. There's only one right now, so I call one. Sun Smasher, Apollo! 5000 power is added to him thanks to cosmos Pegasus, and another 3000 thanks to the skill my vanguard gained from Dipper. In addition, Sagitaruis gains 3000 power since a unit was called from the bind zone, and Gemini gains a skill to return to my hand at the end of the turn." Finally done with her skills, Aurora began her attacks. "Boosted by Ursa, Libra attacks! I use Ursa's skill to bind the top card of my deck face up and add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard." Ryuji said, using a critical trigger from his hand.

"Pegasus is up next. With Apollo's skill, I send him to the soul to add 5000 power and draw."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, draw trigger. Power to Gemini and I draw. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Power to Gemini and critical to Pegasus!"

"Damage check." Ryuji turned over the top two cards of his deck, failing to get a trigger both times.

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryuji(5).]**

"With a boost from Sagittarius, Gemini's coming in!"

 **(9000+7000+3000+3000=22000)**

"Generation guard! Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison!"

 **Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Gemini's skill returns itself to my hand. Libra is put into the bind zone as per her skill."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(7), Ryuji(5).]**

"It's my turn. Stand and draw." Ryuji said. Both he and Aurora knew that him being at five damage was no issue. In fact, it was just what he needed. "Stride Generation! Sonne Blaukluger!"

 **Sonne Blaukluger**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill! 5000 power to Uranus! In addition, Uranus's skill adds another 5000 to himself! Next, the skill of the Neptune blaukluger I discarded to stride allows it to be called to rear guard from the drop zone." With that, Aurora's father had a full field. In one column he had Mars and Venus, and in the other he had Uranus and Neptune, as well as Blaufechter behind his vanguard.

' _He really plans to end it here.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I'm face to face against my own finisher. Planetary Bombardment.'_

"Uranus attacks first with a boost from Neptune."

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. Stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Ryuji(5).]**

"Venus will boost. Mars attacks."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

Aurora quickly held up the Gemini from her hand. "Guard."

"With Blaufechter's boost, Sonne Blaukluger attacks." Ryuji said. "And now for Sonne's skill. I counterblast to add a grade 3 Blau unit from my deck to my hand and give my Vanguard a skill."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard with Orion!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Uranus. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Mars." Her father said. "And now for Sonne's skill. Ultimate Break! I discard 3 cards from my hand and send Sonne to the G Zone face up to ride a grade 3 card from my hand at stand." Ryuji held the card he had grabbed from Sonne's earlier skill. "Get ready! I ride Galaxy Blaukluger!"

 **Galaxy Blaukluger**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Neumond's skill. Since I rode over it, I choose four Blau units, stand them, and add 5000 power to each of them. I choose Mars, Uranus, Neptune, and Blaufechter. In addition, when one of my Blau rear guards stand due to my Vanguard's skill, I can use Venus's skill to stand it and add 3000 power to it and the unit that stood. In this case, it'll be Mars."

' _If I let even one attack through, it's over for me.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But… will I really be able to defend myself? It's true, I don't have a lot of experience with Star Chaser compared to my Nova Grappler deck. Have I really just been using this clan this whole time because it was placed in front of my lap?'_

"Perhaps now you remember what this deck you made can do." Ryuji said. It hurt him to try and push his daughter away from a clan she clearly loved so much. But as things stood, the further away she stayed from Star Chaser, the better. For her sake.

To his surprise though, his daughter didn't have a worried look in her eyes. Instead, they were shining with confidence.

"This cardfight isn't over yet, dad." Aurora said. "I'm not giving up that easily."

' _That's right.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I can't give up here.'_

"Venus will boost an attack from Mars."

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000=24000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said as she held up a trigger unit with 10000 shield. ' _I didn't use Star Chaser just because it was given to me. I felt something from this clan.'_

"Neptune and Uranus will attack together next."

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+7000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora said, using another Orion from her hand. ' _I have a bond with this clan. They've helped me get this far.'_

"My Vanguard attacks with a boost from Blaufechter."

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

' _And they'll help me get to the end of this tournament. Because I feel something from these cards unlike anything I've ever felt before. They'll help me uncover the truth that I'm searching for.'_

"I guard!" Aurora said, playing the last card in her hand, a unit with 10000 shield.

Ryuji looked at the card. "With the power you got from that damage trigger earlier, you're at 26000. If I pull even one trigger from my drive check, I'll be able to break through."

"Then I'll bet everything on you not getting a drive trigger." Aurora said. "You said you'd remind me of my old deck's power. Well now it's my turn to show you the power of Star Chaser."

"Very well then." her father said. "Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check." Both he and Aurora were silent as he prepared to turn over the card. Finally he revealed it, showing a grade 2 unit. "No trigger. Turn end."

Aurora grinned. "My turn then."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(0), Ryuji(5).]**

' _She withstood it.'_ Ryuji thought to himself. ' _Is this her resolve? Her strong will?'_

"Stand and draw." Aurora said as she started her turn. As she drew the card, she smirked and showed it. Cosmos Storm, Aquarius. "When paying the cost to Stride, Aquarius can be treated as a grade 3."

' _You really are just like your mother, Aurora.'_ he thought. ' _Just like her, you never let anything stop you. No matter how tough the challenge, you charge forward, straight ahead.'_

"Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Get ready! Here comes Cosmos Pegasus's skill!" Aurora said. "This time, I can call 3 units from my bind zone! I call Scorpius, Libra, and Ursa! They each gain 5000 power! And since two or more units were called, Pegasus goes critical!"

With the three units called, Aurora now had a completely full field with Scorpius in front of the Ursa that had been on the field earlier, Libra in front of Sagittarius, and the new Ursa behind her Vanguard.

"Three units were called, so 9000 power goes to Sagittarius." Aurora explained. "Ursa boosts. Go Scorpius! Ursa's skill binds the top card of my deck to add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000=24000)**

Aurora's father held up a trigger from his hand with 10000 shield. "Guard. I also intercept with Mars."

"Scorpius's skill, after a battle that he was boosted, I soul blast and call a unit from my bind zone. I choose Lifter of the Stars, Hercules. 3000 power is added. Next up, Pegasus will attack with a boost from Ursa."

 **(26000+7000+5000=38000)**

Ryuji let out a sigh. "No guard."

Aurora performed her triple drive. The critical trigger she pulled, gave her unit yet another critical. But all that was needed was the one damage that brought her father to six.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Ryuji(6).]**

Aurora looked down at her deck and smiled. ' _Thank you for helping me. For lending me your power.'_

"It seems I lose." her father said with a sigh. "You really have gotten better, Aurora."

"Dad…" Aurora said. "Why did you try to get me to stop using Star Chaser. Is something wrong?"

The man shook his head. "No, nothing at all. You proved you know what you're doing." He turned and walked out of the room. "Make sure you get to bed soon. You've got school tomorrow."

Aurora couldn't help but feel that there was more than what her father was telling her. But to ask him about it would lead to her having to ask him if her mother really was alive. To accuse the man that had raised her since she was a baby of lying to her for her entire life.

' _Dad… what are you hiding?'_

 **Aurora: _'Dad...'_**

 **Anthony: Aurora?**

 **Aurora: Huh?! Oh, sorry, what was that?**

 **Dan: We were talking about the upcoming preliminaries. They're going to be starting soon.**

 **Aurora: We'll have a lot of new opponents to face. It'll be the toughest fights we've had so far.**

 **Anthony: Yeah, even the Japanese national champions are gonna be there.**

 **Aurora: Well we'll just have to go out there and win!**

 **Next time: A Meeting of Rivals!**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Star Beast, Ursa

Grade 1

Power: 7000

ACT RC: Bind the top card of your deck face-up. When this unit boosts an attack for a Star Chaser, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains +3000 power until the end of the battle.

* * *

Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra

Grade 2

Power: 9000

ACT RC GB1: At the beginning of your main phase, you may take a Star Chaser from your deck and bind it. If you bound one or more cards with this, bind this unit at the end of the turn.


	9. A Meeting of Rivals

**A/N: And it's time for another chapter of this fic. Hope you're all ready for the next part of the tournament to begin cause here it is.**

Aurora sat in the shop. They were closed for the day so there were no customers to speak of. After all, today was the day of the preliminaries for the World Tournament. It would be taking place over the next two days. Luckily, the venue was within reasonable driving distance, so they wouldn't have to spend money on a hotel to stay in.

"I'm here." Dan said as he walked through the front door of the shop.

"Hey Dan." Aurora greeted with a wave. "You ready for today."

"Of course." Dan replied with a nod. "We've been training the past two weeks for this."

"And your wrist?"

Dan answered her question as he showed his arm for her to see with the bandage wrapping gone. "All better. It's fully healed."

"That's a relief." Aurora said. She was glad that he was ok after that dangerous cardfight he had been in against Team Dark Demons. Plus, they now had full access to all three members of their team now.

Dan looked around the shop. "I'm guessing Anthony isn't here yet?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, leave it to that guy to wait until the last minute."

"Now that's just rude." a new voice spoke up, walking into the shop. Both Aurora and Dan turned to see their third team member. "Is that any way to talk about the strongest member of Team Cosmic Trio?"

Aurora rolled her eyes. "More like the most obnoxious."

"Hey!"

"You kids sure are lively this morning." Aurora's father said as he walked in. "Everyone ready to go? If you need to use the restroom, now's the time."

After making sure everyone was ready, the team of three got in Aurora's father's car. The older man got in and drove off, beginning their journey to the stadium. The drive itself would be roughly a two hour trip so it gave the team plenty of time to talk.

"There's gonna be some big competition in this." Aurora said. "Our toughest competitors will probably be Team Genius Prodigy."

Dan nodded in agreement. "The Japanese national champions. We can't take them lightly."

"Heh, just let me at 'em. They're going down." Anthony said confidently. "After all, we won nearly all our games in the qualifiers without a single loss."

"About that…" Dan said. "I have a favor I want to ask you guys."

"A favor?" Aurora asked as she and Anthony looked at him. "What is it?"

"I want you guys to let me play first for our matches today." Dan explained. "I only played the first two games last time, and I only won one of them. I want to try and contribute more to the team."

Aurora could understand how Dan felt. After getting his wrist injured, he had sat on the bench for the rest of the matches that day. He was probably itching to cardfight. "Alright then. You'll be starting in our lineup then." she said with a nod.

"Thanks."

"I call dibs on second to go." Anthony said suddenly.

"Hey!" Aurora exclaimed as she pouted at him. "You can't just go and do something like that!"

"Too bad, I just did." Anthony smirked. "You win some, you lose some."

"You sneaky little…" Aurora glared at him before turning away with a pout. "Hmph, fine then. I suppose it's only right for the team _leader_ to go last."

Anthony growled at the comment from the blonde girl while Dan let out a small chuckle. The trip to the tournament venue continued as the three friends chatted amongst themselves. A fair amount of it had been Aurora and Anthony taking jabs at each other, but this was the norm by now for the team.

After a long drive, they finally reached their destination. Getting out of the car, Aurora and her teammates stared at the large stadium in front of them. People were walking everywhere, everyone excited for the big tournament.

"This is the place they use for the Vanguard National Tournament, huh?" Aurora said. "It certainly looks bigger than it does on tv."

"It really does remind you how big of an event this is." Dan said, equally impressed by the building.

Aurora's father looked at the time. "The opening ceremonies will be in about thirty minutes. We better get moving."

The teens nodded as they all began making their way to the stadium entrance. They knew that this was their moment to shine. Every team competing her knew the same thing. This was everyone's ticket to take on the best in the world.

* * *

"Cardfighters of Japan, are you ready?!" Sachi asked as she spoke into her mic. "It's the moment you've all been waiting for! The preliminary tournament for the Vanguard World Tournament will now begin!"

A roar of applause came from the crowd throughout the stadium seats. The building was much like a sports arena, with a dome shaped building with an open roof. The main field was a grassy area with two flat spaces of land at opposite ends of the stadium, most likely where cardfighters would be standing as they fought. And with any large stadium, there were plenty of seats for fans to sit and watch. The participating teams were all gathered on the field together. At the side was a podium where Sachi was addressing everyone from.

"Now I know you're all excited for the fights to start, but before we do, the rules of the tournament need to be explained. And we have some very special guests here for that express purpose." Sachi spoke. Murmurs of gossip spread around the crowd as they wondered who it was. "Please give it up for the image characters of the Vanguard World Tournament! I present to you, Premium Beauty!"

As she said this, the podium Sachi was standing on opened up and mist began to escape from the opening. The floor below rose up and three new figures appeared with it, each dressed it idol outfits. The first was a red haired girl in her late teens. The upper part of her dress was opened slightly, showing off her rather large chest. Her outfit was a red color, akin to that of fire. The one next to her had an azure blue dress on, matching the color of her curly hair. Her age seemed to be a couple years older than the girl in red. The last was much younger than either of them, probably around 12 years old. Like the other two, her dress and hair color matched, the color this time being green.

"Hello cardfighters! We are Premium Beauty!" the red one greeted.

"We'll be acting as the image characters of the Vanguard World Tournament." the blue one added.

"And we're super excited to be here! Thank you all for coming!" the green one finished.

Cheers filled the crowd as everyone looked at the idol trio. Aurora tilted her head in confusion. "Premium Beauty? Can't say I've heard of them."

"I guess they're new." Dan said with a shrug. "Whoever they are, the sure know how to win the crowd over."

"Who cares? Let's just get to the fights already." Anthony said, clearly not interested in the cute girls on the stage.

The short green idol walked forward. "My name is Mai and I'd like to take a moment of your time for my fellow idols and I to explain the rules of this stage of the tournament. The tournament will take place through today and tomorrow as all 32 teams will fight it out for the right to represent Japan on the world stage. Keiko, if you would?"

The red idol, known as Keiko walked up next. "The rules are quite simple. It's the same best 2 out of 3 format that was used in the qualifiers. This time however, there won't be a bracket system. Each fight will be completely randomized so teams won't know who they're fighting until right before the match."

The blue one took her turn next. "With no time to prepare, you'll have to rely on your skills to win this one. Good luck to all of the teams participating." she said. "Oh, and my name's Jasmine. It's so nice to meet you all. Now allow us to reveal which teams will be playing in the first game!"

Everyone watched with anticipation as the monitor shuffled through team names. After a few seconds, it finally showed the match up for the first game.

Team Cosmic Trio

Team Wild Fang

Aurora and her teammates widened their eyes as they saw their team name come up. "Looks like we're in the opening game." Aurora said.

"Good. I couldn't wait to get started." Anthony said with a grin.

"Heh, well you seem like an eager fellow, don't you?"

Silence overtook the teams on the field as all heads turned to the origin of the new voice. Aurora, Dan, and Anthony each turned around, finding themselves face to face with another team. They were each around the same age as them, and wore matching uniforms, ones that seemed to be from a school. The trio consisted of a blonde girl wearing glasses, a boy with a tablet in his hands, and a second boy that stood in the center of the group.

The three of them needed no introduction. They were Team Genius Prodigy, the Japanese national champions.

Anthony narrowed his eyes at the girl of the trio, the one who had made the comment just now. "Wow, the national champions coming to talk to us? Don't expect us to ask for autographs."

"Hehe." The girl pushed her glasses upwards as she smirked. "So you're Team Cosmic Trio? I have to say, I was expecting more than this."

Anthony's expression quickly turned to a glare. "What was that?"

"Oh my, was I speaking too quickly for you to understand?" she asked.

"That's enough Akari. No need to get them riled up." the one in the center said. He turned back to Aurora and her team. "So you're Aurora Fujou? The wielder of the new clan, Star Chaser."

Aurora rubbed the back of her head. "Wow, I didn't think I was already so well known."

"Aurora Fujou. Age sixteen. Attends Kousei High School." the boy with the tablet said as he looked at the device. "Lives with her father, who owns a card shop known as Card Galaxy. No noticeable tournament experience before now. Clan used, Star Chaser."

Aurora blinked in surprise. This person seemed to know nearly everything about her. It was a little disturbing to be honest.

"You know, people are going to think you're some kind of stalker, spouting fact after fact about Aurora like that." Dan commented.

He quickly brought his gaze upwards as he glared at Dan. "I'll appreciate you not referring to me as some creepy stalker."

"You'll have to forgive him. Kenta's not a stalker, he just likes to fact check a lot about people beforehand." the center one spoke. "I'm Yuma Koto, leader of Team Genius Prodigy."

"Sheesh, no need to be so formal with them Yuma." Akari said. "After all, it's not like they have chance of winning this tournament. They'd be lucky to make it to the semi-finals."

"You've got a big mouth, you know that?" Anthony said. "I'll have you know we took down a team that made it to nationals already." He noticed a chuckle escape the three members of Genius Prodigy, though Yuma tried his best to hide his. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry. It's just that being able to make it to nationals is pretty much the _minimum_ requirement to be able to handle this level of play." Yuma explained. "Nearly every team here has the ability to make it at least to nationals."

"The team you beat. Team Brilliant Shine." Kenta said, looking at his tablet. "They made it to nationals, but they've never made it past the first two rounds. Put simply, they're small fry."

"And you're bragging over beating them? Your team really doesn't have much experience at this level, do you?" Akari giggled.

"You won't be talking so big after we beat you." Anthony said.

"Oh? Does the little doggie want to play?" Akari said with a smirk. "Does he think he can tango with a wolf?"

"Alright Akari, that's enough." Kenta told her.

"You too Anthony. Calm down." Aurora told her teammate. She looked back at Yuma's team. "Sorry. He's a bit of a hothead."

"It's fine." Yuma told her. "Akari may be harsh, though she isn't wrong. Looking at things perspectively, you guys really don't have much of a chance to win here."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to prove you wrong." Aurora said.

"I doubt we'll be seeing much of each other. But good luck anyway." Yuma said. He looked at his two teammates. "Let's go."

Aurora and her team watched as Team Genius Prodigy walked off. With the confrontation between the two teams over, the other teams watching began to disperse too. Anthony huffed. "Who does that cocky chick think she is? Just wait until I get my hands on her."

"Let's focus on our current match for now." Dan told him. "We need to win that first if we want to have any chance at facing against them later."

"Actually your chances either way are zero." The team of three turned to see one other team still on the field with them. "Because there's no way you're beating us, Team Wild Fang."

"Heh, bring it." Anthony smirked. "We'll consider you guys a warm up before we fight the national champions."

"We'll make you eat those words." the one that seemed to be the leader of the team said.

"We will now begin the first match between Team Cosmic Trio and Team Wild Fang." Sachi said. "Will both teams please take their positions?"

Aurora walked away with Anthony, moving into the waiting area at the end of the field. Dan walked to the patch of flat land where he would be standing for the cardfight. The other team did the same, with one member standing on their side of the field while the other two walked into the waiting area for their team.

"The first game will be Dan Kisha vs Honda Yusami." Sachi said. "Which team will score the first point and proceed to the next round?"

"The first game. Begin!" the referee declared.

Dan and his opponent started their fight. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

* * *

"Boosted by Betty, Flying Peryton attacks!" Dan called out.

"Guard!"

"Fine then. Betty's skill. Peryton moves to the soul, and I call out another Peryton." Dan said. "With Peryton's magia, I soul charge and call another Betty. Attack!"

Dan's opponent looked at his hand, seeing that he didn't have enough. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

"Winner! Dan Kisha of Team Cosmic Trio!" the referee declared.

"And that's that folks!" Sachi said. "Dan Kisha pulls off a devastating win for his team, getting them the first win of the match."

Cheers were heard from the crowd as Dan walked over to his team. Anthony emerged from the waiting area as he approached. "You're up Anthony. Kick some butt."

"You know I will." he said as he walked past his teammate.

Dan walked into the waiting area and sat down with Aurora as the second game began. Anthony went at his opponent full power throughout the entire game. They could only assume we was motivated to fight Genius Prodigy and have a crack at Akari. It wasn't long before Anthony walked away the winner of his game.

"And with that, Team Cosmic Trio wins their first match!" Sachi told the crowd. "These newcomers are taking this tournament by storm. Can they make it all the way and win?"

With their match over, the team of three left and walked through the waiting area back into the halls of the stadium. They had won their first game, but there was still a ways to go if they wanted to win the tournament.

Deciding to take a breather before the next round, Aurora and her teammates went to grab a bite to eat. There weren't many places to sit, so they simply decided to walk and eat.

* * *

Yukari sat in her private room as she watched the games go on. Team Cosmic Trio had shown a good start by winning their first match without losing once. But winning one match wouldn't be enough. They'd have far more challenging fights ahead of them. Most notably, the Japanese national champions.

"We're coming in." a voice said. Yukari didn't even have to turn around to know it was the idol trio, Premium Beauty.

"You three put on a good performance." Yukari told them. "Good job."

Jasmine, Keiko, and Mai walked over to the tournament sponsor. "What are you doing?" Jasmine asked, noticing a tablet in Yukari's hands.

"Just going over the list of noteworthy teams fighting today." Yukari said.

Mai glanced at the tablet and saw a picture of Aurora come up. "So that's the Star chaser girl? Aurora… something."

"Aurora Fujou." Keiko reminded her.

"Yeah, that's it!" Mai said. "Too bad she couldn't fight in the first round. I wanted to see what she could do with that clan." She looked out at the game currently going on. "It'd certainly be more entertaining than the snoozefest going on right now."

"Now Mai, it's only the first round." Jasmine said. "The exciting fights will come in the later rounds."

"Whatever." Mai said with a bored sigh. "Keiko, you're with me on this, right?"

"It's true that the talent here isn't anything exceptional." Keiko said. "Outside of a small few teams, most of these players would never survive the World Tournament."

"Fighters can change. They grow and become stronger, bit by bit." Yukari told the trio. "Take Aurora Fujou for example. Compared to when I first met her, she's improved by leaps and bounds."

"Well we're done for the day, so might as well hope for a semi-interesting game." Mai said as she continued to look out the window down below at the fight going on.

* * *

As the rounds progressed, Team Cosmic Trio kept up their winning. Anthony had lost his game in the second round, while Dan did the same in the third round. However, Aurora had managed to come in and win them the match both rounds. She was excited to have a chance to play against some of the best teams in the country. After their third round win, they had made it to the semi-finals. The top 4 teams in the tournament. They had no way of knowing who their opponents would be though.

The semi finals and finals would be taking place tomorrow. Even though they were done with their fights for the day, Team Cosmic Trio had decided to stick around when they heard that Genius Prodigy would be playing in the next game.

Aurora, Dan, and Anthony walked out into the stands just as the second game was nearing its end. Anthony took notice right away that Akari, the girl of Team Genius Prodigy, was up at the moment.

"Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar attacks your Vanguard." Akari said.

Her opponent hung his head low. "No guard." he said bitterly.

The image of the Motion Figure System showed Ishtar attack the enemy Vanguard. The monitor zoomed in on his board where he performed his damage check. The sixth point of damage fell, and the game was over.

"Winner! Akari Hermonia of Team Genius Prodigy!" the referee announced.

"And with that, Team Genius Prodigy wins once again!" Sachi declared to the crowd. "They've won every game so far without a single loss! The Japanese champions are in it to win it!"

The members of Team Cosmic Trio looked down on the field at Team Genius Prodigy. Truly, they were a team that was a favorite to win this tournament. They couldn't underestimate them.

"We're almost definitely going to have to face them tomorrow." Dan said, knowing what they were all thinking.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. The Japanese national champions. It's a little unnerving seeing how skilled they really are first hand."

"Well no point in complaining." Anthony said. "We just have to go out there and do it."

There was only one more match scheduled for the day so Team Cosmic Trio decided to begin making their way home. They'd need plenty of rest for tomorrow if they were going to win. After meeting up with Aurora's father, the team went back home.

Throughout the entire ride home, their minds were thinking solely about what the next would bring. They'd have both the semi-finals and the finals to deal with. And more than likely, in one of those rounds they'd be matched up against Team Genius Prodigy.

"You kids sure seem motivated." Aurora's father said as he noticed all three of them going through their decks throughout the ride there. He got no response from them. He could only assume they were completely lost in thought about what changes they could make to improve before tomorrow.

' _Those kids. They really want to win.'_ the man thought. ' _Well they're going to have their work cut out for them tomorrow. They'll have to be at the top of their game if they want to win.'_

The rest of the drive home was silent as no one spoke, outside of the quiet mumbles the three teens made to themselves every now and then.

* * *

"Ugh, that was so _boring_!" Akari complained as she walked home with her teammates. "Seriously, why'd we have to get matched up with a bunch of wimps nearly every round?"

"It can't be helped. We do have a lot more going for us after all." Yuma told his teammate. "The Tokyo Institute of Technology's Cardfighting Program gives us more experience than most national level teams ever get."

"Yeah, yeah." Akari said. "But seriously, I wish we could graduate already. That way, I can go pro and get a real challenge."

"You still want to make it to the Asia League, huh?" Yuma said with a smile. "Well it's not like the rest of us in the program don't have aspirations of going pro. But you'd be a really scary opponent to go up against."

"Well if we're ever matched up, I won't go easy on you." Akari told him. "But first thing's first, we need to win the World Tournament. That's the best way for me to see how ready I am for the pro league."

"Teams from England and France have been decided." Kenta said, looking at his tablet. "William Lewis is the leader of the British team. Rose Orchards for the French team. No surprises there."

"Has the American team been decided yet?"

"No, they're still in the middle of their tournament to decide. Knowing that country though, there's a 90% chance the team will have at least one Gear Chronicle player. It's practically all the players use there."

"What about Team Cosmic Trio?" Yuma asked. "Did you collect any data on each of them?" Kenta looked at him with an expression as if insulted that the question even needed to be asked. "Sorry, just wanted to make sure."

Kenta scrolled through his tablet. "None of them have any large scale tournament experience. Their members are Aurora Fujou, Dan Kisha, and Antonio Ferges. Aurora Fujou uses Star Chaser, the new clan revealed in this tournament. I've collected data on most of the skills for the cards of her deck, as well as her fighting style. Dan Kisha uses the Pale Moon clan. His deck revolves around the Magia skill, using Masked Phantom Harri as his main Vanguard. Anthony Ferges uses Narukami. Fairly straightforward fighting style. Retire units, bind them, attack. He seems to fight with brute force."

Akari rolled her eyes. "How appropriate for that loud mouth."

"You didn't exactly help, egging him on like that." Yuma pointed out.

"The fact that he got that riled up shows just how much of a simpleton he is." Akari said. "Even if we get matched up against them, it'll be an easy win."

"Well, I won't argue with you there." Yuma said. "Our ability and experience outmatch theirs. Just remember our goal. The world stage."

Kenta and Akari nodded together. They had made a name for themselves in Japan, and shown the power of Tokyo Institute of Technology. Now they would prove their skills to the world.

* * *

 _-The next day-_

"Cardfighting fans, are you ready?!" Sachi asked the crowd. "We will now begin the semi finals! Four teams have made it this far! And they're all fighting for a chance to make it to the world stage! Get ready for some of the most exciting cardfights you've ever seen!" The crowd was filled with excitement, ready to get the fights underway. "Now to announce the pairings! Give it up for the lovely trio known as Premium Beauty!"

If it was even possible, the crowd went even more wild at seeing the idol trio appear on the stage. It was clear that they had made an impression with their debut yesterday.

"Hello everyone! It's so nice to be here again!" the three girls said together. "We are Premium Beauty!"

Once the crowds cheers began to die down a bit, Mai stepped forward. "The semi finals will consist of two matches to determine the two teams that will be moving onto the final round!"

Keiko was up next. "Each of these teams has fought hard to get to where they are."

"And you can bet they'll be bringing their A game for these next fights." Jasmine added. "Now let's see who the first team to make an appearance will be!"

The monitor shuffled through names, finally arriving at a single team.

"And Team Cosmic Trio will be the first team in match one!" Keiko spoke. "And their opponents will be…" A pause came as the next team name was randomly chosen. "Team Star Gate Sentai!"

"This is sure to be a good one folks!" Mai said as she smiled to the crowd. "Get ready for some action!"

* * *

"So does anyone know about this Team Star Gate Sentai?" Aurora asked as she and her teammates walked towards the field.

Dan shook his head. "Never heard of them. Though the name is a bit on the weird side."

"Well as long as we win, it doesn't matter." Anthony said. "Let's do this and make it to the finals so we can crush those Genius Prodigy dorks!"

"Can't argue with that." Aurora said as they finally walked into the waiting area. A glass window was all that separated them from the field. She walked up to the door leading out before looking at both her teammates. "You ready?"

Dan and Anthony nodded in response and the team of three walked out onto the field.

"And here they are folks! It's Team Cosmic Trio!" Sachi said into her mic. "Their leader is Aurora Fujou, user of the mysterious Star Chaser clan. Will we see more of its wonders in this match?" She turned and looked to the other side of the field. "And now for their opponents. Team Star Gate Sentai!" A long pause of silence followed with nothing happening. Everyone stared at the other side of the field, waiting for the team to appear. "Umm, Team Star Gate Sentai? You're on."

Suddenly, all of the lights in the stadium went dark. Whispers of panic and confusion spread amongst the crowd. Aurora and her teammates looked at each other, equally confused by what was going on.

"L-Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down." Sachi said. "We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties so please-"

"Hahaha! Where evil shows its ugly face, we will appear!"

Everyone fell silent at the sound of the sudden voice. Out of nowhere, a spotlight shined on part of the crowd, revealing a long person in a full body suit. It looked something akin to that of a superhero, complete with a full face mask and everything. The entire suit was a blue color.

Sachi blinked in surprise. "Um… excuse me, but who are-"

"Evildoers beware! For we are the bringers of justice!" yet another voice said. This time, another spotlight shined, revealing another person in a full body suit. It was almost identical to the first one, except this was a yellow color.

"All who walk in the path of darkness, tremble with fear! For we are the warriors of light!" a third voice spoke, a spotlight shining onto them as well. This time it was a person in a white full body suit.

Simultaneously, the three leaped from the stands onto the field, striking a pose as they landed. All the lights shined solely on them. "We are Team Star Gate Sentai!"

Silence was all that followed as everyone tried to wrap their heads around what they had just watched. Team Cosmic Trio in particular didn't know what to make of them.

Aurora sighed. ' _Really?'_

Dan shook his head. ' _I can't believe these weirdos are our opponents.'_

Anthony on the other hand looked at the three hero-like figures with eyes gleaming brightly. ' _So cool!'_

 **Aurora: What the heck is with this weird team?**

 **Dan: I don't know, but they're not messing around when it comes to cardfighting.**

 **Anthony: Evildoers beware! For the bringer of justice, Anthony is here!**

 **Aurora & Dan: ...**

 **Anthony: What?**

 **Next time: The Team of Heroes! Star Gate Sentai!**


	10. The Team of Heroes! Star Gate Sentai!

**A/N: Alright, I'm sure you've all been waiting for this match after the end of last chapter so here it is. The semifinal match between Cosmic Trio and Star Gate Sentai. Enjoy.**

Moments passed after Star Gate Sentai's 'memorable' entrance was made to those who viewed it. No one spoke a single word making the team in question stand still in their poses. It wasn't until one person shouted that the mood lightened up again.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!"

Both Aurora and Dan looked at their teammate in surprise and shock. Seeing Anthony stare all starry eyed at the opposing team, even jumping a bit in excitement. The members of Star Gate Sentai all brightened up at the cheer and began their show once again.

"Aha! So it seems that not even our foes are immune to the power of our camaraderie!"

The member wearing blue stepped forward and raised his fist up high. "It is clear that his soul burns with the passion of justice just the same as we three!"

"As a show of good faith, come join us in our pursuit of peace and justice."

Looking like an riled up, excited puppy, Anthony was about to bolt on to the stage until Aurora yanked him back. "Don't even think about it you idiot. We don't need you embarrassing us."

Aurora jumped back in surprise when Anthony slapped her hands off of him. He fixed her with a steady glare with his stars in his eyes still present. "Do not ruin this moment for me Aurora! You have no idea what this means to me!"

"The heck are you going on about?"

The teen's head fell low, raising his fist in a dramatic fashion. "You have no idea what it's like Aurora. Being a child in a strange land, growing up while having no language skills to talk to the other kids. The only thing giving me comfort growing up was anime and hero shows that my relatives put on. Those shows kept me going and taught me to never give up! So that is why… That is why I cannot let this once in a lifetime moment pass me by! I am going to meet their passion head on and you can't stop me!"

Aurora felt like the wind was knocked out of her with the sheer weight of Anthony's passion. Never before had she seen him look so enraptured by something. Especially nothing this cheesy and showy. But there was something more important right now.

"Listen." Aurora said. "If you want to play Power Rangers with those guys over there then fine. But do it _after_ we win!"

"But… but…" Anthony looked back and forth between his team leader and the opposing team over and over again, before finally sighing in defeat. "Fine. It hurts, but I must fight against the side of justice today."

Aurora wanted to scold her teammate for acting like an even bigger moron than usual, but decided to let it go. As long as he played and fought to win, she would take what she could get.

"Leave this first guy to me." Dan said as he tugged on his gloves for the Motion Figure System.

"It seems we must do battle against these fiends. They even hold back one of their own from pursuing the path of righteousness." the blue one spoke. "Let me take on this scoundrel, my friends! I will defeat him swiftly!"

' _I can't believe I have to fight a guy like this.'_ Dan thought to himself as he stood at his position on the field. Aurora practically had to drag Anthony into the waiting room.

"W-Well, it seems the match is about to begin. The first match will feature Dan Kisha against… Blue Lightning." Sachi said in a tone that showed she was feeling just as awkward as everyone else.

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise. "Blue Lightning?"

"I cannot have my secret identity revealed to the public! I wear this mask to protect my loved ones!" the one known as Blue Lightning said. "Also because it looks cool."

Dan let out a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

Both players place their decks on their boards and drew their opening hands. They began the game simultaneously.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Cat Knight in High Boots!"

 **Cat Knight in High Boots**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Dimensional Robo, Daihawk!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Daihawk**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

' _Dimension Police. I expected as much with their team name and how they act.'_ Dan thought. ' _They may act weird, but they're still a team that's made it this far. I can't let my guard down.'_

"I'm up first." Blue Lightning said. "I ride Dimensional Robo, Dairapter!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Dairapter**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Daihawk moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Blue Lightning(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said as he began his turn. "I ride Cutie Paratrooper."

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Paratrooper attacks!" Dan called out.

"No guard."

"Alright then, drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." Blue Lightning said as he placed his card in the damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(0), Blue Lightning(1).]**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(6), Blue Lightning(5).]**

"My turn. Draw." Blue Lightning looked at his hand. "This hero of justice will do. I ride Dimensional Robo, Daiball!

 **Dimensional Robo, Daiball**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 10000**

Dan widened his eyes. ' _10000 power at grade 2?!'_

"The skill of Daiball. I reveal a Dimensional Robo grade 3 from my hand. If I don't, or if my Vanguard is not a grade 3 unit with Dimensional Robo in its name, its power is decreased by 5000." The blue clad hero took a card in his hand and revealed it. "Dimensional Robo, Dainexus. It's a grade 3 so my unit keeps its 10000 power. And now it'll use that power to attack with a boost from Daihawk!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

' _I could use a grade 0 from my hand. But if he pulls a trigger, it'll be wasted.'_ Dan thought. "No guard."

"Drive check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Blue Lightning(1).]**

"That will be all for me." Blue Lightning said. "Do your worst, villain."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(6), Blue Lightning(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan looked at his field. Cat Knight in High Boots was still in the soul, and would stay there until he strode. That meant he had no units currently on the field to boost his Vanguard. And he had no grade 2s in his hand capable of surpassing Daiball's 10000 power on their own. He wasn't a fan of using much of his hand in the early game, but he knew he had to get some damage in.

"I ride Face Magician, Lappin!" Dan said. "Next I call Darkside Sword Master behind it."

 **Face Magician, Lappin**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"With a boost from Swordmaster, Lappin attacks!" Dan called out.

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Guard!" Blue Lightning said, holding up the stand trigger he had gotten last turn.

Dan grit his teeth. With a shield that big, even if he pulled a trigger, it wouldn't be enough. "Drive check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

"Ha! You will have to do better than that to penetrate my shield of justice!" Blue Lightning said confidently.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(6), Blue Lightning(6).]**

"Very well then. My turn." Blue Lightning stood his units and place his hand on top of his deck. "A righteous soul will always triumph no matter what. He can forge his own destiny with his noble heart. Justice draw!"

Dan blinked his eyes in confusion. ' _Justice draw? Really?'_

Blue Lightning held up one of the cards in his hand. "Great warrior of justice, appear on this battlefield! Make those with evil hearts quake in fear in front of your noble presence! Ride! Super Dimensional Robo, Dainexus!"

 **Super Dimensional Robo, Dainexus**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"A hero is nothing without his allies! I call Dimensional Robos Daibattles, Daisupporter, and Great Daiyusha!" In the blink of an eye, Blue Lighting called out 3 units, giving himself four rear guards.

From the waiting room, Aurora narrowed her eyes. "He just used up a lot of his hand. Why deplete his defensive options this early in the game?"

"And now I will show you the power of justice!" Blue Lightning announced. "I use Daihawk's skill! I counterblast and move my four Dimensional Robo rear guards to the soul! This allows me tro stride into a Dimensional Robo unit!"

Dan gasped. ' _He's able to stride even though I'm only at grade 2?!'_

"Burn this image into your eyes, villain! The true power of those who walk the path of righteousness! Stride Generation! Dimensional Robo Battle Commander, Magna Daibird!"

 **Dimensional Robo Battle Commander, Magna Daibird**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Oh my goodness!" Sachi exclaimed. "Even though Dan Kisha is only at grade 2, Blue Lightning has managed to stride into a G Unit!"

"I activate Magna Daibird's skill!" Blue Lightning explained as he took a copy of Daibird in his G zone and flipped it face up. "With that, my Vanguard gains a skill. Next I call another Dainexus to rear guard!"

' _He managed to stride, but his formation is pretty weak. I can handle this.'_ Dan thought.

"Dainexus attacks!"

Dan looked at his hand. ' _It's only 11000. I can block this.'_

"I guard!" Dan said as held up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Magna Daibird's skill! Soulblast! I turn over the top 3 cards of the deck." He revealed the top 3 cards of his deck. "Since each of them have Dimensional Robo in their names, I can add up to one grade 3 among them to my hand and retire my opponent's guardian."

"What?!" Dan exclaimed. He watched as his unit on the guardian circle was retired and a copy of Great Daikaiser was added to his opponent's hand. With nothing else defending his Vanguard, he was forced to take the hit.

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Blue Lightning(1).]**

"Now Magna Daibird attacks!"

"Perfect guard with Lovely Companion!" Dan called out. "You might be able to retire my guardian, but not before it's skill fully blocks your attack!"

"Very well then. Justice Triple Drive!" Dan inwardly groaned at another "justice" title being added to something regular for the cardfight. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to my rear guard Dainexus!"

Dan had already used a good amount of his hand to guard this turn. And he couldn't afford to waste another card that was at risk to being destroyed by Daibird's skill. He took the next attack that came his way.

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Blue Lightning(1).]**

"I'll let you off with that for now, villain. Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(3), Blue Lightning(6).]**

' _This hero and villain stuff is getting really old.'_ Dan said as he started his turn. "My turn. Stand and draw." Finally, it was time for him to get serious. "The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signalling for the show to begin! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"I see. So that is your true form, villain. A truly heinous appearance indeed."

"What are you talking about?! Harri isn't a villain! He's a performer!"

"An evil performer!"

Dan was at his limit. "Alright fine. You want me to play the villain? Well then this villain is going to beat you to a pulp, hero! Stride Generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Cat Knight in High Boots's skill! I call him to rear guard, then use his other skill to call Cutie Paratrooper to rear guard! Then I use Cutie's magia to soul charge and call Darkside Princess to rear guard!" With that, Dan had an almost completely full field. Cutie Paratrooper and Darkside Princess made up one column. Darkside Swordmaster was positioned behind his Vanguard. The only one left was the open rear guard circle in front of Cat Knight in High Boots. "Next up, Harri's stride skill! I soul blast and call Lovely Companion!"

"I see. Having your cohorts hiding in the shadows to ambush your foes. Truly a villainous act."

In the waiting room, Aurora groaned to herself. "This is ridiculous."

"I know." Anthony said, trying to hold tears back. "To think our teammate was such a villainous scoundrel all this time? How could we allow someone with such an evil heart to get so close to us?"

"Oh shut up!" Aurora yelled as she bashed her teammate across the head. "Between those dorks and you, I have just about had it with this hero and villain garbage!"

"Lovely Companion is up first with a boost from Cat Knight!"

 **(6000+5000=11000)**

"Justice guard!" Blue Lightning said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Boosted by Cutie, Darkside Princess attacks! Her skill adds another 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Blue Lightning(2).]**

"Darkside Princess goes to the soul as per her skill. And now Masquerade Master, Harri attacks! With Darkside Swordmaster's skill, I send her to the soul to add 5000 power and draw!" Dan called out. "Masquerade Master's skill! I send Cutie and Cat Knight to the soul! Then I call out Cutie Paratrooper and Flying Peryton!"

Usually, Dan would have added Happiness Collector into the mix, but he had yet to see it from his deck. It lowered his defensive options, but there wasn't much he could do about it. "Cutie's magia! I call out Face Magician Lappin and add 5000 power! Then I use Peryton's magia to call out Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Justice will not fall to an attack such as this. No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! Critical to Harri and power to Lappin! Third check." As Dan turned over the card, he frowned at what he saw. Happiness Collector. "No trigger."

Two cards fell into Blue Lightning's damage zone, neither of them being triggers. The annoying thing was Happiness Collector being in Dan's hand. He would much rather have it in the soul. As things stood, he wouldn't be able to use it's skill much this game to add to his hand.

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Blue Lightning(4).]**

"Lappin attacks with a boost from Cutie! With Lappin's skill, I soul charge!" Dan took the top card of his deck and added it to the soul. "Masked Magician, Harri. It has magia so 5000 power is added."

 **(9000+5000+5000+3000+7000+3000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Gallant Incarnation G-O-Five! With its skill, 5000 is added to the shield, and another 10000 after that since I took damage this turn!"

"With Betty's boost, Peryton is flying in!"

 **(9000+3000+7000=19000)**

"Justice intercept!" Blue Lightning called out.

Dan widened his eyes. "But your rear guard is a grade 3!"

"Dainexus's Generation Break. All my grade 3 Dimensional Robo rear guards gain 10000 shield and the ability to intercept."

Dan gasped as his attack was blocked. He had to push his attacks further. "Betty's skill. I send Peryton back to the soul. I call Flying Peryton! Then with its magia, I call Cat Knight in High Boots! With High Boots's skill, I call Cutie Paratrooper!" Dan called the grade 1 unit over the Cutie Paratrooper currently on the field, sending the other one to the drop zone. "Cutie's magia! I call out Masked Magician, Harri!"

"And just like that, Dan Kisha calls out yet another two full columns!" Sachi spoke into her mic. "He's coming in with attack after attack! He's unleashing the full power of the Pale Moon clan!"

"Cat Knight boosts. Go Flying Peryton!" Dan called out.

 **(9000+3000+5000+3000=20000)**

Blue Lightning quickly held up a critical trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

Dan only had one more attack. But he was going to make damn sure it counted. "Harri attacks with a boost from Cutie!"

 **(11000+5000+3000+7000+3000=29000)**

"No guard." Blue Lightning said. "Damage check. Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard. I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Blue Lightning(4).]**

Dan couldn't believe his eyes. Despite his relentless assault, he had only managed to get in two damage. And he hadn't gotten much out of his opponent's hand either. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(7), Blue Lightning(3).]**

"It's my turn then. Justice draw!" Blue Lightning spoke. He pointed towards his opponent. "Villain! You're evil shall be extinguished here and now! Observe!" he yelled out as he discarded a grade 3 from his hand. "Stride Generation! Dimensional Robo Command Chief, Final Daimax!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Command Chief, Final Daimax**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill of Dainexus! I put the grade 3 Dainexus in my drop zone on the bottom of my deck. Then I look at the top 4 cards of my deck and call up to one Dimensional Robo unit among them." Looking at the top 4 cards, he quickly found the card he wanted. "Call, Dimensional Robo, Daiball! It's power is also added onto my Vanguard as part of the stride skill! In addition, Daiball increases its own power and the power of any grade 3 rear guards by 5000 power with its own skill!"

Dan gasped. Daiball was a grade 2 with 10000 base power. That meant his Vanguard would gain another 10000 as well, bringing it up to 36000 on its own.

"I call Dimensional Robo, Daicrusher! With its skill, I soul charge! The card is Dimensional Robo Daibattles! Because it has Dimensional Robo in the name, 2000 is added to Daicrusher!" Blue Lightning explained. "And that's not all! I activate Final Daimax's skill!" He turned over a copy of the card in his G zone. "Since I have a heart card with Dimensional Robo in its name, 10000 power is added to my Vanguard. Next, because I have 2 or more face up cards in my G Zone, it gains a critical as well! And finally, since there are 4 or more cards in my G Zone, my front row rear guards with Dimensional Robo in their name gain 5000 power and a critical!"

The people watching could barely believe it. Blue Lightning's Vanguard was at 46000 power, while his two front row rear guards, Daiball and Daicrusher, had 20000 and 16000 power. And to top it all off, all three of them were critical, dealing 2 damage if they hit.

"The skill of the two Daibattles in my soul! By sending them to the drop zone, I add 3000 to my Vanguard for each one, for a grand total of 6000 added on, bringing my Vanguard to 52000!"

Dan looked at his hand. ' _I have a perfect guard in my hand for his Vanguard. And I've also got a few trigger units. I should be able to guard against two of his attacks.'_

"I call Daisupporter behind Daicrusher. Daiball attacks!"

 **(10000+5000+5000=20000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Blue Lightning(4).]**

"Go Daimax! Ultimate Justice Smash!"

 **(26000+10000+10000+3000+3000=52000)**

"Perfect guard!" Dan called out.

"Drive check, first check critical trigger. All effects to Daicrusher. Second check" Blue Lightning revealed a grade 3 from his check. "Daicrusher's skill. When I reveal a grade 3 Dimensional Robo in my drive check, 10000 power is added. And now for the third check." Fortune seemed to smile upon the blue clad hero as he revealed the card heal trigger. Power to Daicrusher."

Dan looked at his hand. With the boost from Daisupporter, his opponent's unit would be at 43000. The total shield in his hand added up to 30000. ' _I'm not going to have enough…'_

"Boosted by Daisupporter, Daicrusher will end you!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+10000+5000+5000+7000=43000)**

"No guard." Dan said, knowing what the result of this fight was.

 **[Damage: Dan(6), Blue Lightning(4).]**

"Winner!" The referee declared. "Blue Lightning of Team Stride Gate Sentai!"

The crowd cheered at the conclusion to the exciting fight. Dan sighed regrettably as he walked away. He found his teammates standing right outside the waiting room.

"Sorry guys. I lost." Dan said.

Aurora shook her head. "It's alright, you did your best."

"This is because you don't have a pure heart burning with justice!" Anthony scolded.

"Not you too." Dan groaned. He looked at his teammate with a glare. "Look, you need to get serious. If you lose this next fight, it's over for us."

"Yes. This will be a true clash of heroes." Anthony said as he walked forward.

Aurora shook her head and sighed as Anthony walked up to the field. "We're doomed."

"Well, nothing we can do about it now." Dan said. "At the very least, I'm pretty sure Anthony will go all out. I doubt he wouldn't play seriously in a situation like this."

Anthony walked forward to the stage to meet his opponent. He was the one in the yellow suit looking pretty confident in himself. At least that's what he could tell from his posture considering the helmet on his face.

"Okay everyone! Time for the next round! Anthony Fergus versus … Golden Spark." The referee trailed off towards the end of her introduction.

"Hey, don't lower your enthusiasm when speaking my name! You must shout it out loudly for the world to hear!" Golden Spark cried out. "But regardless of that, you face the herald of justice Anthony! The true embodiment of peace and hope in the universe!" He emphasized his statement with a dramatic pose.

Anthony met the pose in kind with one of his own. "Bring it on! I'll show you the power to protect this world lies right here!"

"Ah, try lifting your arm a bit more to the right."

"Oh, like this?"

"Yeah there it is!"

Aurora put her face in her hands out of despair. There was no way she could escape being associated with this idiot going forward. "Oh my gooood…"

Dan could only pat the girl on the back to comfort her shame. This would come back to bite them, he just knew it.

"Now let's get started! Prove to me that you're more of a challenge then that villain was for Blue Lightning!" Golden stated while placing his hand on his starting vanguard.

"Trust me, it's not gonna be easy for you!" Anthony said as they both prepared to flip over their starting Vanguard.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dracokid**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Build Standard!"

 **Build Standard**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

' _Yup Dimension Police like with Dan. This is gonna be a hard one but I know I got this."_ Anthony thought.

Golden Spark began the game for them. "I'll take the first move! I draw and ride Cosmic Hero, Grandscout!"

 **Cosmic Hero, Grandscout**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Using the forerunner of Build Standard, I move him behind the vanguard. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Golden Lightning(5).]**

"My turn! I ride Trainee Monk Dragon and place Hardrod behind him with forerunner."

 **Trainee Monk Dragon**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Boosted by Hardrod my vanguard attacks!" Anthony called out.

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard, come get me!"

"Drive check, no trigger."

Trainee Monk Dragon moved in and jump kicked Grandscout right in the chest. Golden Spark's demeanor or stance didn't change as he performed his damage check. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(0), Golden Spark(1).]**

"Turn end!"

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony(6), Golden Spark(5).]**

"Stand and draw! You're going to regret giving me that damage. I ride Cosmic Hero, Grandbalger! Then I call Cosmic Hero, Grandwisdom to the rear guard!"

 **Cosmic Hero, Grandbalger**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

Anthony scoffed at the offense Golden was going on. "That's not gonna scare me!"

"Then what about this!? I activate Build Standard's skill. By paying a counter blast and moving him into soul, I give my vanguard plus 4000 power and draw a card!"

Anthony narrowed his eyes slightly. A break even in his hand could cover for defense next turn. ' _Gotta make sure to rip cards out early.'_

"Grandwisdom attacks the vanguard!"

"No guard!"

A solid punch knocked the dragon back a bit. Performing a damage check, there was no trigger to help his defense.

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Golden Spark(1).]**

"My vanguard is coming in!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard again!"

"Drive trigger check! No trigger!" Holding up his card for a moment, he added into his hand as Anthony performed his damage check.

He smirked while holding up his damage. "Heal trigger. Recover one and power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Golden Spark(1).]**

"Hmm seems you only escaped with one damage this turn. But you won't be so lucky next time!" Golden Spark called out while pointing a finger. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony(6), Golden Spark(6).]**

Anthony gave a smirk of his own as he stood and drew a card for his turn. "We'll see about that, hero. My turn! I ride Martial Arts Dragon!"

 **Martial Arts Dragon**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Time to regret calling that extra unit, with Martial Arts Dragon's skill I counter blast and soul blast to retire and bind Grandwisdom!"

"What!?" Golden Spark looked with dismay as his unit was struck by a bolt of lightning and was retired from the field. "You absolute villain! Attacking my partners with such trickery!"

"That's no feat of a villain, a hero does what he needs to in order to protect his world!" He looked to his forerunner and rested it. "Skill of Hardrod Dracokid. Normally, you would bind a card from your drop zone but since you don't have any cards to bind, I counter charge and add 3000 power to the vanguard!"

"Using my own tactics against me, what a scoundrel!"

"But that isn't all! I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura! And he's coming in with an attack to your vanguard! 3000 power is added with its skill!"

 **(8000+3000=11000)**

Golden Spark reached into his hand and threw down a 5000 shield card. "I don't think so!"

"Then how about this? Martial Arts, hit 'em hard!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard!"

Anthony did his drive check and showed it to his opponent. "No trigger."

As Martial Arts delivered a hard uppercut to Grandbalger, the cosplaying opponent stepped back a bit from the hit. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Golden Spark(2).]**

"I think I'll leave it like that so you can reflect on who the true hero is. Turn end!"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony(6), Golden Spark (5).]**

"True hero? We'll soon see who the true hero is, you fiend! Stand and draw!" Golden looked to his hand a stood tall as he picked his ride. "The hope of the cosmos rests on his shoulders! Come so that all may bare witness to your shining justice! Golden Ride! Bravest Viktor, Grandgallop!"

 **Bravest Viktor, Grandgallop**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 13000**

"A 13000 power vanguard!?"

"That's right, only the most powerful can even dare to oppose the shining justice that is Grandgallop!" The unit in question stood tall and imposing over the dragons. "And that's not all! Call! Cosmic Hero, Grandwisdom! Go and attack that fiend Chatura!"

Anthony hated to lose such a good unit this early on. But considering he wouldn't be able to even hit that vanguard, it was for the best to let him go, "No guard."

"Now Grandgallop, show him true justice!"

"No guard!"

"Twin drive check! First, nothind. Second check." Golden triumphantly raised the second card. "Critical trigger, all effects to the vanguard."

Anthony grit his teeth as he took both damage. Unlike last turn there was no heal to mitigate the damage taken this turn.

 **[Damage: Anthony(3), Golden Spark(2).]**

"I'll end my turn here. You're up now!"

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony(6), Golden Spark(6).]**

"Hmph, I'm not gonna let that push me back! Stand and draw!" Anthony grabbed the card he wanted to ride and gave a look of confidence to his opponent. "The power of the skies is in your hands! Descend upon the battlefield and blow all foes away with your wrathful lightning! I ride Dragonic Vanquisher 'SPARKING'!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"An impressive ride, foe but you're going to need more than that to reach me!"

"Not like I was gonna go easy this turn! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher 'VBUSTER'!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"I'm not gonna activate the stride skill." Anthony said.

Golden Spark stepped back at this announcement, as if offended by the action. "Are you making light of me!?"

"Far from it. You'll see why I did that soon enough. I call Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel and Dragon Dancer, Vianne in the same column. Now the skill of my vanguard, I soul blast one to retire and bind a card from your field and bind a card from your drop! And since I have more rearguards than you, I give 3000 power to my vanguard, Grizel and Hardrod Dracokid!"

"Geh, to not only bind my cards from field but my drop zone as well. Is there no end to your cheap tactics villain!?"

"Cheap or not, this is what Narukami does best! Skill of Vianne, since a card was put into the drop zone I return her to the deck, shuffle and draw a card. I'd counter charge too if I had any face down damage but what can you do? Now I call Smash Boxer Dragon behind Grizel. Grizel is coming in on that vanguard of yours!"

 **(9000+3000+7000=19000)**

"I think not, I guard!" Golden threw down the critical trigger he pulled last turn to block the attack.

Antony smiled at the block, less cards that he could use for his field the better. "Smash Boxer's skill, at the end of the battle that he boosted move to soul and draw a card. I'd counter charge but same with Vianne, I got nothing to flip up. With a boost from Hardrod, VBUSTER show him what you got!"

 **(26000+3000+5000+3000=37000)**

"I won't guard such a weak attempt!"

"Is this weak!? Triple drive! First check nothing, second check nothing. Third check, heal trigger! Recovering one and giving the power to the vanguard!"

Golden Spark gasped out as the opposing G Unit flew overhead and shot down a wicked thunderbolt right on top of him. "D-Damage check! No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Golden Spark(3).]**

"Turn end!"

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony(7), Golden Spark (5).]**

The yellow Sentai clenched his free hand before standing his units. "I'll show you what true justice is your dragonic fiend! Stand and draw! Behold as the light of the future rains down on my victorious new form! Golden Stride! Bravest Peak, X-Gallop!"

 **Bravest Peak, X-Gallop**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"With my stride skill I soul blast a card to give my vanguard 12000 power bringing me up to 40000 power!"

"What!? How's that possible for just one soul blast!?"

"My power right now is the least impressive part of this situation. Now my allies can show their true strength with my vanguard at such a high power level! I call Cosmic Hero, Grandbalger and Cosmic Hero, Grandhogan! Grandhogan's skill, when he's placed on the rear guard I counter blast to draw one card then since my Grandgallop vanguard is 40000 power or above, Grandhogan gets plus 4000 power and I counter charge! Now it's time to feel my justice! Grandhogan get in there and hit that dragon!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Keep dreaming! Generation Guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

Discarding the heal, Anthony called down his guardian from the G Zone against the attack. "Skill of Impede Dragon, by flipping a G Guardian face up from my G Zone, you retire and bind one unit on your side of the field."

"But my Grandbalger has the resist skill so he can't be retired by your effects!"

"Well that's tough, that means you're losing the attacker!"

Golden Spark grunted as he placed his rear guard to the bind zone. "Though he might be retired, X-Gallop shall avenge him. My vanguard attacks! I activate his skill. By paying a counter blast and flipping any G unit, my vanguard gets a skill depending on his current power. Since he has at least 40000 power, I gain an additional drive to my attack!"

 **(28000+12000=40000)**

' _I'm only at two damage so I can afford a hit.'_ Anthony thought. "No guard!"

"Golden Quadruple Drive!"

Dan face palmed himself as he heard this from the waiting room. "Another one of those stupid titles?"

"It can't be helped, I guess." Aurora said with a shake of her head. "These three may be weirdos, but their skills are the real deal. Both this guy and the blue guy from before are really good."

"First check! Draw trigger! I'll draw one card and give the power to Grandbalger. Second check, nothing. Third check, critical trigger! Critical to my vanguard and power to Grandbalger!"

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Anthony looked to his damage. ' _Four damage, huh? A bit uncomfortable but-.'_

"Final check, critical trigger! Same as before with the effects!"

"What!?"

"Incredible! Three triggers with two of them being criticals!" The announcer Sachi proclaimed as the audience cheered. "Just like that Anthony is being pushed to the brink of defeat!"

Not letting the crowd hyping bother him, the teen performed his damage checks. "Damage check first. Draw trigger. Drawing one and giving the power to the vanguard. Second check." He frowned at seeing there was nothing there for him. "Third check. Heal trigger! Recovering one and giving the power to my vanguard!"

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Golden Spark(3).]**

Golden scoffed at the heal trigger and pressed on with his attacks. "Grandbalger attacks the vanguard! With his skill, since I have a Grandgallop vanguard with 40000 power or greater he gains 8000 power until the end of the battle!"

 **(9000+8000+15000=32000)**

"Not a chance! Perfect guard, Summon Lightning Dancing Princess, Anastasia!" The red clad woman quickly jumped in between the attack and put up a large barrier to block the hit. "Thunderstrike 4, when she's retired from the guardian circle I get to draw a card."

Golden Spark was a bit disappointed he couldn't put his opponent at five damage. But the lead he gained would certainly help out in the long run. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony(6), Golden Spark (9).]**

' _This guy's good. That huge power up during his stride turn coming up could really push me to the edge. I gotta do as much as I can to hit hard.'_ Anthony stood his units and drew his card. "Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher 'VBUSTER'!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VBUSTER**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I counter blast and bind a card from your drop zone and a card from your field since my stride has the Thunderstrike skill."

"You can bind a card from drop but Grandbalger has resist, so he's immune to your villainous binding!" Golden laughed at his opponent.

Anthony didn't let his boast bother him and continued with his turn. "Call Plasmatron Dragon and Lightning of Triumphant Return, Reseph behind him. Skill of Plasmatron, when he's placed on the rear guard you bind another card from your drop!"

Golden laughed as he put another card in his bind zone. "Is that all you got? Bind away, it won't make a difference."

"Says you because I just hit lucky number 7! 'VBUSTER's' Thunderstrike 7 that is. Generation Break 3, All my units in the front row gain 5000 power and my vanguard gains a drive and goes critical!" He smiled as he looked at Golden Spark take a step back. "And that's not all, skill of Hardrod. Since you have no cards to bind in your drop I'll give 3000 power to Grizel and counter charge. Then both skills of Plasmatron and Grizel, I counter blast for both of them so Plasmatron gains 2000 power for every card in your bind zone for a total of 14000 and Grizel gains 9000 power and the ability to attack an additional unit as well as the vanguard. Resist might protect it from being retired but that doesn't save it from being hit! Plasmatron and Reseph, get in there!"

 **(9000+14000+5000+4000=32000)**

Golden quickly discarded a heal to protect himself. "Generation Guard! Super Cosmic Hero, X-carivou! Since your attacking unit has 30000 or above I gain 10000 shield!"

"'VBUSTER', tear him to pieces! With the skill of Reseph I move him to soul to gain 5000 power and draw a card!"

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Heroes will never fall to such an assault! Perfect guard with Enigman Calm!"

' _Tch, this guy has all the answers in the world.'_ Although three cards were gone from his hand, Anthony was annoyed that he had yet to hit him. "Quadruple drive! First, critical! All effects to Grizel. Second, another critical! Giving all effects to Grizel! Third, nothing and final nothing."

The vanguard attack may have been guarded but Golden looked to his hand and the incoming giant swing. He was losing too many cards but he'd be done for if this next attack hit.

"Grizel's coming to end it!"

 **(9000+9000+3000+5000+10000=36000)**

"Golden guard!" The sentai threw down the two critical triggers he got the turn before, as well as another trigger to guard against the attack."

"Turn end…"

Aurora clicked her tongue. "Dang, not even a single damage went through. This is bad."

"Yes and no." Dan pointed to Golden Spark on stage. "Look at him, he doesn't look too confident in his hand right now."

"Guess we're gonna have to see where this goes."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony(8), Golden Spark(3).]**

' _This isn't good, my hand is too resource heavy to go all in. I need the counter blast for Bravest Peak's skill but…'_ Golden Spark quickly shook his doubts away and stood tall once more. "No, I will not be defeated here! Stand and draw! Golden Stride! Bravest Peak, X-Gallop!"

 **Bravest Peak, X-Gallop**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Anthony looked to his hand. He knew these swings were gonna be huge this turn. ' _I gotta play this smart.'_

"With the stride skill of Grandgallop I soul blast one to gain 12000 power. And now you'll see my G unit's true power. His Generation Break 3 gives himself 10000 power for every face up card in the G Zone! Putting me to a grand total of 70000!" Golden took one last look at his hand and knew what he had to do. "I call Bravest Rush, Grandgallop. Now my vanguard attacks and I activate his skill. By counter blasting and flipping a card from my G Zone I gain a drive check. And now with that extra card face up in my G Zone I can show off my true power!"

"Another skill?"

"Behold fiend! As when my vanguard's power becomes 80000 or greater, I will stand my vanguard at the end of the battle with drive minus four!"

"That's insane!" Aurora cried out. "Even if he loses all his drives, that's still nigh unguardable!"

Anthony looked to his hand. Aurora may have been freaking out but he knew what he was doing. ' _Time to show Golden Spark who the real hero is!'_

"But that's not all! With Bravest Rush's skill when my vanguard attacks, if it's power is 30000 or greater he gets 4000 and if it's 60000 or above gain a critical! Mow him down X-Gallop! Golden Justice Slash!"

 **(28000+12000+40000=80000)**

"Perfect guard!" Anthony threw down another perfect guard to block the gigantic swing.

"Erk! Q-Quadruple drive!" Revealing all four cards from his deck, not a single one of them where triggers. ' _No, it can't be!'_

"My perfect guard's skill lets me draw one card when it's retired from guardian circle."

"E-Even so, you'll still have another attack to deal with! X-Gallop stands and attacks once more! Bravest Rush's skill will give himself another 4000 power and critical!"

 **(28000+12000+40000=80000)**

"No guard!" With no trigger checks to worry about, he could afford to take the single damage. "Stand trigger! Standing Grizel and giving the power to vanguard."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Golden Spark(3).]**

That extra trigger just made things all the more difficult for Golden as he went in for his last attack. "Bravest Rush, attack the vanguard!"

 **(11000+4000+4000=19000)**

"And I'll guard!" Dropping a critical trigger from his hand, the attack was blocked.

Golden Spark couldn't believe his eyes. "I… end my turn."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Anthony(7), Golden Spark(6).]**

Anthony inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he had the extra perfect guard in hand, he didn't want to waste any more cards than he had to with guarding. "Stand and draw! Skill of 'SPARKING', I counter charge and you bind a card from your drop. You know Golden Spark, I really like how you and your team acts. But I'm gonna show you a power that surpasses even yours! Lightning Stride! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VOLTAGE!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VOLTAGE**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Aurora hung her head in shame at Anthony getting caught up in this nerdy mess of a cardfight. "This is never gonna end, is it?"

"Hopefully it will by the end of this turn." Dan commented.

"With my stride skill you bind a card from drop but not your field since 'VOLTAGE' doesn't have the Thunderstrike ability. But that doesn't matter because I'm calling Dragon Dancer, Vianne and activating Hardrod's skill to bind another card from your drop. Then I counter blast and move him into soul to retire and bind Bravest Rush, Grandgallop and give Grizel 3000 power! Vianne's skill will put her back into the deck and shuffle to draw a card and counter charge! Now I call two Lightning of Triumphant Return, Reseph behind Grizel and the vanguard and a Mighty Bolt Dragoon behind Plasmatron Dragon."

Golden looked to his field and back to his opponents. His was empty while the other was full. The intimidating force coming from the Dragon Empire units was overwhelming.

"Now for the finishing touch, 'VOLTAGE's' skill! I flip a copy of him in my G Zone to give my vanguard a skill and my front row units the continuous skill of gaining 3000 power for every card in the bind zone!" Anthony took a look to the bind zone and smile. "So eleven cards in the bind zone huh? Let's do the math. That makes 33000 power to my entire front row! And just to go in for the overkill I'll activate Plasmatron's skill to gain 2000 for every card in the bind zone! Grizel attacks and with her skill she'll gain an additional 9000 power!"

 **(9000+9000+4000+3000+33000=58000)**

"N-No way! I-I guard!" Golden threw down four cards to block the attack.

"And that was the weakest of my attacks! My vanguard is coming in to hit hard! The skill of both Reseph's. Send them to the soul. For each one, 5000 is added to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **(26000+33000+5000+5000=69000)**

Golden lacked the cards to guard this one. "No guard…" If he was lucky then he could avoid a critical trigger.

"Triple drive! First check, stand trigger! All effects to Grizel!" That stand trigger opened up a fresh terror in the sentai's stomach. "Second check nothing and third check nothing."

"Damage check critical trigger! All effects to the vanguard!" Golden put the card in his damage zone and stood tall. "I'm not out of this yet!"

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Golden Spark(4).]**

Anthony laughed while shaking his head. "That trigger isn't going to save you. Because the on hit of my vanguard now activates, binding two additional cards from your drop zone. Oh, and since my vanguard's power boost skill is a constant activation, the power increases from 33000 to 39000! Grizel, get him!"

 **(9000+9000+5000+39000=62000)**

Golden once again did not guard the attack and didn't get a trigger to help him guard the next attack.

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Golden Spark(5).]**

"Plasmatron ends it!"

 **(9000+7000+22000+39000=77000)**

"... No guard…" Golden took his damage and despaired in seeing that it wasn't a heal trigger to keep him in the game.

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Golden Spark(6).]**

"And with that, the second fight has come to an end!" Sachi announced. "Anthony Fergus gets a win for Team Cosmic Trio, tying the teams up at one win each. We will now go to the final match between the leaders of both teams! Aurora Fujou and… White Cosmos…"

Anthony walked over to his team with a big grin on his face. Aurora walked outside just as he was close to the door. "And that's how a true hero gets things done."

"I'm going to try and ignore everything you did in that cardfight, minus winning." Aurora said. "But now it's my turn to get us a win."

Suddenly, Sachi's voice registered in the mic. "Wh-what is this?! Something's happening with the leader of Team Star Gate Sentai!"

Aurora and Anthony both looked towards the other end of the field, while Dan came out to check things out as well. The white clad leader of the other team held his head with both of his hands, as if in pain.

"No… I can't hold it back anymore…" he said.

"What's going on with him?" Aurora asked worriedly.

"Raaaaaaahhhhhhh!" White Cosmos let out a yell that sounded as if he was crying out in pain. The more shocking part though was when his body suit slowly changed color, going from pure white to pitch black.

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise. "What the…"

"Hehehe… HAHAHAHAHA!" White Cosmos laughed hysterically. "Yes! Finally! The darkness has unleashed my true power! Fear me mortals, for I am the bringer of destruction!"

The entire crowd, as well as Sachi stared at this in disbelief. Sachi spoke into her mic. "Umm… White Cosmos? Are you ok?"

"Don't call me by that ridiculous name!" the team leader shouted. "That weaker part of me is gone now! From now on, call me… Black Chaos!"

Aurora slowly began piecing together what was happening as her expression quickly turned from concerned to unamused. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Now, I will spread my terror across the world! With the Vanguard World Tournament, I will reign supreme over this world!" Black Chaos called out. He held out his deck. "Now, fight me Aurora Fujou! Be the first victim in my reign of terror! You will fall to my villain deck!"

The other two team members of the team quickly ran out of the waiting room and onto the field. "Oh no, this is horrible!" Blue Lightning spoke. "Our fearless leader White Cosmos has fallen to the temptation of darkness!"

"The only way to bring him back to his former self is to defeat him in a cardfight!" Golden Spark added. "I know it must be tough, having to stand against a great hero of justice! But you must steel your heart Aurora Fujou! For only you can save him at this point!"

"It isn't tough at all." Aurora said as she walked up to her position on the field. "I planned on winning this fight from the start. Whether you want to act as a hero or villain makes no difference to me in that regard."

"Then show me your power, Aurora Fujou. For I will be the one to crush you." Black Chaos spoke.

"Go ahead and try." Aurora said as she and her opponent set their starting Vanguards on the field.

"Well… this match has had plenty of twists and surprises." Sachi said. "But it's finally time to bring it to an end. The final fight between Aurora Fujou and White Cosmos-"

"Black Chaos!" the leader yelled out, interrupting the announcer.

It was clear Sachi was beginning to run low on patience with the odd team, but she went with it. "Fine. Aurora Fujou vs Black Chaos. The final fight will now begin!"

Aurora and her opponent started the fight simultaneously. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

 **Dan: So after all those heroics, we now have to deal with one of them acting as a villain.**

 **Anthony: Oh the agony! Why must fate be so cruel!**

 **Aurora: Hero or villain, I don't plan on losing. I'll give this fight everything I've got.**

 **Dan: He's not the leader for nothing though. this guy's seriously strong.**

 **Aurora: Bring it on.**

 **Next time: Surprise Twist! The Merciless Black Chaos!**


	11. Surprise Twist! The Evil Black Chaos

**A/N: Hey readers. I have a big surprise for you all this chapter. So far, you've seen a Card Gallery for cards from Star Chaser as they are the only custom cards Deviljho's Hatred and I have made. Well there might just be a little something extra this time. You'll all see what I mean soon with this chapter. Enjoy.**

 **On another note, both Deviljho's Hatred and I will be at Springfest tomorrow at White Plains. Hope to see some of you there if possible.**

Several thousand people were inside the stadium as they watched the semi-finals for the preliminaries of the Vanguard World Tournament. The match between Team cosmic trio and Team Star Gate Sentai was now at its climax with the third game about to begin. But no one had expected the leader of the team to suddenly pull a 180 and play the role of villain.

"This is a tragedy." Anthony said as tears formed in his eyes while he and Dan stood in the waiting room. "Such an incredible hero falling to the power of darkness. How could this happen?"

"Are you seriously playing along with this?" Dan asked in an unamused tone.

"If defeating him in a cardfight is what it takes, then so be it. I will save him from the darkness." Anthony decided.

Dan rolled his eyes. "You do realize you already fought once this match and therefore can't fight again, right?"

"... Fate is a cruel mistress." Anthony said as tears continued to flow from his eyes.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

The sound of the match starting caught both Dan and Anthony's attention as they looked towards the field. The Motion Figure System was active and showed the starting Vanguards of both players.

"Starship Cadet, Dipper!"

 **Starship Cadet, Dipper**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Beginning of Terror, Zeal!"

 **Beginning of Terror, Zeal**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 4000**

"And just like that the curtain rises on the final game of the match. Just like his two teammates, White Cos- I mean Black Chaos-" Sachi corrected herself when she noticed a the player look her way. "-is a user of the Dimension Police clan. He seems to be utilizing the Zeal archetype."

"I'm up first. I draw." Aurora said as she began the game. "I ride Fiery Star, Sagittarius!"

 **Fiery Star, Sagittarius**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Dipper will move back with forerunner." Aurora said as she moved the grade 0 behind her Vanguard. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Black Chaos(5).]**

"This will be the beginning of my terror. Evil draw." Black Chaos said. Aurora groaned, wondering why she was expecting her opponent to not act as cringy as the other two. "I evil ride, Planetary Terror, Zeal!"

 **Planetary Terror, Zeal**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Skill of Beginning of Terror, Zeal." Black Chaos explained. "By discarding a card when a unit with Zeal in its name rides over it, I can search my deck for a unit with Zeal in its name that's one grade higher than the unit I just rode." Looking through his deck, Black Chaos revealed a grade 2 unit. "Solar System Terror, Zeal. It's a grade 2 with Zeal in the name so I'll be adding it to my hand. In addition, since I added it to my hand, Beginning of Terror, Zeal can be called out to the rear guard from soul."

Just like that, the grade 0 Zeal moved to the rear guard. But it was clear he wasn't finished just yet. "Planetary Terror, Zeal's skill! Since he was placed on the field, your Vanguard loses 3000 power!"

Aurora gasped as the power of her Vanguard was lowered, stripping it down to 4000 power instead of its original 7000.

"If you thought that was scary, then this will terrify you!" Black Chaos laughed. "I call Evolution Monster, Davain to rear guard. With Davian's skill I send one of my rear guards to the soul in order to ride a Zeal unit from my deck that is the same grade as my Vanguard. I send Beginning of Terror to the soul and ride another copy of Planetary Terror, Zeal from my deck. Then, I get to call one of my units in the soul that is the same grade as my Vanguard to rear guard. So my old Planetary Terror Zeal will come out to play. Lastly, Davain's skill will lower your Vanguard's power by another 3000."

Anthony gasped as he watched this. "That's insane! Sagittarius went down to 1000 power just like that!"

"Actually, it's worse than that." Dan noted. "There's also the arrival of two more Planetary Terror, Zeals on the field."

"The skills of my two Planetary Terrors will also activate since they were placed on the field. Your Vanguard loses an extra 6000 power from them together." Black Chaos explained. "In addition, as long as Beginning of Terror, Zeal is in the soul and I have a Zeal Vanguard, my Vanguard will have an extra 1000 power at all times."

Aurora couldn't believe it. In the blink of an eye, her Vanguard's power was reduced from its original 7000 to a pitiful -5000. It was even less than 0.

"Davain, attack her pitiful Vanguard." Black Chaos called out. The alien monster roared as it lunged at Sagittarius. But before it could reach the unit, two others appeared in front of it.

"I guard!" Aurora said, using up a grade 0 and a grade 1 from her hand, totalling a 15000 shield.

"Very well then. My Vanguard will attack next." Black Chaos declared.

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger." Aurora said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Black Chaos(0).]**

"My rear guard Zeal is attacking next!"

"No guard." Aurora said again.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Black Chaos(0).]**

"Turn end." Black Chaos said. "Perhaps now you've see what the power of darkness that I possess can do."

"Incredible!" Sachi exclaimed. "It's only Black Chaos's first turn and he's already has Aurora Fujou in a tight spot! She's lost two cards from her hand and still took two damage in that one turn!"

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(3), Black Chaos(5).]**

' _He's strong. Really strong.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But I'm even stronger. I can beat this guy and I'll prove it!'_

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Galaxy Sabre, Gemini."

 **Galaxy Sabre, Gemini**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra." Aurora said, placing the card next to her Vanguard. "Libra will start by attack your Vanguard!"

"Guard." Black Chaos said, holding up a grade 0 from his hand.

"Boosted by Dipper, Gemini swings in!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Aurora said, turning over the top card of her deck. "Heal trigger. Power to Libra and I recover one damage."

"Damage check." Black Chaos said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Black Chaos(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(3), Black Chaos(4).]**

"Very well then. Stand and draw." Black Chaos said as his turn began. "Witness the next stage of my Vanguard's evolution. I ride Solar System Terror, Zeal!"

 **Solar System Terror, Zeal**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Just like before, since my Vanguard has Zeal in its name, the Beginning of Destruction in my soul will add another 1000 power to the Vanguard, bringing it up to 10000. Next, I move my rear guard Planetary Terror back and call Devourer of Planets, Zeal in front of it."

' _It's fine. He still has one column that can't hit my Vanguard, meaning he should only be able to get 2 attacks off this turn.'_ Aurora thought to herself.

"Devourer of Planets attacks with a boost from Planetary Terror!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Black Chaos(1).]**

"Solar System Terror, Zeal attacks next."

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"No guard."

"Very well then. Evil drive check." Turning over the top card of his deck. "Critical trigger. Power to Evolution Beast, Davain. Critical to my Vanguard."

"Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to my Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Black Chaos(1).]**

With the power from the draw trigger, Davain wouldn't be able to reach Aurora's Vanguard. But her rear guard was still open to attack. "Davain attacks Libra!"

"Guard!" Aurora said, using a 5000 shield card from her hand.

"Very well then. I end my turn." Black Chaos said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(3), Black Chaos(4).]**

"Here I go then. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike my foes down with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Next I call Star Beast Ursa to rear guard." Aurora said, calling the grade 1 unit behind Libra. "Boosted by Ursa, Libra attacks! Ursa's skill allows me to bind the top card of my deck to add 3000 power to him when he boosts!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

Black Cosmos quickly held up the critical trigger he got from his last turn. "Guard!"

"Dipper boosts. Hikari is coming in."

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Aurora said. "First check, critical trigger. Power to Libra. Critical to Hikari. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Black Chaos said. The first card was not a trigger, but there was one for the second card. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard." Due to the fact that Aurora had more damage, he was unable to heal, a fact that was unfortunate for him.

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Black Chaos(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(5), Black Chaos(3).]**

"Then it's my turn. Stand and draw." Black Chaos said. "Now bear witness to the most heinous villain in the entire galaxy! A being of unrivaled terror! I ride Galactic Terror Beast, Zeal!"

 **Galactic Terror Beast, Zeal**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 10000**

"And now watch this! Evil Stride Generation! Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal!" Black Chaos called out.

 **Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast!" Black Chaos said. "Your Vanguard loses 5000 power! In addition, it is unable to increase its own power through skills for the rest of the turn."

Aurora grit her teeth as Hikari grew weaker, her posture lowering on the image of the Motion Figure System. That power would stay like that until the end of the turn. Aurora wouldn't be able to increase the power through skills, but triggers would still work. But she wasn't very keen on praying for a damage trigger to help her out of this situation.

"I move Davain back and call Solar System Terror, Zeal. Next I activate Beast of Apocalypse Zeal's skill." Black Chaos explained as he flipped a copy of the card in his G Zone face up. "Hikari's power is reduced to 0, and my Vanguard gains power equal to Hikari's original power, in other words 11000."

With that power decrease, Hikari fell to one knee, struggling to even stand. She was weaker than a grade 0 right now, while Zeal's power increased, feeding off of Hikari like a parasite.

"Quiver in fear! For this is the power of evil!" Black Chaos said with a laugh.

"You can spout out about this "power of evil" all you want. I won't lose." Aurora said. "So do your worst."

"As you wish. Boosted by Davain, Solar System Terror attacks Hikari. Solar System's skill. I counterblast and lower Hikari's power by another 3000."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

' _Guarding this turn is going to be tough. If he gets a critical, either of his next two attacks could finish me.'_ Aurora thought. ' _In that case, I'll have to let this one through.'_

"No guard." the blonde girl declared. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Black Chaos(3).]**

"My Vanguard will crush you! Go, Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal!"

 **(25000+1000+11000=37000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out.

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Devourer of Planets, Zeal. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger." The black clad villain went straight into his next attack. "Boosted by Planetary Terror, Devourer of Planets attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"Generation guard!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion! With its skill, I soul blast 2 cards and send the attacking unit to the bind zone!"

Black Chaos watched as a portal opened up in front of his unit as it charged at the weakened Hikari and disappeared inside it. "I see. It seems you are proficient in the ways of trickery and evil too. Very well then. I end my turn."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't compare the two of us like that." Aurora said.

"Don't get too flattered, girl. For I'm not done yet. At the end of my turn, I can use Galactic Terror Beast, Zeal's skill." Black Chaos explained. "Since your Vanguard has less power than its original power, I can retire one of your units and draw. So I'll get rid of your Starship Cadet, Dipper. In addition, my Solar System Terror Zeal also has a skill that activates at the end of the turn. I send Davain to my soul to counter charge and draw."

Aurora gasped as Dipper was retired from the field, while her opponent got to draw 2 cards. It wasn't just Black Chaos's offense that was scary, his defense was just as impressive.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(2), Black Chaos(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She closed her eyes. ' _Star Chasers, help me out. Lets win this fight.'_

"Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!" Aurora called out.

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Alright!" Dan grinned. "That's Aurora's new G Unit!"

"Stride skill. I counterblast, and bind Sagitarius! Then I'll call Sagittarius and add 3000 power to it!" Aurora said as she called the grade 1 to the back row of her empty column. "Then I use Libra's skill. I bind Sun Smasher, Apollo from my deck. In return, Libra gets bound at the end of the turn."

"Big deal. Calling one unit and binding another changes nothing!" Black Chaos said.

"Except I'm not done yet." Aurora told him. "Witness the power of the dragon constellation! I activate Draco Nova's skill!" the blonde girl counterblasted a card and flipped a copy of the card face up in her G Zone. "I bind a card from my hand, field, and drop zone. Then, from my bind zone, I call 2 units to rear guard and my Vanguard gains a drive check."

"What?!" Black Chaos gasped.

Aurora bound a card from her hand, as well as her rear guard Libra and the Sagitarius in her drop zone that she had soul blasted last turn for her G Guardian. "Come to me. Lifter of the Stars, Hercules and Sun Smasher, Apollo." She called the grade 3 Hercules in front of the Sagitarius she already had on the field and the critical trigger Apollo in front of her rear guard Ursa. "Next I counterblast to use Lifter of the Stars, Hercules's skill. I call the Apollo from my bind zone to rear guard and add 2000 power." With the second critical trigger behind her Vanguard, Aurora now had a full field. "That's not all, two units were just called from my bind zone, meaning Sagittarius's power goes up by 6000."

"It still matters not. I will defend your pitiful attacks with ease!" Black Cosmos told her.

"Oh, but I haven't even mentioned the best part yet." Aurora smirked. "Draco Nova's Generation Break 3! For every card in my bind zone, Draco Nova and all my units called from the bind zone this turn gain 3000 power. There's currently 2 cards in my bind zone, and the only rear guard I have that wasn't called from the bind zone this turn is Ursa. so all my other units gain 6000 power. Still think my attacks are pitiful?"

"Grr… Bring it on! My heart of evil can stand against any attack you throw at me!"

"Let's test that theory. Boosted by Ursa, Apollo attacks." Aurora declared. "I use Ursa's skill to bind the top card of my deck to add 3000 power. And since another card was bound, that power boost from earlier goes from 6000 to 9000."

 **(4000+9000+7000+3000=23000)**

"No guard." Black Cosmos said. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Black Cosmos(4).]**

"Get ready! My Vanguard is up next!" Aurora told him. "Activating the skills of my two Apollo units! They both go to the soul and my Vanguard gains 5000 power for each one. I also draw a card for each of them."

 **(26000+9000+10000=45000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Hercules. Third check, no trigger. Final check" the sight of the card that got turned over brought a smile to Aurora's face. "Heal Trigger. Power to Hercules. I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Black Chaos(4).]**

"Sagittarius, give Hercules a boost! Attack the Vanguard!" Hikari called out.

 **(11000+9000+7000+6000+9000=42000)**

"Generation guard! Gallant Incarnation, G-O-Five! Using its skill, a total of 15000 is added to my shield! In addition, I intercept with Devourer of Planets, Zeal!"

Aurora would have prefered to end it that turn, but she had still managed to force her opponent to waste a perfect guard and a heal trigger. She would just have to wait until next turn. "Turn end. The skill of the Hercules in my drop zone. I send a card from my bind zone to the drop zone and return Hercules to my hand."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(8), Black Chaos(4).]**

"My turn." Black Chaos stood all of his units as he started his turn. "Evil draw." A small chuckle escaped from him. "I can feel it. The immense power of the darkness flowing through me. This power will make me the strongest fighter in the world!"

Aurora sighed. This role playing stuff had gotten old a long time before now. But right now, her main focus was surviving this upcoming turn. And she knew that was going to be a lot easier said than done.

"Evil zone release! Stride Generation!" Black Chaos cried out. "Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal!"

 **Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"I use Galactic Terror, Beast, Zeal's stride skill! Your Vanguard loses 5000 power and cannot increase its power through the use of skills! Then I use Beast of Apocalypse's skill! Your Vanguard's power is reduced to 0 and my Vanguard gains your Vanguard's original power of 11000!"

Once again, Aurora watched as her Vanguard became powerless. It was going to make guarding attacks difficult for her.

"First I call Planetary Terror, Zeal behind Solar system Terror, Zeal and Eye of Destruction, Zeal behind my Vanguard. With Planetary Terror's skill, your Vanguard loses another 3000 power. Then I call Assault Monster, Gunrock!" The grade 2 appeared in the open front row of his other column. "Now then, let's end this. Solar System Terror attacks with a boost from Planetary Terror! With its skill, your Vanguard loses another 3000 power."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

' _My Vanguard has -6000 power. But I got a large amount of defensive options after my draws last turn. I can do this.'_ Aurora told herself. "No guard. Damage check, draw trigger. Power to Hikari and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Black Cosmos(4).]**

"Boosted by Eye of Destruction, my Vanguard Zeal attacks!"

 **(25000+1000+11000+7000=44000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Gunrock. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Solar System Terror, Zeal. Third check, no trigger."

Aurora cursed her luck. As if Gunrock's attack wouldn't be annoying enough to guard, she now also had another attack to deal with.

"Solar System Terror, Zeal attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Generation guard!" Aurora called out as she placed the G Guardian out. "Protector of the Cosmos, Andromedia!"

"You fool! I activate Beast of Apocalypse Zeal's skill! Generation Break 3!" Black Chaos explained. "When a card is placed on the guardian circle, I can counterblast and reduce that card's shield to 0!"

Aurora gasped. "What did you say?!" She looked at her G guardian as it weakened, it's shield lowering to 0.

"Do you get it yet? All is powerless before the power of evil!" Black Chaos laughed. "You should just surrender."

"... Surrender?" Aurora asked. "And why would I do that?"

"What?"

"Don't you dare count me out yet." Aurora told the villain with a fierce glare. "I'm just getting started! Andromedia's skill! Since there are 2 or more face up cards in my bind zone, I add 10000 to the shield!" The boost brought her Vanguard to 9000, but she still needed another 10000 to fully guard the attack. And she got that shield as she called a stand trigger from her hand. "I also guard with this!"

"Then let's see you handle this! Gunrock attacks with a boost from Planetary Terror, Zeal! With Gunrock's skill, since your Vanguard has 8000 power or less, 3000 power is added to Gunrock!"

 **(8000+3000+7000=18000)**

Aurora held up another trigger unit, as well as 2 grade 1s. "Guard!"

Black Chaos couldn't believe it. He stared at his opponent in awe. "This isn't over. I cannot lose. Not with the power I have. I use my Vanguard's skill to retire Sagittarius and draw, and then use my grade 2 Zeal's skill to send Eye of Destruction to the soul to counter charge and draw."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(2), Black Chaos(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Well, your teammates told me to beat you to bring you back to normal, or at least as normal as you and your team seem to act. So it's time to make that wish come true! Hikari's skill! I bind my rear guard Hercules and counter charge! And now, Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius and call Hercules from my bind zone! Add 3000 power! Next I use the skill of Hercules to call Gemini and add 2000 power to it!" Aurora explained. She took the two remaining cards in her hand and called them out to rear guard. "Call! Aquarius and Gravity Gunner!"

"Alright!" Dan grinned. "She's got a full field!"

"Gravity Gunner boosts! Go Gemini!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Intercept with Gunrock!"

"Hercules attacks with a boost from Ursa! Ursa's skill adds 3000 power by binding the top card of my deck!"

 **(11000+7000+3000=21000)**

"Guard!" Black Chaos said as he held up a trigger and a grade 2 from his hand.

"With Aquarius's boost, Meteor Shower Dragon attacks!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. Power to Meteor shower and stand Aquarius." Unfortunately for Black Chaos, Aurora's turn wasn't over yet. "Galaxy Dragon, Meteor shower Dragon's Generation Break 3! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call 4 Sagittarius units and Gemini! My Sagittarius units gain 12000 power from their skills, then all the called rear guards gain 5000 power from Meteor Shower Dragon's skill! Finally, since 5 or more units were called, Meteor Shower stands back up with minus 2 drive!"

"S-so much power…" Black Chaos gasped. "It's surpassing the power of my darkness… impossible…"

"You know, I'm getting real sick of your whole villain act." Aurora said. "So allow me to put it to an end. My two Sagittarius units in the same column will attack!"

 **(9000+5000+12000+9000+5000+12000=52000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Black Chaos(5).]**

"Boosted by Sagittarius, Meteor Shower Dragon attacks!"

 **(26000+9000+5000+12000=52000)**

"No guard." Black Chaos said.

The Motion Figure System showed Aurora's G Unit fly in and attack Zeal. Once the sixth damage fell into the damage zone, the images dissolved.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Black Chaos(6).]**

"Winner! Aurora Fujou of Team Cosmic Trio!" the referee declared.

Cheers filled the crowd as everyone applauded the players for the exciting cardfight. Black Chaos stumbled back, crying out in agony. By now, everyone knew it was just part of the act so no one paid any concern to it. The black suit turned back to its original white color as the other two members of Star Gate Sentai ran over to their leader.

"Leader, you're back!" Blue Lightning cheered.

"This is a glorious moment indeed!" Golden Spark agreed.

"I gave into the temptation of darkness… It seems I have a long way to go until I can truly call myself a hero." White Cosmos spoke. He looked over towards Aurora. "Wielder of the Star Chaser clan, you freed me from the darkness. For this, you have my gratitude."

Aurora sighed. ' _Just take the compliment. You don't have to deal with them anymore.'_

"We wish you the best of luck in your future battles!" White Cosmos said. "We will be rooting for you and your team of heroes!"

"We will not let you down!" Anthony yelled out as he came outside. "Now please! Teach me your ways brave heroes so I can-"

"Nope, not dealing with this." Aurora said as she grabbed her teammate by the back of his shirt. "I've had to put up with three games of this. Let's go."

"No! You can't do this to me!" Anthony exclaimed as he struggled to get out of Aurora's hold while she dragged him away.

"Well everyone, one of our two final teams has been decided." Sachi told the audience. "Now we'll move onto our second match of the semi finals to see who Team Cosmic Trio will fight in the finals. Stay tuned."

* * *

"Well that match was at least interesting." Mai said as she looked at the teams walking away. "Even if one of the teams was completely ridiculous."

"Oh really, Mai?" Jasmine asked with a smirk. "I recall you watching one of those sentai shows during our day off with quite a bit of excitement in your eyes."

"Jasmine?!" Mai exclaimed. "Don't just blurt stuff out like that! I just… I watch them to laugh at them! Yeah, that's it!"

Jasmine let out a giggle. "You know you can still be a kid Mai, don't you? Just because you're an idol doesn't mean you have to dislike little kid stuff."

"She's right you know." Keiko added.

"Keiko, not you too?!"

Yukari let out a giggle. "The three of you almost act like sisters, you know that?"

"Whatever." Mai huffed. "So do you think that Aurora Fujou is good enough?"

"She's strong, there's no denying that." Yukari said. "But as for whether or not she's ready for what will be needed of her, that remains a mystery."

"I still don't get it." Keiko said. "Why give the Star Chaser deck to someone like her? Wouldn't it be better in the hands of a world class cardfighter?"

Yukari shook her head. "Aurora Fujou is the only one who can wield Star Chaser. She has a special bond to the clan. one that she herself may not even realise completely yet."

The idol trio looked at each other, wondering what Yukari meant by that. But there was no way to know for sure now. Yukari liked to be mysterious and the three idols knew that she wouldn't reveal secrets unless she wanted to.

"Best get ready for the final match. Aurora's team will be facing the Japanese champions." Yukari said.

"Isn't there still a match in the semi finals to go before deciding that?" Jasmine asked.

"Come on Jasmine, we both know Genius Prodigy won't lose to them." Mai said. The little girl stretched her arms out. "Well, best put on my idol face for the big event."

"I expect good things, girls." Yukari told Premium Beauty as they left the room. She looked down at the tablet she had, rewatching Aurora's fight in the semi-finals. ' _And I expect good things from you too, Aurora.'_

 **Aurora: Alright, we won the semi finals! Just one more game to go!**

 **Dan: But our opponents this time are the Japanese champions. Team Genius Prodigy.**

 **Anthony: It's finally time for me to teach those nerds a lesson they won't forget.**

 **Dan: Hold your horses Anthony. I'm up first.**

 **Next time: Perfect Analysis**

 _ **(Note: Deviljho's Hatred and I will keep making custom cards for existing clans and archetypes just like we did for this chapter. Part of the reason is to allow certain decks to fight on par with top tier decks without luck being involved, but another reason is because we enjoy creating custom cards. We won't be doing this for every deck and clan, but it will happen frequently throughout this fic. We hope you enjoy them.)**_

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Lifter of the Stars, Hercules

Grade 3

Power: 11000

 **ACT VC/RC GB1:** CB1 Choose up to one card from your bind zone and call it to RC and give it +2k.

 **ACT (Drop zone):** Send a unit from your bind zone to the drop zone. At the end of your turn you may pay the cost. If you do, return this card to your hand.

* * *

Nebula Beast, Draco Nova

Stride

Power: 15000+

ACT VC 1/Turn: CB1 & Take a facedown card from your G Zone and turn it face up. Choose a card from your hand, a card from your field, and a card from your drop zone, and send them to your bind zone face up. Then, choose up to two cards from your bind zone and call them to separate RC and this unit gets drive +1.

CONT VC GB3: All units called from your bind zone this turn and this unit gain +3000 power for each face up card in your bind zone.

* * *

Beginning of Terror, Zeal

Grade 0

Power 4000

 **AUTO** : When a "Zeal" unit rides over this unit, you may search your deck for one card with "Zeal" in its name whose grade is +1 from the unit that rode on the VC. If you do, reveal it to your opponent then you may move this card from the soul to an open RC

 **CONT [Soul]** : If you have a Zeal vanguard, your Vanguard gets **(CONT VC: Increase this unit's power by 1000.)**.

* * *

Planetary Terror, Zeal

Grade 1

Power 7000

 **AUTO VC/RC** : When this unit is placed on the VC or RC, if you have a "Zeal" vanguard, choose one of your opponents units and it receives -3000 power until the end of the turn.

 **ACT RC 1/Turn:** CB1 & put this unit in your soul. When your Vanguard or rear guard is being attacked, if you have a "Zeal" vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, the attacking unit receives -5000 power until the end of the battle

* * *

Solar System Terror, Zeal

Grade 2

Power 9000

 **AUTO VC/RC 1/Turn:** CB1; When this unit attacks the vanguard, if you have a "Zeal" vanguard you may pay the cost, if you do your opponents vanguard receives -3000 until the end of the battle.

 **AUTO RC:** GB1: At the end of the turn if you have a "Zeal" vanguard you may choose one of your rear guards and send it into soul. If you do, CC and draw a card.

* * *

Galactic Terror Beast, Zeal

Grade 3

Power: 10000

 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When this unit rides or your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent's VG gets -5000 power and **(CONT: This unit's power cannot be increased with skills.)** until end of turn. _(This does not include power gained through trigger effects.)_

 **AUTO VC GB2:** At the end of your turn, if your the power of your opponent's vanguard is less than its original amount, select one of your opponent's rear guards, retire it, and draw a card.

* * *

Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal

Stride

Power: 15000+

 **ACT 1/Turn:** Take a facedown card with the same name as this card in your G zone and flip it face up. If you have a heart card with "Zeal" in its name, your opponent's VG's Power becomes 0, and increase this unit's power by the original power of your opponent's VG until end of turn.

 **ACT 1/Turn GB3:** CB1 When your opponent places a card on the GC, you may pay the cost. If you do, that unit's shield becomes 0.


	12. Perfect Analysis

**A/N: Hey Vanguard fans. Springfest was great. Had a lot of fun there and fought against some awesome players. Sadly, my team couldn't get to the top 8, but we did get 29th out of over 200 teams so we were pretty satisfied. Hoping Bushiroad keeps up the team league format, cause it made things even more fun in my opinion. Anyways, let's get on with the chapter.**

Team Cosmic Trio sat together at one of the tables near the concession stands of the stadium. They were currently waiting for their opponents in the finals to be decided, though they all had a pretty good idea who it would be.

"So is everyone good with our same lineup?" Aurora asked. "Dan will lead us off. Then Anthony goes second. And I'll go in last."

"You're really starting to take the role of leader seriously." Dan said as he sipped his drink. "You used to hate having to go last."

"Or do you think Dan or I will lose one of the games?" Anthony asked with a smirk.

Aurora shook her head. "It's not that. I have full confidence in the two of you. But I can't stay naive forever. I need to stay in my position as team leader." she said. "Besides, if you two both win your games then that's good enough for me."

"Don't go crying when we win and leave you nothing left." Anthony smirked as he leaned back in his chair.

"Our opponents are probably going to be the Japanese national champions though." Dan reminded them. "They won't go down easy."

"Well we'll have to show them that Team Cosmic Trio doesn't go down easy either." Aurora said. She held out her hand in the center of them. Dan and Anthony soon joined in, placing their hands over hers. "Alright guys, let's do this! Team Cosmic Trio is heading to the world stage!"

"Let's do it!" all three of them exclaimed simultaneously.

It wasn't long before a loud cheer from the crowd came, signaling the end of the second semi final match. The microphone throughout the stadium sounded. "The semi finals have now concluded. The final round between Team Cosmic Trio and Team Genius Prodigy will begin in one hour."

"No surprises there." Aurora said. "Time to show our stuff to the world."

"Well don't you all seem motivated?" the sound of the voice of Aurora's father caused the three teammates to turn and see the man walk over to them. "You kids ready for the finals?"

"You bet dad!" Aurora said excitedly. "We're gonna win for sure!"

Ryuji smiled at seeing his daughter so motivated. It reminded him of when he was younger. "I'll be watching from the stands as usual. Be sure to do your best."

"We will." the three teens nodded.

* * *

The crowd sat in anticipation for the upcoming final match. Everything the past two days had been leading up to this. One final match that would decide which team would represent Japan in the World Tournament.

The stillness was soon removed as loud music and smoke came from the podium. All heads watched as the idol trio Premium Beauty appeared on stage.

"Hello cardfighting fans! Are you enjoying yourselves?!" Mai asked in an eager voice.

"Well get ready, cause the excitement level is about to reach eleven!" Keiko said.

"The final match between Team Cosmic Trio and Team Genius Prodigy will now begin!" Jasmine finished. "Give a round of applause for these two teams folks!"

Cheers erupted as both teams came out from the waiting room and stood on the field. Staring across from each other, they saw the other's desire to win.

"I'm surprised they actually made it this far." Akari said. "Too bad we'll have to crush their hopes here."

"I'm actually quite curious to see how this match will go." Yuma said. "They may not have a lot of tournament experience, but I think they've shown their strength."

Kenta scrolled through his tablet with a bored expression. "Doesn't matter. We'll still win."

"Such a shame. I know you wanted to fight that Star Chaser girl, but Kenta and I will have them finished before they even get to her." Akari giggled.

Finally Sachi's voice came from her seat. "Will both team please select their first fighters?"

Aurora looked over at Dan. "Well, you're up."

"Leave it to me." Dan said, walking over to his spot on the field. Once he arrived, he saw Kenta arriving on the field as well.

' _So he's my opponent. The tablet guy.'_ Dan thought.

"... Ninety percent." Kenta said.

Dan raised a brow. "What?"

"Ninety percent. That's what my chances of victory in this fight are." Kenta said. "I've researched each of the members of your team thoroughly. Every card you've used this entire tournament. Your strategies are an open book to me. It would take a miracle for you to win this."

"Is that so?" Dan asked. "Well then, I'll just have to pull off a miracle."

"The first game. Dan Kisha vs Kenta Iragaki. Begin!" the referee declared.

With that, Dan and Kenta began the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Cat Knight in High Boots!"

 **Cat Knight in High Boots**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Outstanding Mutant, Promularva!"

 **Outstanding Mutant, Promularva**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first." Dan said as he drew for his turn.

"Ride Cutie Paratrooper." Kenta mumbled under his breath, predicting the coming move.

Dan proved his prediction to be true. "I ride Cutie Paratrooper!"

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"That's it for my turn." Dan said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Kenta(5).]**

"My turn. I draw." Kenta said. "I ride Flowing Mutant, Twilight Madder. Promularva moves back with forerunner."

 **Flowing Mutant, Twilight Madder**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Next I call Vulcan Lafertei." Kenta said calling the unit next to his Vanguard. "Lafertei attacks."

"Guard." Dan said, holding up a grade 1 from his hand with 5000 shield.

"Boosted by Promularva, Twilight Madder attacks."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Dan said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Kenta(0).]**

"Turn end." Kenta said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(4), Kenta(5).]**

"My turn then." Dan said. "I ride Face Magician, Lappin!"

 **Face Magician, Lappin**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

' _If he calls a rear guard, it'll just be Darkside Princess.'_ Kenta predicted.

"I call Darkside Princess." Dan said. "And now she'll attack. Using her skill to add 5000 power."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Kenta said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Kenta(1).]**

"Darkside Princess goes to the soul due to using her skill." Dan explained, moving the grade 2 unit to the soul. "Lappin is up next!"

"Guard." Kenta said, revealing a stand trigger in his hand. ' _Due to him not having a starting Vanguard with forerunner, his back row is almost always empty in the beginning, making it easier to guard his attacks early on.'_

"Drive check." Dan said. "Critical trigger." He frowned at the bad timing of the trigger. Even with its power, his attack wouldn't go through. "All effects to Lappin. Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(5), Kenta(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "I ride Punish Stage."

 **Punish Stag**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"I move Vulcan Lafertei back and call Light Horn Mutant, Dangerous Horn in front of it." Kenta said as he called the grade 2 out. "Dangerous Horn's skill. I have to either reveal a unit with Darkface in its name from my hand or have one as my Vanguard, or it loses 5000 power." He showed a copy of Darkface Gredora in his hand. "No power loss. Boosted by Vulcan Lafertei, Dangerous Horn attacks."

 **(10000+7000=17000)**

Dan held up the critical trigger he had gotten last turn. "Guard."

"Fine then. Promularva boosts an attack for Punish Stag."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Kenta flipped the card over with the yellow icon he wanted to see. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Dan growled that he was taking two damage. Both his damage checks revealed no triggers, a sight he wasn't happy to see.

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Kenta(1).]**

"Turn end." Kenta said. He examined the board. ' _Damage: 1 to 3. Field: favorable. No problems.'_

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(5), Kenta(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said.

"Ride Masked Phantom, Harri." Kenta mumbled under his breath.

"The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signaling for the star of the show to make his appearance! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!" Dan called out.

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Harri's skill." Dan explained. "I look at the top two cards of the deck, add one to the soul and put the other on the bottom of the deck." Dan looked at the two cards, adding a copy of Betty to his soul. He then went straight on the offense. "Go Harri! Attack the Vanguard!"

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Dan said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Kenta(2).]**

"I'll call it a turn with that." Dan said.

Over in the waiting room, Anthony smirked. "Alright, this is perfect. Dan's opponent is using Megacolony. But he can't paralyze Dan's rear guards since they go to the soul at the end of each turn."

"Actually, the situation is far from perfect." Aurora told him. "He may not be able to stun Dan's rear guards, but he can do something much worse."

"Like what?"

"Remember that unit he revealed earlier? Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora?"

"Yeah. What's it do?"

"You're about to see." Aurora said. "It can be a very terrifying card against a deck like Dan's."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(7), Kenta(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said as his turn began. "Beloved queen of Megacolony, spin your thread across this battlefield. Show my enemies that they are already trapped in your web. Ride! Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora!"

 **Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Darkface Gredora." Kenta explained as he counterblasted. He pointed to Dan's right column. "I can activate this skill once per turn, when she's ridden or when I stride. Until the end of your next turn, you cannot call units to that column."

' _Damnit!'_ Dan thought. ' _He's sealed away one of my columns. That's one less front row circle to attack with.'_

Anthony's eyes widened as he heard the skill. "Wait… when he says he can't call, does he mean-"

"He can't call. Period" Aurora confirmed. "From hand. From soul. From anywhere. That entire column is sealed off for him through his next turn."

"Isn't that a huge problem?!" Anthony said worriedly. "Dan's entire strategy revolves around swarming the field with cards from his soul. If he has one less column to work with-"

"Then his offensive options are severely limited. I know." Aurora said. "Dan's gonna have to work around it if he wants to win.

Over on the field, Kenta continued his turn. "Stride Generation! Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm!"

 **Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000**

"Since I already used her skill to prevent you from calling this turn, I can't use it again here." Kenta said. "But I still have plenty of other moves to make. Skill of Vulcan Lafertei. Dark device. Since you have no standing units in the same column as it, I can send it to the soul and counter charge. Then I call Twilight Madder and Black Spear Mutant, Bolg Wasp." The two units were called together in the same column, giving Kenta another attack this turn. "Bolg Wasp's dark device. It gains 2000 power until end of turn."

' _Dark device. A skill that can be use when I have no standing units in the same column as it. And since my columns usually have no units at all on my opponent's turn, he can use those skills as he pleases.'_

"Skill of Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm." Kenta explained as he counterblasted and flipped a face down card in his G Zone face up. "I draw cards equal to the number of my opponent's rested rear guards. However, seeing as you have no rear guards I don't draw. Next, since you have one or less rear guards at rest, Overwhelm gains a drive and a critical."

Anthony's eyes widened. "This guy's got strategies for whether his opponent has a field of rested units or not. Increadbile."

"Pay close attention, Anthony." Aurora said. "This is what we're up against."

"Dangerous Horn's skill. Since you have one or less standing rear guards, it gains 6000 power." Kenta said. "And now I'll have it attack."

 **(10000+6000=16000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Kenta(2).]**

"Boosted by Promularva, Overwhelm attacks."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Lovely Companion will put a stop to that! Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive." Kenta called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Bolg Wasp. Final check, critical trigger. Once again, all effects to Bolg Wasp."

Dan breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to avoid what would have been a very dangerous attack with his perfect guard just now. But there was still another one to go.

"Bolg Wasp attacks with a boost from Twilight Madder. Dark device of Twilight Madder. It gains 3000 power when boosting."

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000+7000+3000=31000)**

"Generation guard!" Dan called out. "Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Furnival. I look at the top 3 cards of the deck, choose up to one to add to the soul, and put the rest on the bottom of the deck." Dan explained. He looked at the cards, adding a copy of Masquerade Bunny to his soul. "Since I added a grade 1 or greater card, 5000 is added to Furnival's shield." He then added in a grade 2 for another 5000 shield. "I also guard with this!"

' _Only one damage. Less than I hoped, but the situation is still satisfactory.'_ Kenta thought. "At the end of the battle that I used Twilight Madder's skill, I send it to the soul to draw. Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(3), Kenta(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said.

Kenta was already predicting Dan's moves. ' _Stride into Masquerade Master, Harri.'_

"Stride Generation!" Dan called out. "Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

' _Use Cat Knight to call out itself and Cutie Paratrooper.'_

"Skill of Cat Knight in High Boots! I call it out from the soul, then use it's other skill to call out Cutie Paratrooper!" Dan said, acting exactly as Kenta predicted.

' _Cutie's magia to call a unit in front of it and add 5000 power.'_

"Cutie's magia! I soul charge and call Face Magician, Lappin! Add 5000 power!"

"And with that, you're done calling." Kenta said. "After all, your other column is sealed off for the turn."

"Cutie boosts and attack for Lappin! Using Lappin's skill I soul charge!" Putting the top card into his soul, Dan felt some relief from the card he saw. "The card I soul charged is Flying Peryton. It has magia, so 5000 is added to Lappin."

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"No guard." Kenta said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Kenta(3).]**

"I'm not done yet. Masquerade Master attacks with a boost from Cat Knight."

' _And now he uses his Vanguard's skill to call out Lappin and Betty from his soul.'_

"Masquerade Master's skill. I send Cutie and Lappin to the soul. Then I call out Lappin and Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty." Dan explained. "In addition, my magia rear guards gain 3000 power now that I have a face up Masquerade Master, Harri in my G Zone."

 **(26000+5000+3000=34000)**

Kenta let out a chuckle. "Exactly as I expected."

"What?"

"I've predicted every one of your moves so far." Kenta said. "Which is why I was holding onto this for this very moment." Revealing a heal trigger from his hand, Kenta discarded the card. "Generation guard. Mutant Deity Fortification, Grysfort. I also guard with two Machining Treehoppers."

 **Mutant Deity Fortification, Grysfort**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Grysfort." Kenta explained as he performed a counterblast. "All of your back row units are rested. In addition, 5000 is added to Grysfort's skill for every two rested units you have."

Dan's eyes widened. "What?!" He looked down at his field, where the Betty he had in the back row was rested. With that, he had three units rested in total, so Grysfort would gain 5000 shield. But that wasn't the main issue for him.

"This is bad." Aurora said from the waiting area. "Since Betty's rested, she can't boost Lappin's attack. And that means she can't use her skill since she isn't boosting."

"You knew you didn't have access to one of your columns, so you planned to use Betty with the Peryton you soul charged earlier." Kenta said. "All far too easy to predict. Like I said, I can see all your moves after the research I've done on your team."

' _Damnit… he played me. This guy really knows what he's doing.'_ Dan realized. He continued with his attack. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Shame you couldn't pull a stand trigger. It might have actually made a difference." Kenta said. "Not that I haven't already accounted for it. Prankster Girl of Mirrorland is the only stand trigger in your deck, correct?"

"Lappin attacks!" Dan soul charged the top card with his unit's skill, Happiness Collector. "The card soul charged doesn't have magia so only 2000 is added."

 **(9000+3000+2000=14000)**

"No guard." Kenta said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Kenta(4).]**

"Turn end." Dan said. "All my rear guards go to the soul."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(6), Kenta(4).]**

"My turn then." Kenta said. "Stand and draw."

Anthony took a look at the board from the image on the monitor. "Well that Kenta guy shouldn't be able to keep this up forever. He has three counterblasts, and if he does the same thing as last turn, he'll only have one more face up. He's probably saving it for defense. That means he'll probably only have one card to counterblast on his next turn."

"If only that were really the case." Aurora said.

"What do you mean?" Anthony asked.

"Gredora's ability to prevent a player from calling to a column is powerful, there's no denying that." Aurora explained. "But there's another reason that unit is so terrifying."

"The skill of Darkface Gredora." Kenta's voice brought the attention of both of Dan's teammates back to the fight. "At the beginning of my ride phase, I soul blast." He pointed over to Dan's damage zone. "A face up card in your damage zone is flipped face down. In addition, I get to counter charge."

Anthony gasped as he watched Dan reluctantly turn a card over in his damage zone, giving him only one face up card left in the damage zone. "He absorbed Dan's counter blast?!"

"Gredora limits the opponent's offensive options while slowing draining away their resources for counterblasting." Aurora explained. "And for a clan like Pale Moon, that's a very bad matchup."

"Stride Generation!" Kenta called out. "Lawless Mutant Deity, Obtirandus!"

' _It's not the same unit from before.'_ Dan thought. ' _What's he planning?'_

"Skill of Obtirandus! Counterblast!" Kenta said, flipping over the two face up cards he had in his damage zone. "This is a bit of an upgrade from Gredora's skill last turn. Now until the end of your next turn, you are unable to call rear guards to _any_ circle."

"That's insane!" Anthony exclaimed. "He can't call any units?! How's he supposed to put up any kind of offense?!"

"This is Megacolony. The clan that takes away the opponent's power to do anything." Aurora said. "It's like fighting a giant spider on its own spider web."

Kenta looked at his hand. ' _I used a lot of grade 0s last turn, but I'm still fine in terms of defense since he'll only be able to attack with his Vanguard next turn. However, I don't have any grade 1s to boost Bolg Wasp. No matter, I have a good probability to get a trigger from the triple drive.'_ He began his assault. "Dangerous Horn attacks! With dark device, it gains 6000 power!"

 **(10000+6000=16000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, quickly using a grade 0 from his hand with 10000 shield.

"Promularva boosts. Go Obtirandus!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

' _As long as he doesn't get two critical triggers, I'll be fine.'_ Dan thought to himself. "No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger." the sight of the card made a nervous sweat go down the back of Dan's neck. "Power to Bolg Wasp and critical to Obtirandus. Second check, no trigger."

' _Don't pull it…'_

"Third check." Kenta said. Everyone was silent as they watched to see if the match would end here. As he turned over the card, Dan let out a sigh of relief. "No trigger."

"Damage check." Dan said. The first card was not a trigger. However, he saw a saving grace in the second card. "Stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Kenta(4).]**

' _Bolg Wasp can't hit since his Vanguard now has 16000 power.'_ Kenta said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(5), Kenta(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said. With the restriction of not being able to call rear guards this turn, Dan's options were severely limited. ' _Only one thing I can do. It's been awhile since I've used this stride.'_

"Stride Generation!" Dan called out. "Jester Demonic Dragon, Lunatec Dragon!"

 **Jester Demonic Dragon, Lunatec Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Lunatec Dragon's skill!" Dan called out, flipping a copy of the G Unit face up in his G Zone. "All cards called from the soul this turn gain 2000 power."

"Except you can't call anything from the soul this turn." Kenta reminded him.

"Which is where the other skill it gains comes into play." Dan said. "Generation Break 3! Lunatec gains an extra critical!"

' _Considering the situation, there's not much else he can do.'_ Kenta thought. ' _However, a lonely Vanguard attack means nothing to me.'_

"Go Lunatec! Attack the Vanguard!" Dan called out.

"Pointless." Kenta said. "Perfect guard."

' _I figured as much.'_ Dan thought. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. Power to Lunatec." He let out a sigh. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Dan(8), Kenta(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Kenta said. "Time to end this. Skill of Gredora. You lose a counterblast while I get to counter charge. And now Stride Generation! Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm!"

 **Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Your left column is sealed off from having units called to it." Kenta said. A chuckle escaped him.

"What's so funny?" Dan asked.

"Surely you've noticed it. I've been in control of this fight from the very beginning." Kenta said. "I've completely analyzed you and your team. It's my specialty. By doing so, I can predict how a fight will progress."

"Vanguard is about more than just data and analysis." Dan told him. "No matter how bad a situation looks, you can never know how a fight will go in the end."

"Is that so? Then try and prove it." Kenta said. "Of course, that's going to be pretty hard without your left column. My victory is now 95%. Your loss will come either this turn or next turn." The member of Genius Prodigy continued with his turn. "I retire Bolg Wasp and call Intimidating Mutant King, Darkface Alicides in its place, as well as Twilight Madder behind it. I also call New Face Mutant, Little Dorcas behind Dangerous Horn."

' _He's completely filled up the board. He really does plan to end things here.'_ Dan realized.

"Overwhelm's skill. I won't be able to draw, but once again she gains a critical and an extra drive check." Kenta explained. "In addition, Overwhelm's Generation Break 3! Dark device! For every face down card in your damage zone, my units gain 2000 power. You have 3 face down cards so that means 6000 power goes to my units."

Aurora tensed up. Kenta's formation was really strong right now. She wasn't entirely sure Dan could pull this off. ' _Dan… be careful…'_

"I'll start things off with Dangerous Horn, boosted by Little Dorcas." Kenta said.

 **(10000+6000+6000+7000+6000=35000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, throwing down 2 triggers from his hand with 10000 shield each, as well as a grade 1 with 5000.

"Promularva boosts. Go Overwhelm!"

 **(26000+6000+5000+6000=43000)**

Dan responded in kind by showing the Lovely Companion he had in hand. "Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, heal trigger! I'm not able to heal but I can give the power to Darkface Alicides. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Darkface Alicides. Final check, no trigger." Kenta said. "Darkface Alicides attacks with a boost from Twilight Madder! Twilight Madder's dark device! 3000 power is added! Then, Darkface Alicides's dark device increases its power by 10000 and prevents you from intercepting, not that you could!"

 **(11000+6000+10000+7000+6000+3000=43000)**

"Generation guard!" Dan said, discarding the heal trigger from his hand. "Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, I flip a G Guardian in my G Zone face up and reveal four cards in my soul with different grades and gain 15000 to the shield!" From his soul, Dan revealed 4 cards. "Grade 3 Masked Magician, Harri. Grade 2 Flying Peryton. Grade 1 Cutie Paratrooper. Grade 0 Cat Knight in High Boots. That's 4 different grades so 15000 shield is added.

"It still won't be enough." Kenta said.

"Then it's a good thing I've got this too." Dan said. "I guard with a Flying Peryton from my hand!"

"Twilight Madder's skill. I send it to the soul after the battle and draw. Turn end." Kenta said disappointingly.

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Dan(3), Kenta(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said. He looked at his G Zone. ' _It's finally time. If I'm gonna win this, it has to be on this turn.'_ He looked over at Kenta. "You said at the beginning of the game that I'd need a miracle to win. Allow me to show you that miracle."

Kenta narrowed his eyes. ' _What could he be planning?'_

"Here goes! Generation Zone, release!" Dan called out. "Now let the spotlight shine on the future that leads to the shining stage! Stride Generation! Scream Dragon Master, Droll Kimberly!"

 **Scream dragon Master, Droll Kimberly**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Kenta gasped as he saw Dan stride the G Unit. ' _He has THAT card?!'_

Gasps filled the crowd from people watching the fight. There were whispers amongst some of the players that weren't even sure what the card did with how rare it was.

Dan looked at his board, seeing the G Unit he had been separated from for so long finally have a chance to shine again. ' _It's been a long time, Droll Kimberly. Let's give this crowd a showstopper.'_

"Stride skill! I call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul! Then I use Cutie's magia to call Darkside Princess! Add 5000 power!" Dan explained. "Darkside Princess attacks with Cutie Paratrooper's boost! Activating Princess's skill to add 5000 power in exchange for sending her to the soul at the end of the battle!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"Generation guard!" Kenta called out. "Dream Mutant Deity, Scarabgas! With its skill, 5000 is added to the shield since you have 2 or more rested rear guards!"

"Droll Kimberly attacks!" Dan said. "Droll Kimberly's skill! Generation Break 8!"

"Incredible!" Sachi announced. "Dan Kisha's G Unit has a skill that is Generation Break 8, meaning he must have at least 8 face up G Units on the field! Needless to say, a powerful skill is on its way folks!"

"I call up to five cards from my soul to separate rear guard circles! They each gain 5000 power and become Abyss Dragons! In addition, my Vanguard gains a skill to gain 10000 power for each Abyss Dragon rear guard I have!"

"This is perfect!" Anthony grinned. "Even without his left column, that's 3 rear guards called out and a 30000 boost in power to his Vanguard!"

"I call Face Magician Lappin, Moonlight Melody Tamer Betty, and Cat Knight in High Boots! 5000 power is added to each of them and they become Abyss Dragons! And since I have 3 Abyss Dragon rear guards, 30000 is added to Droll Kimberly!" He said, putting Cat Knight behind his Vanguard. It was too late for it to boost the attack, but the 10000 extra power was more than enough in return.

 **(26000+30000=56000)**

"Perfect guard! Rebel Mutant, Starshield!" Kenta declared. "With its skill, I counter charge since there's another copy of it in my drop zone."

"Triple drive!" Dan said. "First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Lappin! Third check, stand trigger! Power to Lappin! And now Lappin attacks with Betty's boost! With her skill, I soul charge! The card is Cutie Paratrooper, a magia unit so 5000 power is added!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+5000+7000+5000=41000)**

' _Impossible. How did he amass this much power?'_ Kenta thought to himself. "Generation guard! Feather Wall Mutant Deity, Morphosian!"

 **Feather Wall Mutant Deity, Morphosian**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, 10000 is added to the shield! I also guard with Scissor-shot Mutant, Bombscissor!"

"Skill of Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty." Dan said as he counterblasted. "Lappin moves to the soul. Then I call Cutie Paratrooper over Betty. Using its magia, I call Flying Peryton in front and add 5000 power. Then I use Peryton's magia to call another Betty over Cutie. Attack!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

Kenta looked at his hand. He had a grade 3 and a grade 2. Put together with his one available intercept, he could only guard for 10000. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Kenta(5).]**

"Yes! Just a little more! You've got this Dan!" Aurora cheered.

"Betty's skill." Dan said, flipping over his last face up card in his damage zone. "Flying Peryton to the soul. I call Cutie Paratrooper over it. Then with it's magia, I call Lappin and add 5000 power."

' _I won't have enough to block it.'_ Kenta realized. ' _This game was decided... when he got that critical trigger.'_

"Like I said, you can't predict everything about a cardfight. There can always be a miracle if you're willing to reach for it." Dan said. "Lappin attacks with Cutie's boost."

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Kenta said regrettably. The last card went into his damage zone, with it not being the heal trigger that would have given him a miracle.

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Kenta(6).]**

"Winner!" the referee declared. "Dan Kisha of Team Cosmic Trio!"

Kenta held his head low. ' _He completely overcame my analysis. I thought I knew everything about his deck, but that G Unit was more than I could have ever predicted.'_ He glanced over at Dan, who gathered his cards and walked over to his team. ' _Team Cosmic Trio… They may actually be better than we anticipated.'_

Dan walked up to his teammates. He high fived both of them. "That's one win. Now we just need one more."

"Leave it to me." Anthony said. He looked over at his team leader. "Sorry Aurora, but looks like you won't have a chance to play in the finals."

"Go get us our second win." Aurora said with a nod. "You've got this, Anthony."

"You know it." he said as he walked outside. As he did, he saw the next player of Team Genius Prodigy already standing at their spot. The blonde girl with glasses that he had been itching to fight. Akari.

"So you're my opponent, huh?" Akari asked.

"Yeah. That a problem?" Anthony asked.

"Well I was hoping to get a bit of a challenge from this fight, that's all." Akari said. "At least if I faced that first player on your team, it would have been a little interesting. He was pretty good the way he beat Kenta."

"You're asking for a beating you know that?" Anthony said. He held up his deck. "Get ready. Cause the Narukami clan doesn't take kindly to stuck up princesses."

' _Such a simple mind. This will be over quick.'_ Akari thought to herself. Both players placed their starting vanguard on the field facedown.

"The second game. Anthony Ferges vs Akari Hermonia. Begin!" the referee declared.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

 **Aurora: Way to go, getting us our first win of the finals Dan.**

 **Dan: Thanks. It wasn't easy, that's for sure. Now we just have to hope Anthony can win his game.**

 **Anthony: What are you worried about? I'll crush this girl, just watch.**

 **Aurora: Stay on your toes Anthony. This girl means business, watch out.**

 **Next time: Brain vs Brawn**


	13. Brain vs Brawn

**A/N: Hey readers. Hope you're ready for game 2 of the match between Cosmic Trio and Genius Prodigy. Enjoy.**

The Motion Figure System created an image field around the two fighters as Anthony and Akari began their cardfight. After Dan's win in the first game, all they needed was one more win and they would have won the match. And Anthony was fired up to win it for his team.

Simultaneously, the starting Vanguards of both fighters appeared in the image field. On Anthony's side was a small dragon while Akari's unit was a young priestess.

"Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dracokid**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame!"

 **Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first. Draw." Anthony said. "I ride Chain Bolt Dragoon!"

 **Chain Bolt Dragoon**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Hardrod moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Akari(5).]**

"My turn then. Draw." Akari said. "I ride Shackle Fetter, Gelgja."

 **Shackle Fetter, Gelgja**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Next I call Goddess of Transitory, Awanami." Akari said. "Awanami's skill. Revelation."

"And here it is. The skill unique to the Genesis clan that Akari Hermonia uses. Revelation." Sachi explained as she talked into her mic. "This skill allows her to look at the top card of her deck and either return it to the top or put it to the soul. If she adds it to the soul however, she must rest one of her rear guards."

Akari looked at the top card of her deck. "I'll add this one to the soul. Rest Nakisawame."

' _She's adding to her soul already.'_ Anthony thought.

"Awanami attacks."

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Akari(0).]**

"My Vanguard is up next. Get him Gelgja."

Anthony quickly held up a critical trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

"Drive check." Akari declared. "Critical trigger. Sadly, it won't be enough so I'll just give the power to my Vanguard. Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony(4), Akari(5).]**

"Heh, you might have been able to get some good damage in if you hadn't rested your unit just to get a card in soul." Anthony smirked. "My turn. Stand and draw. I ride Martial Arts Dragon!"

 **Martial Arts Dragon**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Martial Arts Dragon's skill. Retire and bind Awanami." Anthony said with a smirk. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"

"You binding my rear guard when your entire deck focuses around that? No, how could I ever anticipate that." Akari remarked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Are you done yet?"

Anthony growled as he continued with his turn. "Hardrod's skill. I rest him. Since there are no cards in your drop zone to bind, I counter charge and add 3000 power to my Vanguard. Next I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura. Go Chatura! Attack the Vanguard! Its skill adds 3000 power!"

 **(8000+3000=11000)**

"Guard." Akari said, holding up a grade 1 from her hand.

"Martial Arts is up next!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

Akari shrugged her shoulders. "No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Akari(1).]**

"Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony(4), Akari(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Akari said. "Ride. Goddess of Favorable Winds, Ninnil."

 **Goddess of Favorable Winds, Ninnil**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Ninnil's revelation." Akari looked at the top card of her deck. "To the soul. Rest Nakisawame. Next I call Battle Maiden Kotonoha. Kotonoha's revelation." Once again, Akari looked at the top card of her deck. "I'll keep this one on top."

"Not gonna rest your rear guard? Looks like someone finally understands the importance of attacking." Anthony said. "Though you already rested your back row unit. Your power's not looking so good this turn either."

"Will you please be quiet? I find your moronic voice irritating." Akari said, a comment that only managed to anger her opponent. "Ninnil attacks the Vanguard."

"No guard." Anthony said.

Akari let out a small giggle. "Your mistake. I give my Vanguard the critical from this upcoming trigger and the power to Kotonoha."

"What?!" Anthony exclaimed. He watched as Akari turned the top card of her deck over, revealing a critical trigger.

"Critical trigger." Akari smirked. "I don't need to repeat myself about the effect distribution, do I?"

Anthony growled as he watched Martial Arts get hit by Ninnil and fall to the ground. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Anthony(3), Akari(1).]**

' _So she didn't put the card back on top of her deck because she didn't want to rest her other rear guard. She saw that it was a trigger.'_ Anthony realized.

Akari continued to mock Anthony with a giggle. "You're so clueless. Didn't you realize that the top card was a trigger when I had my Vanguard attack first?"

"Oh just shut it, you nerd." Anthony said. "You're attacking my Vanguard now, right? Just hurry up and declare your attack."

"Wrong again. The target of Kotonoha's attack will be your rear guard Chatura."

Anthony's eyes widened. ' _She's using her powered up rear guard to go for Chatura. Damnit, she knows what she's doing. I don't want to lose that unit so early, but I don't have a trigger to use for guarding. I can't waste my hand this early.'_

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Anthony said as he moved Chatura to the drop zone.

"Better end my turn here. Wouldn't want to confuse you with any overly complicated moves." Akari said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony(4), Akari(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "I think it's about time I shut you up, and I know just the card to do it with." The teen raised one of his cards in the air. "The power of the skies is in your hands! Strike down my foes with your wrathful lightning! Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Hardrod's skill. I rest him to bind the unit in your drop zone." Anthony said, watching the lone card in Akari's drop zone get bound, leaving her drop zone completely empty. "Next I call Trainee Monk Dragon." The grade 1 appeared next to his Vanguard. "Trainee Monk attacks the Vanguard. With his thunderstrike, 2000 power is added.

 **(7000+2000=9000)**

"Guard." Akari said, using a grade 1 from her hand to block the attack.

"Vanquisher attacks!"

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger." Anthony grinned at seeing the green icon. "Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Akari(2).]**

"I'll end it there. Wouldn't want you getting too confused by any complicated moves." Anthony smirked, using the same words his opponent had used earlier. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony(5), Akari(3).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Akari said. She took a card from her hand and held it out. "Beauty and intelligence create your being. Take aim at my foes and strike true. Ride! Prime Beauty, Amaruda!"

 **Prime Beauty, Amaruda**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Amaruda's revelation." Akari checked the top card, throwing it into the soul as she rested Nakisawame. "Here we go. Stride Generation! Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar!"

 **Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Ishtar's revelation. I leave the card on top this time." Akari explained. "Next up, Amaruda's stride skill. I soul charge two cards. If one of the cards soul charged has revelation, I give two units 4000 power." Akari soul charged her two cards. "One of the cards is Kotonoha. It has revelation, so I give the power to Ishtar and my rear guard Kotonoha. Next, I call Detect Angel behind Kotonoha. Revelation. I leave this card on top. Then I call Ninnil." The grade 2 unit appeared on Akari's open front row rear guard circle, filling up her front row. "Ninnil's revelation. I send it to the soul this time and rest Kotonoha."

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "If you were going to send it to the soul anyway, why didn't you do it for Detect Angel's revelation? Doesn't make a difference if you ask me."

"Actually it does." Akari explained. "Ninnil's skill. When one of my units is rested due to one of my card effects, I can counterblast and increase her power by the power of the rested unit. So Kotonoha's 9000 power is now added to Ninnil. In addition, Detect Angel's skill increases her own power by 4000 whenever one of my rear guards is rested due to my own card effect."

' _There's still another question. Why did she call Detect Angel behind the unit she planned to rest? Is she betting on a stand trigger? That seems pretty risky.'_

"Skill of Nakisawame." Akari explained. "I send her to the soul. In exchange, I get to stand Kotonoha and draw."

Anthony gasped. ' _She was able to stand her rear guard just like that? Not only that, she got to draw and get another card in her soul.'_

Akari saw her opponent's shocked expression and smirked. "Surprised? Well don't be, cause I'm just getting started. You see, Kotonoha has a skill that allows her to gain 1000 power whenever a card is added to my soul, and another 1000 if it was put there due to revelation. Three cards have been added to my soul this turn, two of which were from revelation. As a result, Kotonoha gains 5000 power in total."

"And that's not even mentioning how much she's pumped up her soul already." Aurora said from the waiting room as she watched with Dan. "She's already got 9 cards in there."

"Now Ninnil, attack the Vanguard!" Akari declared.

 **(9000+9000=18000)**

"Guard!" Anthony said as he held up a grade 0 with 10000 shield from his hand.

"Kotonoha is up next, boosted by Detect Angel!"

 **(9000+5000+4000+7000+4000=29000)**

Anthony narrowed his eyes. ' _She's attacking with her Vanguard last? Does it have some kind of skill?'_

"Generation guard! Lightning King Spirit Emperor, Vritra! His skill adds 5000 to the shield!"

 **Lightning King Spirit emperor, Vritra**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Ishtar attacks!" Akari called out.

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"No guard." Anthony said.

"Drive check." Akari said. She turned over the first card, a copy of Detect Angel. "Just what I wanted."

"What are you talking about? That's not a trigger." Anthony said.

"Maybe not, but it's something better." Akari told him. "I activate Ishtar's skill!" The blonde girl soul blasted three cards, and turned over a copy of Ishtar from her G Zone. "I can activate this skill whenever my drive check reveals a grade 1 or higher card. I choose units equal to the number of face up Ishtars in my G Zone and give them 3000 power. Then, if the checked card is a revelation unit, which Detect Angel is, I can stand those rear guards."

"What?!"

"I add 3000 power to Kotonoha and stand her." Akari said. "Next I activate the skill of the Goddess of Sound Sleep Tahro I just soul blasted. I send her to the bottom of the deck and stand Ninnil."

"Oh my goodness! With just one drive check, Akari has already managed to stand 2 of her rested rear guards! Now she'll have another 2 attacks this turn!"

"Let's not forget my triple drive isn't over yet. Second check." Akari said, turning over the second card. "Heal trigger. I recover one damage and give the power to Ninnil. Third check" she grinned as she revealed the card. "Ice Crest Goddess Svava. She's grade 1 or higher, so Ishtar's skill activates once again."

"You can use that skill more than once each turn?!" Anthony gasped.

"Yep." Akari smirked as she once again soul blasted and flipped over another card in her G Zone face up, though this time it wasn't Ishtar. "I give 3000 power to Detect Angel and stand her since Svava has revelation."

"Damage check." Anthony said begrudgingly. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(3), Akari(1).]**

"Ninnil attacks!"

 **(9000+9000+5000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger." Anthony said. ' _Come on deck! I needed a damage trigger there!'_

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Akari(1).]**

"Boosted by detect Angel, Kotonoha attacks."

 **(9000+5000+4000+3000+7000+4000+3000=35000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Akari(1).]**

"Turn end." Akari said. "So meathead, ready to call it quits and spare yourself from further humiliation?"

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony(3), Akari(6).]**

"Don't count me out yet! Stand and draw!" Anthony said as he began his turn.

"Anthony Ferges begins his turn." Sachi said as she spoke to the crowd. "However, he's already losing 5 damage to 1. Can he turn this game around and get his team the victory they need?"

' _Of course I can.'_ Anthony thought. ' _My deck always comes through for me in the end.'_

"Stride Generation!" Anthony called out. "Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Thanks for soul blasting all those cards earlier. Stride skill! Bind one of your cards in the drop zone! Then, since VBUSTER has thunderstrike, retire and bind one of your rear guards!"

"Very well then. I'll get rid of Detect Angel." Akari said as she bound the rear guard along with a card in her drop zone.

"Skil of Hardrod. I rest it and make you bind another card from your drop zone." Anthony said. "Next, I call Plasmatron Dragon and force you to bind another card from your drop zone with its skill."

"That's five cards in the drop zone." Dan noted. "And he still has VBUSTER's skill so that'll be seven."

"I call Chatura." Anthony said, calling out the grade 2 and filling up his front row. "And now for the moment you've all been waiting for! VBUSTER's skill! Bind another rear guard and a card from your drop zone! In addition, since I now have more rear guards than you, I give 3000 power to Plasmatron, VBUSTER, and Chatura!"

Akari bound yet another card from her drop zone, as well as her rear guard Ninnil. The blonde girl didn't seem worried in the slightest however as she pushed up on her glasses. "Now that seven units are in the bind zone, your Vanguard's Generation Break 3 is active, giving your front row 5000 power and your Vanguard an extra critical and drive."

"Well, someone's done their homework on me." Anthony smirked. "You do all kinds of research on me like your teammate did for Dan? I think we all remember how that game turned out."

"To answer your question, no I didn't do that much research on you." Akari told him. "Frankly I didn't need to. Your strategies are so simple and straightforward that even a monkey can understand them. Hence, why you're able to use them."

"Tough talk from the girl with a skimpy formation out. Don't knock the Narukami clan just cause it doesn't focus around boring complex combos. It may be simple, but it's effective." Anthony said. "I'll show you what I mean! Plasmatron's Thunderstrike 4! I counterblast and give it 2000 power for every card in my opponent's bind zone! With seven cards, that's a 14000 boost!"

"Oh my, I'm shivering." Akari smirked. "Show me what you got."

"Gladly! Chatura, attack the Vanguard! With its skill, 3000 power is added!"

 **(8000+3000+3000+5000=19000)**

"Guard." Akari said, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"VBUSTER is up next!"

 **(26000+3000+5000=34000)**

"Perfect guard with Goddess of Fort, Kibitsuhime." Akari said. "Kibitsuhime's revelation." Akari looked at the top card of her deck and returned it, since she had no rear guards to rest.

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Plasmatron! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Chatura! Final check, no trigger." Anthony said, grinning at the two triggers he got.

"Kibitsuhime's skill. Since she is now retired from the guardian circle, I soul charge two cards since there's a copy of her in the soul."

"Big deal! Let's see you block this next attack! Chatura, go!"

 **(8000+3000+5000+3000+5000=24000)**

"Don't make me laugh. As if I'd let that one through." Akari said. "Generation guard! Goddess of Twill, Tagwoot! With its skill, I target my rear guard Kotonoha. There's a copy of it in the drop zone so I send it to the soul. As a result, 10000 is added to the shield!"

 **Goddess of Twill, Tagwoot**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Plasmatron, get her!"

 **(9000+14000+5000+3000+5000=36000)**

"No guard." Akari said. Two cards fell into her damage zone, one of them being a stand trigger, though it didn't matter at this point.

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Akari(3).]**

"Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony(5), Akari(2).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Akari said.

From the waiting area, Dan felt his entire body get tense. "Anthony still needs to deal 3 damage to win this. And if he can't finish her off next turn, he doesn't have a chance."

"That's assuming he even survives this turn." Aurora added. "This is gonna be tough. But I know he can do it."

"Stride Generation!" Akari called out. "Goddess of Mercy, Inanna!"

 **Goddess of Mercy, Inanna**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Amaruda's stride skill. I soul charge two cards." Akari grinned as she saw the units soul charged. "At least one has revelation so I give 4000 power to Inanna and Kotonoha. Next, Inanna's revelation." Akari looked at the top card. "To the soul. Rest Kotonoha."

"There it is again. Revelation." Sachi spoke. "Akari's specialty of adding to her soul while knowing the top card of her deck has allowed her to dominate this game so far. Can she use its power to end the game this turn?"

"Skill of Shackle Fetter, Gelgja in the soul." Akari said. "I send it to the bottom of the deck. Kotonoha stands and gets 3000 power. Next I call Ninnil. Revelation. I send this one to the soul too and rest Kotonoha. Then I use Ninnil's skill to add Kotonoha's 9000 power to her. Another Gelgja in the soul activates its skill to stand Kotonoha once more."

' _Every time she rests her rear guards, they stand all over again. It's like fighting Aurora's old Nova Grappler deck.'_ Anthony thought.

"Let's not forget Kotonoha's skill. Every time a card is sent to my soul, she gains 1000 power, and another 1000 if it was due to revelation. Four cards have been sent so far, with two due to revelation so 6000 power is added so far." Akari explained. "Why don't we add to that? I activate Inanna's skill!" the blonde girl counter blasted and flipped a copy of her G Unit face up. "I soul charge 3 cards. For each one with revelation, one of your rear guards is retired."

"What?!"

Akari soul charged thee top three cards of her deck. "Two of them have revelation. Lucky me, you only have two rear guards to retire. Say bye bye to your formation."

Anthony watched as Plasmatron and Chatura were both sent to the drop zone, leaving only his Vanguard on the field. ' _Damnit… she got rid of them so easily. And she doesn't even play a retiring clan.'_

"Aw, what's the matter? Surprised that you're not the only one who knows how to retire units?" Akari asked. "I guess that is all you and that deck of yours have going for you. This must be pretty embarrassing for you." She pushed her glasses up. "Of course there's your power gaining, but I've got that covered too. Inanna's Generation break 3. For each card in my soul with the revelation ability, my rear guards gain 2000 power. There's currently eleven cards in my soul, nine of which have revelation. So Kotonoha and Ninnil gain an extra 18000. And lets not forget the three cards Inanna soul charged before with her skill. That's another 3000 to Kotonoha."

"She's really increasing the power of her units." Dan said. "Anthony's really gonna have to dig deep to survive this."

"Ninnil attacks!"

 **(9000+9000+18000=36000)**

"You may be able to retire my units, but let me show you how a master does it!" Anthony said as he discarded a heal trigger from his hand. "Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon! With its skill, you're forced to retire and bind one of your rear guards!"

"Tch, fine. I choose Ninnil." Akari said. "I attack with my Vanguard next."

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard with Anastasia!" Anthony said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Kotonoha. Third check, no trigger."

"Anastasia's thunderstrike lets me draw a card." Anthony said.

"You'll need it. I attack with Kotonoha!"

 **(9000+9000+4000+18000+5000=45000)**

"Perfect guard, one more time!" Anthony called out. "Once again, I draw at the end of the battle."

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Akari said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony(2), Akari(4).]**

"Time to end this! I draw!" Anthony said. "Skill of Dragonic Vanquisher, "SPARKING"! I counter charge and another card from your drop zone is bound! Now get ready for this! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher, "VMAX"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire and bind a rear guard and bind one from your drop zone!" Anthony said. "Next I call Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant "Sigma" and Trainee Monk Dragon!"

' _A rear guard that can restand multiple times for a series of attacks if it doesn't hit. A troublesome unit.'_ Akari thought. ' _Or at least it would be, if he wasn't going to only have one counterblast to use after the rest of his skills are done.'_

"Boosted by Hardrod, VMAX attacks!" Anthony called out. "With VMAX's skill, it battles both your Vanguard and Kotonoha at the same time!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard for the Vanguard." Akari said. "Kibitsuhime's revelation. The card stays at the top."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, heal trigger! Power to Sigma and I recover one!" Anthony saw the trigger as a welcome sign of relief. But he knew he had to end things this turn. And there was only one way to do that. ' _I can deal her one damage at the end of this battle with VMAX's skill. But she can almost definitely guard at least one attack from Sigma. If I can get a critical trigger, I'll only need one more attack to get through in order to win.'_

"Third check." Anthony said as his hand touched the top card of his deck. ' _My deck always comes through for me. That hasn't changed.'_ He turned the card over, causing his eyes to widen. "No trigger…"

"Well? Don't you have a skill to activate?" Akari asked.

"... VMAX's skill. One damage to the Vanguard." Anthony said.

"Damage check." Akari said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Akari(4).]**

' _Damnit… I can't lose like this. Not to her.'_ Anthony thought. "Dragonic Descendant "Sigma" attacks the Vanguard with a boost Chain Bolt Dragoon."

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Akari said as she put another card into her damage zone without a single sense of worry seen on her face. "And with that, your attacks are at an end."

"... Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Anthony(3), Akari(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said. "Shall I tell you the mistakes you made?"

"Mistakes?" Anthony asked.

"Your first mistake was betting the game on a trigger." Akari said. She watched as Anthony's eyes widened, as if to ask how she knew. "It was honestly simple to figure out that was what you were doing. But either way, I could have guarded it. In the end though, you counted on dumb trigger luck instead of actual skill." She then smirked at him. "Your second mistake was thinking you had any chance at winning this fight in the first place."

"Better get ready Aurora." Dan said. "Your game is about to come up."

Aurora frowned, knowing her teammate was right. "I know."

"Generation Zone release!" Akari called out. "Stride Generation! Get ready for an encore performance of Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar!"

 **Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Amaruda's stride skill lets me soul charge the top two cards of the deck. Since one of them has revelation, my Vanguard gains 4000 power. Then I use Ishtar's revelation to check the top card of my deck." the blonde girl quickly checked the card and left it there, a smirk on her face. "I call Ice Crest Goddess, Svava and Goddess of Transitory, Awanami." The two rear guards appeared on the field in the same column. "With Svava's skill, I soulblast three cards and add 5000 power."

Anthony looked at his hand. ' _Damnit, I can guard Svava's attack, but if she pulls a critical or stands Svava back up with Ishtar, I'm finished.'_

"Svava attacks with a boost from Awanami." Akari said. "And I already know what's in your hand, since the only cards there are the ones from your triple drive. So go ahead and guard it."

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

Anthony hated doing as his opponent told him, but he knew just as well as her that it was the right move. He discarded a heal trigger from his hand. "Generation guard. Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon."

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Ishtar will finish you off."

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about? I have four damage, and how could you possibly-" His eyes widened as it hit him. The card Akari had seen on top of her deck. It hurt him to say his next words but he didn't have any other choice. "No guard…"

"Triple drive." Akari said. "First check, critical trigger. Critical to the vanguard and power to Svava. Second check." Akari revealed the card. "A grade 1 or higher unit with revelation activates Ishtar's skill. I soul blast and flip a G Unit. I give 3000 power to both my rear guards and stand them. Third check, critical trigger. Critical to Ishtar and power to Svava."

Anthony put his last two cards in the damage zone. With that, he was at six damage and the game was over.

 **[Damage: Anthony(6), Akari(5).]**

"Winner! Akari Hermonia of Team Genius Prodigy!" the referee declared.

Akari gathered up her cards and turned to walk away. "Like I said, you never had any chance of beating me. And you never will until you learn to incorporate some strategy in your fights."

Anthony silently gathered up his cards and walked back to his team's waiting area. He walked inside and was greeted by Dan and Aurora.

"Sorry guys. I lost." he said.

Aurora shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You did your best." She walked past him, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Just leave it to me. I'll finish this."

Anthony said nothing as Aurora walked outside. He walked over to the bench and took a seat. His fist was clenched in frustration. ' _Damnit… I can't believe I lost to that girl! It wasn't even close! She toyed with me the entire time.'_

Dan glanced over at his teammate. He understood just how frustrated Anthony was over his loss. But he didn't have the words to comfort him. That was something only time could do.

' _It's up to you Aurora. Our chance at the world stage rests on this fight.'_

Aurora walked to her spot on the field, seeing the leader of Team Genius Prodigy do the same. Both players stared each other down, the tension of the fight pumping both of them up.

"I'm rather glad things turned out this way." Yuma said. "Now I have a chance to fight against Star Chaser. This is a once in a lifetime experience."

"Careful what you wish for. You may not like facing this deck after I win." Aurora said confidently.

A grin came to Yuma's face. "I have no intention of losing either. Show me what you've got, Aurora Fujou."

"It's all come down to this, everybody." Sachi spoke. "The dark horse, Team Cosmic Trio has made it all the way here. Can they beat the Japanese national champions and advance to the world stage? Or will Team Genius Prodigy continue to be the best in the nation? We'll find out soon."

The referee saw both players set their starting Vanguards. "The final game. Yuma Koto vs Aurora Fujou. Begin!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

 **Aurora: It's finally time. Our hopes are resting on this cardfight.**

 **Dan: The only thing standing in our way now is Yuma Koto.**

 **Anthony: Be careful. He's bound to be the strongest out of the entire team.**

 **Dan: Wow, it's rare for you to actually advise caution.**

 **Anthony: Well, I think we all saw from the first two games how strong this team is.**

 **Aurora: Don't worry guys. I'll make sure to win and get us to the world stage.**

 **Next time: Bind Zone Showdown**


	14. Bind Zone Showdown

**A/N: Hey readers. Thanks for all the reviews you keep sending our way. It really means a lot to me and Deviljho's Hatred. Once again, this chapter will feature some original units we've made up. We hope you like them.**

Yukari sat in her private room as she watched the final round play out. The first two games hadn't been of much concern to her, but at least they resulted in the final game being played out. Now she could observe Aurora once again.

"That team did better than I thought." Mai said as she looked out the glass window. "But can they really beat Team Genius Prodigy?"

"You never know Mai." Jasmine told her. "That Aurora girl has shown she can fight. She may just manage to win this."

"Let's hope so." Keiko said. "Otherwise, giving her the Star Chaser deck was a waste of time."

"Only time will tell." Yukari said. "For now, let's be patient."

"Stand up Vanguard!" the sound of the game beginning brought all of their attention back to the fight. The Motion Figure System created the background as the two units materialized on the field. For Aurora, it was her usual Starship Cadet, Dipper. But for Yuma, it was a small mechanical tiger on two legs with a golden color scheme to it.

"Starship Cadet, Dipper!"

 **Starship Cadet, Dipper**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Chrono Tigar Z!"

 **Chrono Tigar Z**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

' _Gear Chronicle. The same clan that he's used in the past.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But the last national tournament was nearly a year ago. He's no doubt made some improvements.'_

"Here I go." Aurora said. "Ride! Fiery Star, Sagittarius!"

 **Fiery Star, Sagittarius**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Dipper moves back with forerunner." Aurora explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Yuma(5).]**

"My turn. Draw." Yuma said. "I ride Steam Hunter, Emen-bara."

 **Steam Hunter, Emen-bara**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Chrono Tigar Z moves back with forerunner." Yuma explained. "Next I call Forward-pressing Gear Tiger. And I'll have it attack your Vanguard."

Aurora wasted no time in holding up a grade 1 from her hand. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Chrono Tigar Z, Emen-bara attacks."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No tigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Yuma(0).]**

"My turn ends there." Yuma said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(4), Yuma(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Aurora began her turn as she rode to grade 2. "I ride Planet Smasher, Scorpious!"

 **Planet Smasher, Scorpious**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Galaxy Sabre, Gemini to rear guard." Aurora said. "Gemini, attack the Vanguard!"

"Guard." Yuma said, using a critical trigger from his hand.

"Boosted by Dipper, Scorpious attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Yuma said.

"Drive check." Aurora turned the top card of her deck over. "Stand trigger. All effects to Gemini."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Yuma(1).]**

"Gemini, go get him!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Yuma said as another card fell into his damage zone. But this one was one he was happy to see. "Heal trigger. I recover one damage. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Yuma(1).]**

Aurora frowned that the heal trigger had kept her opponent at only one damage, but at the very least it was one less chance of him using a G guardian later on. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(4), Yuma(4).]**

"Very well then. Stand and draw." Yuma said. "I ride Steam Maiden, Shag-kusa."

 **Steam Maiden, Shag-kusa**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Tigar boosts. My Vanguard attacks." Yuma said.

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yuma(1).]**

"It's a shame Gear Tiger doesn't have enough power to attack the Vanguard." Yuma said. "I guess my turn's over."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(4), Yuma(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "With your beautiful light, illuminate the entire galaxy! Strike down foes with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Next, I call Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra." Aurora said, filling up her front row with the grade 2 unit. "Libra will start things off! Attack!"

"I'll guard that." Yuma said, holding up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Hikari attacks with Dipper's boost! Go!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Yuma said.

"Twin drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Yuma said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yuma(2).]**

' _Damnit, Gemini can't hit his Vanguard now.'_ Aurora silently thought. "Gemini, attack Gear Tiger."

"No guard." Yuma said as he moved his rear guard to the drop zone.

"That's it for me." Aurora said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(5), Yuma(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuma said. "You know, this is a real treat. Being able to fight against Star Chaser I mean. After all, it's a one of a kind deck that only you posses."

"Well I could say it's a treat for me being able to fight one of the best cardfighter's in Japan." Aurora said.

"I'm flattered." Yuma said with a smile. "Star Chaser. A clan that utilizes the bind zone to call out units one after another. It's a very powerful clan." His eyes suddenly got serious. "However, you aren't the only one that can make use of the bind zone."

Aurora felt her body tense up. ' _It's coming… He's finally getting serious.'_

"Mechanical beast that crosses time, let nothing stand in the way of the future I envision! Unleash your full fury on my foes! Ride! Chronofang Tiger Z!"

 **Chronofang Tiger Z**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

The unit that appeared as Yuma's Vanguard was a grown up version of the Chrono Tigar in his back row. It had the same golden color as it, with sharp white claws.

"The skill of Chronofang Tiger Z. Instead of paying the normal cost for striding, I can select up to one card from my hand and up to one cad from my drop zone, with their total grade sum being 3 or more, and bind them face up." Yuma explained. "I bind Steam Tamer, Nanni from my hand and Forward-pressing Gear Tiger from my drop zone. Their sum grades equal exactly 3. Stride Generation! Metapulsar Altered Dragon!"

 **Metapulsar, Altered Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"First, the skill of Gear Tiger. Since it was bound, I can bind the top card of my deck to soul charge." Yuma explained. "Next, I use Chronofang Tiger Z's stride skill. I counterblast and call Steam Tamer, Melem from my bind zone. Then I can send opponent rear guards to the bottom of the deck so long as their total grade sum doesn't exceed the grade of the unit I called."

"What?!" Aurora gasped.

"Dipper goes to the bottom of the deck. Then I call Chronofang Tiger G from my hand." Yuma said. "Next I use Altered Dragon's skill. Look at the top five cards of the deck, bind up to two, and then give 2000 to the Vanguard for every card in my bind zone." Yuma wasted no time in putting two more cards into his bind zone. "There are now four cards in my bind zone so my Vanguard's power increases by 8000."

From Genius Prodigy's waiting room, Akari showed a smirk. "Adding to his bind zone and gaining power as a result. Classic Yuma. This Aurora girl can't possibly keep up with him when it comes to using the bind zone to her advantage."

"Yuma will win." Kenta said, scrolling through his laptop. "He's the strongest cardfighter among the elite for the Tokyo Institute of Technology. No one can beat him."

"Melem attacks!" Yuma called out. "With her skill, 4000 power is added!"

 **(7000+4000=11000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yuma(2).]**

"Melem's skill. I return her to the deck and call Steam Battler, Ur-Watar at rest." Yuma explained. "With a boost from Tigar, Altered Dragon attacks!"

 **(26000+8000+5000=39000)**

"Like I'd let that through! Perfect guard!"

"Very well then, triple drive." Yuma said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Chronofang Tiger G! Final check, no trigger." Yuma's attack didn't get through, but he still had options. "Activating the skill of Steam Tamer, Nanni from my bind zone! At the end of the battle that my Vanguard attacked, I soul blast to call it to rear guard! In addition, Nanni has a skill that allows it to gain 1000 power for every card in the bind zone. And now it'll use that power up to attack the Vanguard."

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

' _I can only afford to guard one more attack with my hand how it is.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _In that case, I'll guard the critical one.'_

"No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Yuma(2).]**

"Chronofang Tiger G attacks!" Yuma declared.

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Generation guard!" Aurora said. "Protector of the Cosmos, Andromedia!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromedia**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Chronofang Tiger G! I soul blast and bind Ur-Watar! In return, your Libra in the same column as this unit is sent to the bottom of the deck."

Aurora gasped as yet another one of her rear guards was sent to the bottom of her deck. Now her only rear guard left was Gemini.

"The skill of Ur-Watar. Since it was bound, I send it to the bottom of the deck. Then, I draw two cards and return a card in my hand back to the deck." Yuma explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(2), Yuma(6).]**

' _I need to end this before he can amass too many cards in the bind zone. Last turn was just the warm up for him.'_ Aurora thought. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill of Hikari! I bind Libra from my deck and call her out! Add 3000 power! Then with Libra's skill, I bind Ursa from my deck. In return, Libra gets bound at the end of the turn. In addition, I use Gemini's skill. I choose to give him the skill to return to my hand at the end of the turn."

' _She knows I'll be able to send her rear guards back to her deck, so she's trying to keep her rear guards off the field once the turn ends. Smart move.'_ Yuma thought.

"Draco Nova's skill!" Aurora called out. "I bind a card in my hand, the Sagittarius in my drop zone, and my rear guard Libra. Now I can call two units from the bind zone. I call Lifter of the Stars, Hercules and Sagittarius. In addition, Draco Nova gains a drive." The two rear guards were called together in the same column that Libra had been in before it was bound. "Skill of Hercules. I counterblast and call Ursa from my bind zone behind Gemini. 2000 power is added to Ursa."

Dan grinned as he watched. "Nice! She went from having one rear guard to four and she didn't have to call anything from her hand."

"Sagittarius's skill. It's seen two units called from the bind zone so it gains 6000 power. In addition, with Draco Nova's Generation Break 3, my Vanguard and all my rear guards called from the bind zone this turn gain 3000 power for each card in my bind zone. There's currently only one, but that's still a 3000 boost to all my units besides Gemini."

"Not bad. But you'll have to do better than that if you want to win." Yuma told her.

"Then how about this." Aurora said. "Ursa boosts an attack for Gemini! With Ursa's skill, I bind the top card of my deck to add 3000 power to it! And since there's now another card in my bind zone, Draco Nova's power boost goes from 3000 to 6000!"

 **(9000+7000+3000+2000+6000=27000)**

Yuma quickly used two trigger from his hand, totalling a 20000 shield. "Guard!"

"Draco Nova is up next!"

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"No guard."

"Quadruple drive! First check, draw trigger. Power to Hercules and I draw. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final check, heal trigger. Power to Hercules and I recover one damage!"

"Damage check." Yuma said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Yuma(4).]**

"Alright Hercules, go get him! Sagittarius, you help too!"

 **(11000+7000+6000+6000+5000+5000=40000)**

"No guard." Yuma said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Yuma(5).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

"And just like that, Yuma Koto has been pushed to five damage!" Sachi told the crowd. "His back is against the wall! Will we see his first loss on the national stage?!"

' _Heh, back against the wall? I guess it might look like that to some. But compared to the fights I've had at the institute, this is nothing.'_ Yuma thought to himself. ' _I've had to constantly work hard to get to my spot at the top. Being at 5 damage? That isn't enough to make me nervous.'_ He looked over at Aurora. ' _That girl though. She and her team are so passionate about Vanguard. I wish there were more fighters like them at the institute.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(7), Yuma(4).]**

"I stand and draw. With the skill of Chronofang Tiger Z, I bind Steam Tamer, Nanni from my drop zone and Steam Hunter, Emma-bara in my hand as the cost of stride. Stride generation! Chronotiger Rebellion!"

Aurora narrowed her eyes seeing the red and gold tiger descend onto the field. This was no doubt gonna be a heavy power push from Yuma seeing how close he was to the edge. But despite the situation being against him, his confidence remained strong. As was to be expected of the regional team leader.

"Using the stride skill of Chronofang Tiger Z, I counterblast to call Forward-pressing Gear Tiger behind Chronofang Tiger G and send Sagittarius to the bottom of your deck. With it's skill, Forward-pressing Gear Tiger gains 4000 power due to having four cards in the bind zone."

' _Interfering with my field again. He's gonna go all out this turn.'_

After he finished calling out his grade 1, he flipped another counterblast for a skill. "Skill of Emma-bara in the bind zone. I counterblast to superior call it from the bind zone behind Steam Tamer, Nanni and choose your Ursa to send to the bottom of the deck. If you so choose to, you may call up to one unit with a grade lower than it to any rear guard circle then shuffle your deck."

The skill was both a blessing and a curse. Losing important units was going to hurt in the long run but at least she could replace it. But worst of all it was a grade 0 she was forced to call. "At least I can get a unit you took from me earlier. I call Star Cadet, Dipper where Ursa was. Thanks for that."

"Don't go thanking me yet. My turn has only just begun." Yuma looked at his field which was completely filled. But there was so much more he could do with this to go for victory. "I activate the skill of Chrono Tigar Z. By binding it, I choose any grade 1 or higher units whose grades combined are equal to that of my Vanguard in my drop zone and bind them face up. I bind Steam Tamer, Nanni and Steam Maiden, Melem for a total grade of 3." He grabbed one card from his hand and called it to replace the forerunner. "I then call Night-barking, Gear Tabby. Be sure to defend yourself well, because I'm coming at you with my full force!"

"Bring it on!" Aurora challenged.

"Chronofang Tiger G attacks the vanguard."

' _He isn't boosting that attack since he's going to call those Nannis from the bind after his vanguard attacks. Considering how huge that attack is going to be, I'm better off taking this hit early to save hand.'_ With how confident in this plan Yuma seemed, there was no room for mistakes at this point. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Yuma(5).]**

"Five damage against five! The playing field is equaled up but Yuma isn't even close to done!" Sachi announced as the crowd cheered on. "Both of them are putting so much on the line in this powerful turn by Yuma!"

Yuma turned to his other rear guard and attacked with it, again unboosted. "Steam Tamer, Nanni attacks the vanguard. With it's skill, it gains 6000 power due to the six cards in my bind zone."

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"I guard!" Throwing down a grade 1 from hand, Aurora blocked the hit.

"Chronotiger Rebellion attacks the vanguard. Skill activated." Yuma flipped a copy of Chronotiger Rebellion and soul blasted one card while binding a card from hand and Night-barking Gear Tabby. "When my vanguard attacks, I pay the cost to gain a critical and a drive until the end of the battle. In addition, for every two cards in the bind zone, Rebellion gains 5000 power. And with the skill of Night-barking Gear Tabby, when it's bound from the field while I have a Chronofang vanguard I can put it into soul to gain 5000 power and draw a card."

"Tch! This guy, he knew that binding that critical trigger would give him back the power lost by putting it into soul. And he even drew an extra card on top of his quad drive." Anthony scowled at the situation Aurora was in. Her back was practically against the wall.

Dan looked a bit concerned as well in examining the situation. "And that's not all, he refunded the soul blast cost for his vanguard's skill. So he has two soul blasts to use for calling those Steam Tamer, Nannis he bound earlier in the turn."

"Defend against this if you can!"

 **(26000+15000+5000=46000)**

"No way that's getting anywhere near me! Perfect guard!"

Seeing their leader throw down a sentinel allowed Anthony and Dan to breath a sigh of relief but they knew she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Quadruple drive!" Yuma yelled while placing his hand on the top of his deck. ' _Four cards left in hand. Even if she managed to guard my next two attacks, she'll be far out-resourced to do anything.'_

Akari laughed in her spot in the booth while Kenta looked at the situation with his analytical eyes. "Oh man, she's doomed at this rate. Leave it to Yuma to show off his talent to the newbies."

"First check, no trigger! Second check, heal trigger!" Aurora clicked her tongue in seeing Yuma recovering from his position. "Recovering one damage and giving the power to Forward-pressing Gear Tiger! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Steam Hunter, Emma-bara! Final check, no trigger!"

With the huge vanguard swing guarded, Aurora knew there was two more onslaughts coming her way. And both of them would eat up her hand like nobody's business.

Yuma removed the two remaining cards in his soul for the skills of his units in the bind zone. "Skill of both Steam Tamer, Nanni in my bind zone. After my Chronofang grade 4 vanguard attacks, I can soul blast to superior call them from the bind zone. I call them over the other Nanni at rest and the resting Chronofang Tiger G. With a boost from Emma-bara, Steam Tamer, Nanni attacks the vanguard! With its skill, add 5000 power to the attack!"

 **(9000+7000+5000+5000=26000)**

Aurora looked to her hand and grabbed two triggers to guard with. "Guard!" Yuma looked annoyed that the attack didn't go through but that was only a minor hitch to his plans. ' _Thank goodness that draw trigger gave me that stand to guard with.'_

Yuma rested his last column for one final attack against Aurora to end this game here and now. "Boosted by Forward-pressing Gear Tiger, Nanni attacks the vanguard! Add 5000 power with the skill!"

 **(9000+7000+4000+5000+5000=30000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Shield: 15000**

"When it's placed on the guardian circle, I soul blast two to bind the attacking rear guard face up!"

Yuma's eyes widened. ' _No way.'_

With the cosmic butterfly sending Nanni off into space time, Yuma's turn came to an end just shy of victory. Akari was looking at the situation in shock while Kenta furrowed his brow. "This can't be…"

"What? What went wrong?"

"This is almost like my cardfight against Dan Kisha. No… it's exactly like it. Probability of numbers may determine high likelihoods of success but…" He set his tablet to the side and let out a deep sigh. "As small as they are, unknown variables can throw even the most concrete of plans off into oblivion."

Akari looked over to Aurora and clenched her teeth in frustration. "Star Chaser…"

"Exactly."

"Turn end…" Yuma looked to his hand, seven cards in it but not exactly the highest in defense. A perfect guard and a generation guard where really the only pieces of defense he had. Other than that, it was a critical trigger, two grade 3s, and various grade 1s and 2s. ' _In most situations this would be a fine defense. However… the wild card of Star Chasers just leaves me with a deep feeling in the pit of my stomach. Just who are you, Aurora Fujou?'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(1), Yuma(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said, beginning her turn. "With Hikari's skill, I bind Dipper to counter charge."

"After surviving that grueling turn from Yuma Koto, Aurora Fujou begins her turn." Sachi said. "After her draw, she now has 2 cards in hand. Is it enough for her to stride?"

Aurora answered her question as she revealed a copy of Hikari in her hand. "Generation zone release."

Yuma let out a small chuckle as he cracked a grin. ' _This girl…'_

"Clustering stars, join together. Form the constellation of my future. Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from my deck and call it!" Aurora said as she called the unit to her one open rear guard circle. "Next, I use Hercules's skill to counter blast and call another Sagittarius behind itself."

"That's three rear guards out." Dan grinned.

"Draco Nova's skill." Aurora said with a grin. "I bind a card from my hand, my rear guard Hercules, and a card from my drop zone. I call Gemini and Hikari from my bind zone."

With those two cards, Aurora's field was almost completely filled up. She had no units behind her Vanguard, but she still had one column with Gemini behind Sagittarius and another column with her second Sagittarius behind Hikari.

"Since Gemini saw a rear guard called from the bind zone, I give it the skill to gain boost." Aurora explained. "Furthermore, my Sagittarius in front of Gemini saw three units called from the bind zone. So that's 9000 power. Then there's my other Sagittarius gaining 6000 from seeing two units called."

"And then there's your Vanguard's Generation Break 3." Yuma said, knowing what was coming.

Aurora grinned. "You know it. There's four cards in my bind zone so you know what that means. 12000 power boost."

Yuma glanced at his hand. ' _I have a perfect guard and a heal trigger to use for a G Guardian. I should be able to guard 2 of her attacks with these.'_

"Boosted by Gemini, Sagittarius attacks!"

 **(7000+9000+12000+9000+12000=49000)**

"No guard." Yuma said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Yuma(5).]**

"Just one more damage! You've got this Aurora!" Anthony cheered.

"Draco Nova attacks!"

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!" Yuma called out.

"Quadruple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check." The card Aurora turned over caused a smile to come to her face as Yuma gasped. "Stand trigger. All effects to my front row Sagittarius."

"And just like that, Aurora Fujou pulls a stand trigger!" Sachi announced! "Now she gets another attack this turn! And her drive checks aren't done yet!"

"Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, critical trigger. All effects to my front row Sagittarius once again."

"And now it's a critical trigger! Can she actually do it folks?! Can Aurora Fujou and her team make the biggest upset of this tournament?!"

"Sagittarius, one more time!"

 **(7000+9000+12000+5000+5000=38000)**

"Generation guard! Highbrow Steam, Raphanna!"

 **Highbrow Steam, Raphanna**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Raphanna. I return Nanni to the deck and call out my grade 0 Gear Tabby to rear guard. Then, 10000 is added to the shield. In addition, Chrono Tigar Z's skill from the bind zone. When my Vanguard is attacked, I can call this unit from the bind zone to the guardian circle."

' _Damn.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But I've still got one attack left.'_ She looked over at her rear guard Hikari, the female warrior of Star Chaser standing tall from the image of the Motion Figure System. ' _Let's do this, Hikari. Let's go to the world stage together.'_

"Boosted by Sagittarius, Hikari attacks!" Aurora declared.

 **(11000+12000+7000+6000+12000=48000)**

Yuma looked at his hand. He had a grade 0, two grade 2s, and a grade 3. Their total shield only added up to 20000. Even with the intercept from Nanni, it wouldn't be enough.

Silence filled the crowd as everyone waited for Yuma's response. Finally, the leader of Genius Prodigy let the words escape from his mouth. "No guard." He reached for his deck. "Damage check." Turning over the card, he placed it in his damage zone. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Yuma(6).]**

"It's over!" Sachi called out. "Aurora Fujou has won the game! That means the winners are Team Cosmic Trio!"

Aurora could barely believe it. The realization was slowly setting in. ' _I won… I actually did it…'_ Excitement began bubbling up inside her until it erupted as she leaped in the air. "Wahoo! We did it!"

Dan and Anthony ran out from the waiting area and over to their team leader. Excited grins similar to Aurora's were painted on both of their faces.

"Holy cow, that was amazing Aurora! You actually won!" Anthony said.

"With this, we can go to the World Tournament!" Dan chimed in.

The team of three shared a group high five as the crowd applauded their victory. Yuma showed a small grin at the sight as he walked back over to his teammates, who were waiting for him by the entrance to the waiting room. "Sorry guys. I lost."

Akari shook her head. "Don't be sorry Yuma. You played great out there."

"No one can fault you for the way you played today." Kenta agreed.

Yuma turned around and looked at Aurora and her teammates. ' _It's the first time in so long that I've lost. But for some reason… it feels refreshing.'_ He smiled as he walked away with his team. ' _Good luck Cosmic Trio. Do your best out there.'_

"In a few moments, we will begin the awards ceremony." Sachi announced. "Please give a round of applause for all the teams that fought so hard throughout this tournament."

When the awards ceremony started, Team Cosmic Trio stood together on the podium. Premium Beauty handed them a large bouquet of flowers while Yukari Tatsunagi walked up to the three teens with a trophy in her hands.

"Congratulations on your win." Yukari told them. "We expect great things from you in the World Tournament."

Aurora stared at the young girl. She was unsure whether to ask her or not about her mother. Had she made it far enough?

Almost sensing what Aurora was thinking, Yukari spoke to the team in a quiet hushed tone. "Come to the door at the west end of the stadium leading to the restricted floors." She handed Aurora a key card. "Use this to get in. I'll be waiting."

Left with that, Aurora watched as Yukari and Premium Beauty walked away from them.

* * *

"This is the one?" Anthony asked as the three of them stood in front of a door.

"Yukari said go to the west end of the stadium. And this is the only door with a keycard requirement." Aurora said. She took the card she got from Aurora and swiped it along the electronic lock. A beep sounded and the door unlocked.

"I guess this is it." Dan said.

Aurora opened the door and the team of three walked in. They walked up a set of stairs before arriving on the next floor where the VIP viewing area was located. It was the same as the floor below however, with a long round hallway and doors lined up around.

"So where should we start?" Anthony asked.

"Well, looks like you made it." a voice said. Aurora and her team looked over as Jasmine of Premium Beauty walked up to them. She motioned for them to follow her. "This way, please."

The three teens followed Jasmine as she led them down the hallway. They soon arrived at a door where the other two members of Premium Beauty, Keiko and Mai, were standing.

"Ms. Tatsunagi is inside. She wishes to speak with you, Aurora Fujou." Jasmine explained. Aurora walked with her. Dan and Anthony were about to follow before Keiko and Mai blocked their path. " _Just_ Aurora Fujou."

Dan and Anthony widened their eyes in disbelief. "What the heck? We can't go with her? But we're on the same team?" Anthony argued.

"Ms. Tatsunagi's orders. Please try to understand." Jasmine told them.

Aurora turned back to face her two teammates. "Don't worry. I'll be right back." she said.

"But-" Dan and Anthony couldn't get another word in as the door was closed before them.

Jasmine led Aurora down another short hallway before arriving at a door at the end. "Ms. Tatsunagi is inside. Please go in."

Aurora silently nodded her head as she opened the door and walked in. The door closed behind her, leaving just her in the room with Yukari.

"Welcome, Aurora Fujou." Yukari said as she stared out the window. "Congratulations on your victory. It was quite impressive."

"Yukari…" Aurora said. "Are you finally going to tell me about my mother? How you know her and who she is?"

"You sure have a one track mind." Yukari said. She turned to face the blonde haired teen. "Before we talk about anything, there's something I wish to do."

"And what is that?" Aurora asked.

To answer the girl's question, Yukari pulled out a deck and held it out towards Aurora. "Fight me, Aurora Fujou."

 **Aurora: I've fought so hard all this time. I'm going to learn the truth about my mother.**

 **Yukari: Let me see if you actually have the power to do that.**

 **Aurora: With pleasure! I'll show you just how strong I've gotten!**

 **Anthony: Why the hell are we being left out though?! We fought all this way together!**

 **Dan: If we want to get in, it seems we'll have to prove ourselves.**

 **Next time: The Origin of Star Chaser**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Chrono Tigar Z

Grade 0

Power: 5000

 **AUTO:** Forerunner

 **ACT RC:** Bind this unit face up. Choose grade 1 or higher cards from your drop zone whose combined grades are equal to or less than the grade of your Vanguard and bind them face up.

 **ACT (Bind Zone):** When your grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Chronofang" in its name is attacked, you may call this card to GC.

* * *

Chronofang Tiger Z

Grade 3

Power: 11000

 **CONT VC:** You may pay " **Choose up to one card from your drop zone and up to one card from your hand, with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and Bind them.** " as the cost to STRIDE.

 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, call up to one card from your bind zone to RC. If you called a card, select rear guards your opponent controls with the sum of their grades being equal to or less than the grade of the called unit and send them to the bottom of the opponent's deck.


	15. The Origin of Star Chaser

**A/N: Hey readers, get ready for a doozy of a chapter. This is the longest one yet and I'm sure you'll all like it. Also, fair warning, the Card Gallery at the end of this chapter is rather long since I did not provide one for Yukari's cards in her last fight. Enjoy.**

"How are we not allowed in there?!" Dan asked. "Our team won this preliminary together."

"Yeah!" Anthony said in agreement. "Even if Aurora has that special clan, why is she the only one meeting with Yukari Tatsunagi?!"

"Because that's what Yukari's ordered." Keiko told them.

"But-"

"Geez, you two are annoyingly persistent about this." Mai said with a groan. "Fine then. If you want in, then you'll have to prove your worth."

"Prove our worth?" Dan asked. "How?"

"How else?" Mai grinned as she pulled out a Vanguard deck. "With a cardfight." She almost laughed at the faces Dan and Anthony made. "What? Just cause I'm an idol doesn't mean I can't cardfight."

"You'll be fighting both of us." Keiko said, bringing out a deck as well. "If you win, you'll be allowed to pass. Yukari wants to see if you two are worthy of knowing the truth like your leader."

"Even though there's no way you'll win." Mai giggled.

"Oh is that so?" Anthony asked. "Perhaps you forgot, but our team did win this tournament just now."

"Please. You win in the preliminary tournament and you think you're hot stuff?" Mai asked. "I think you need to learn just what you're in for at the world stage. And in case you forgot, you lost your game in the finals."

Anthony growled in annoyance at being reminded of his loss. "You're asking for it, shrimp."

"Bring it on." Mai said. She walked to the side. "Hope you boys are ready to tag fight."

"Tag fight?" Dan questioned.

"Yup. The two of you against me and Keiko." Mai explained. "We fight at the same time and the first team to nine damage loses."

"Ok but where are we going to do it?" Anthony asked. "Is there a table anywhere near here?"

"We won't need that." Mai said. "We'll fight right here."

As Dan and Anthony narrowed their eyes in confusion, Mai and Keiko walked to the side. Mai waved her arm and a thin sheet of light appeared in front of each of them, forming a fight field with all the appropriate spots for cards.

The two teens widened their eyes. "What the?!" Anthony gasped.

"What is this?" Dan asked, equally astonished.

"Well? Are you two gonna fight or not?" Mai asked.

Dan and Anthony glanced at each other. They had no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear. If they wanted some answers, they had to win. They both nodded silently before facing back towards Mai as Keiko stood next to her and a similar fight field appeared in front of her too. "Let's do this."

"Finally, time to get to the action." Mai said. All four of them placed their decks down on their respective fields. Simultaneously, they all started the game.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

As they all said this, the scenery changed for all of them. They were transported from the hallway of the stadium building to an open mountain range. The units of each of the fighters materialized on the field.

"Cat Knight in High Boots!"

 **Cat Knight in High Boots**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Maiden of Noisette!"

 **Maiden of Noisette**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dracokid**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Dragon Dancer, Mira!"

 **Dragon Dancer, Mira**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

Dan and Anthony gasped as they looked at their surroundings. "What the hell?! Where are we?!" Anthony exclaimed.

"It's just like a Motion figure System." Dan said. "No. Actually it's even more realistic."

"What you see is a visual image of the planet Cray." Mai explained. "Pretty sweet, isn't it?"

"But how… where…" Dan looked over at the two idols. "What are you two?"

"Hehe. Surprised, aren't you?" Mai giggled. "We're just an idol group that also plays Vanguard. Although being acquainted with someone from the Tatsunagi family gives us some special bonuses."

Dan and Anthony had no clue what to make of all this. But now that they had started the fight, they had no choice but to continue on with it.

"You ready, Anthony?" Dan asked.

"Like you even need to ask." his teammate smirked. "Let's crush them."

* * *

Aurora stared at Yukari while the silver haired girl held out her deck in front of her. She had come here hoping to finally get some answers. But instead she had gotten a fight challenge instead.

"A cardfight?" Aurora asked.

"That's correct." Yukari told her. "You have done well so far in this tournament. But I wish to test your current power myself."

"Test my power?"

"I'm sure you're aware of this, but the competition will be much stronger from here on in the tournament." Yukari explained. "Do you have what it takes to win? I wish to see that for myself."

"I don't get it. What's this all about?" Aurora asked. "Why did you give me Star Chaser? Why are you testing me? And what do you know about my mother?"

"Those questions will be answered in due time." Yukari said. "But if you feel that strongly about it… then we can do this. If you win, I'll tell you everything I know regarding your mother."

Aurora's eyes widened. "Really?!"

"That's _if_ you win." Yukari reminded her. "Well then, are you ready?"

Aurora responded by pulling out her deck. "Let's do it."

"Good." Yukari waved her hand and a thin sheet of light appeared before each of them. "I hope this doesn't surprise you too much, considering our first fight."

Aurora and Yukari each placed their decks out on their respective mats of light. Together, the two girls started the game.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Starship Cadet, Dipper!"

 **Starship Cadet, Dipper**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Prophecy Child, Atmos!"

 **Prophecy Child, Atmos**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

Once the two of them flipped over their starting Vanguards, the entire scenery changed. The office had changed to the vast field of space with stars twinkling around them.

' _It's the same place as when I first fought Yukari.'_ Aurora thought. ' _And it's that same unit. She's coming at me with her deck of Cray Elementals.'_

"I'll go first." Yukari said. "I ride New Star, Atmos."

 **New Star, Atmos**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Skill of Prophecy Child. Since New Star rode onto it, I check the top seven cards of the deck." Yukari explained. "I can then add one Potential Element, Atmos or Prophecy Element, Atmos among them to my hand." The young girl revealed a copy of the grade 2 Potential Element and added it to her hand. "In addition, since Prophecy Child is either in the soul or face up in the G Zone, New Star's base power becomes 8000. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Yukari (6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Cosmos Storm, Aquarius."

 **Cosmos Storm, Aquarius**

 **Grade: 1, Power: 7000**

"Dipper moves back with forerunner." Aurora said. "With a boost from Dipper, Aquarius attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Yukari said.

"Drive check." Aurora said as she flipped the top card of her deck over. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Yukari said. "No trigger on either of them."

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Yukari(2).]**

' _Alright. I'm off to a good start.'_ Aurora thought to herself. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(6), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "I ride Potential Element, Atmos."

 **Potential Element, Atmos**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Prophecy Child and New Star are in the soul or face up in the G Zone, so its power rises by 1000 just like New Star." Yukari said. "Next I call Freeze Element, Blizza." The grade 2 unit was placed next to her Vanguard, giving her two attacks for the turn. "Blizza attacks the Vanguard."

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Yukari(2).]**

"Atmos attacks next."

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

Aurora quickly held up the critical trigger she had gotten from her drive check last turn. "Guard!"

"Very well then. Drive check." Yukari said. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage."

Aurora clicked her tongue at the damage going back down to them being tied at one. But at least she still held the advantage with it being her turn next.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Yukari(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Galaxy Sabre, Gemini!"

 **Galaxy Sabre, Gemini**

 **Grade: 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Libra." Aurora said. "Libra attacks!"

"Guard." Yukari said, using a grade 1 from her hand.

"Gemini swings in with a boost from Dipper!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

This time Yukari used a trigger from her hand with 10000 shield. "Guard."

With a 10000 shield along with Atmos's 10000 base power, there was no way for Aurora's attack to get through. "Drive check. No trigger." She let out a sigh. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Yukari(4).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Yukari said as she began her turn. "Oh shining protector of Cray. Shine your light upon this world and empower those who fight for peace. Ride! Prophecy Element, Atmos!"

 **Prophecy Element, Atmos**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

' _It's that unit again. The grade 3 version of Atmos.'_ Aurora thought as she watched the unit appeared on the field. ' _I can't underestimate it. I know first hand how powerful that unit is from the last cardfight I had with Yukari.'_

"Blizza will attack first."

"Guard!" Aurora said as she held up a 5000 shield card from her hand.

"Prophecy Element, Atmos attacks the Vanguard."

"No guard."

"Very well then. Twin drive." Yukari said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Blizza."

Aurora gasped as she saw the trigger. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yukari(1).]**

"Blizza will attack once again."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said with a regretful sigh as a third card went into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yukari(1).]**

' _So much for that great start I had.'_ Aurora thought.

"That will be all for now." Yukari said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(4), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "You may have beaten me last time Yukari, but I know how your deck works this time. And I'm not the same cardfighter I was back then."

"Then prove it." Yukari told her. "Show me your power."

"With pleasure." Aurora said as she held up a card in her hand. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike down my foes with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade: 3, Power: 11000**

"Here we go! Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from my deck and call it. Add 3000 power! Then with Libra's skill, I bind Ursa from the deck." Aurora said as she called the unit to her open front row circle. "Next, I use Dipper's skill. I counterblast and send it to the soul to bind Planet Smasher, Scorpius from my deck. In addition, my Vanguard gains a skill to add 3000 power to any units called from the bind zone for the rest of the turn."

' _She's got one more face up damage.'_ Yukari thought. ' _So her next move will be…'_

"Draco Nova's skill." Aurora declared. "I bind a card in my hand, the Sagittarius in my drop zone, and the Libra on my field. Then from the bind zone I call Scorpius and Sagittarius." The two units were called together in the same column where Libra had just been. "They each gain 3000 power due to the skill my Vanguard gained from Dipper. Then my Vanguard gains a drive check. In addition, the Sagittarius I just called gains 3000 from Scorpius being called while the Sagittarius in the other column gains 6000 from both of them being called."

' _Her column with the lone Sagittarius is at 16000. Her other column is at 25000.'_ Yukari observed. ' _However, she still has Scorpius's skill.'_

"Boosted by Sagittarius, Scoprius attacks!" Aurora called out. "With Scorpius's skill, I soul blast and call Sun Smasher Apollo from the bind zone. 2000 power is added to Apollo, as well as another 3000 due to Dipper."

 **(9000+3000+7000+3000+3000=25000)**

"No guard." Yukari said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yukari(2).]**

"Draco Nova is up next! With Apollo's skill, I send it to the soul. 5000 power is added to Draco Nova and I draw one card."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to my standing Sagittarius and I recover one damage. Third check, critical trigger. Power to Sagittarius and critical to the Vanguard. Final check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Yukari said. The first card wasn't a trigger, but the second one was. "Critical trigger. All effects to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yukari(4).]**

' _Alright! I'm back in the lead!'_ Aurora thought to herself with a grin. "Sagittarius, get in there!"

 **(7000+3000+6000+10000=26000)**

"Generation guard!" Yukari called out. "Metal Element, Scryew!"

 **Metal Element, Scryew**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Aurora said. ' _I managed to get three damage in, but she barely touched her hand. She's really stocking up on her defense.'_

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(7), Yukari(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Atmos's skill. All its other versions are either in the soul or face up in the G Zone so the cards I'd normally discard when paying the cost for striding are sent face up to the G Zone instead." The silver haired girl took a grade 1 and 2 from her hand and placed them in her G Zone. "Stride Generation! Cosmic Element, Paleos!"

 **Cosmic Element, Paleos**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

Aurora stared at the powerful looking unit as it stood over Yukari. ' _Yukari's G Unit… That's what beat me last time.'_

"Atmos's stride skill. I call the Potential Element, Atmos in my G Zone that I used as part of the stride cost. Since it has the Beacon skill, I can have it become Beaconed without paying the normal cost."

' _Beacon. The heart of her deck.'_ Aurora remembered.

"Next I activate Cosmic Element, Paleos's skill!" Yukari declared as she counterblasted and flipped a copy of Paleos face up. "I check the top seven cards of the deck. Then I select cards among them up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone, in this case 2 cards, and place them in the G Zone face up. However, they go to the drop zone at the end of the turn. I place New Star, Atmos and Sacrifice Element, Totem in the G Zone face up. In addition, until the end of the turn, all my Beaconed units gain 1000 power for each face up card in my G Zone. Next from my hand I call Rain Element, Tear behind Blizza. With Tear's skill, I soulblast two cards to counter charge equal to the number of face up Cray Elementals in my G Zone."

Yukari only had two flipped over cards in her damage zone so there were more than enough Cray Elementals in her G Zone to flip both cards back face up. "Next I select my face up grade 1 Fwarlun in my G zone and bind it until the end of the turn to Beacon Blizza."

Aurora remembered Yukari doing this last time. By binding her cards in the G Zone until the end of the turn, she could Beacon her units and give them access to other skills.

"Since Blizza and Potential Element are Beaconed, they gain 3000 power since I have 3 face up cards in my G Zone. Then, Blizza's skill gives it the same bonus since it's now Beaconed." Yukari explained. "With a boost from Tear, Blizza attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+3000+6000=21000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yukari(4).]**

"Cosmic Element, Paleos attacks your Vanguard."

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out, showing the sentinel in her hand.

"Very well then. Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to my rear guard Atmos." Yukari said. "And now, Potential Element, Atmos will attack."

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Yukari(4).]**

' _Five damage. I'm at the end of my rope.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But it's alright. Now that I'm at five damage, I just need to survive the turn and I can finish her with my next turn.'_

"Skill of Potential Element, Atmos." Yukari said. "Since its attack hit, I send it to the G Zone face up and call New Star, Atmos from the G Zone in its place. It has the Beacon skill, so it becomes Beaconed automatically, giving it the extra power from Paleos. And New Star has a continuous skill to give him the same boost. Get ready cause here he comes."

 **(7000+3000+3000=13000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a grade 1 from her hand.

"I'll end my turn there. Normally, the Sacrifice Element, Totem sent to the G Zone by Paleos's skill and the Potential Element, Atmos sent to the G zone with its own skill would go to the drop zone at the end of the turn. But with Paleos's skill, I can select cards among those being sent from the G Zone to the drop zone at the end of the turn up to the number of face up Cosmic Element, Paleos cards in my G Zone and add them to my hand instead." Yukari said. "I flipped one over earlier for Paleos's skill and the one that was my Vanguard is now returning to the G Zone, so I can select both of them to add to my hand. Your move."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(4), Yukari(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _Yukari has four damage. But I'll finish her for sure with this next turn.'_

"Get ready Yukari! Aurora said, pointing a finger at the girl. "I'm going to finish you here and now!"

* * *

Elsewhere, Dan and Anthony were in the middle of their tag fight against Keiko and Mai from Premium Beauty. After the tough fights against Team Genius Prodigy, Dan and Anthony had thought things couldn't get much tougher today. But the two idols were proving quite the challenge.

 **[Turn 15. Hand: Dan(6), Anthony(8), Keiko(4), Mai(5).]**

"I hope you're ready." Mai said. "Time for the beautiful maiden, aka me, to take her turn. Stand and draw."

' _Anthony and I have six damage. And those two are only at five.'_ Dan silently thought as he analyzed the situation. ' _The first team to nine damage loses. And we can only attack the player directly across from us. In other words, Mai and I can only attack each other while Anthony and Keiko can only attack each other.'_

"Here we go! Stride Generation!" Mai called out. "Maiden of Fertility Governing Lily!"

 **Maiden of Fertility Governing Lily**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"The stride skill of Maiden of Chrysanthemum." Mai said. "I select three of my units. The ones I choose are my front row rear guards Maiden of Gladiolus and Maiden of Damask Rose, as well as my Vanguard. They each gain a skill that activates when their attack hits the Vanguard. In addition, since I used Maiden of Rambler as part of the stride cost, I can use her skill to call to rear guard and draw one card."

Dan looked at Mai's field. Besides her full front row, she also had her Maiden of Noisette behind her Vanguard and Maiden of Waterpot behind Gladiolus. With the Maiden of Rambler called behind Damask Rose just now, Mai had a full field of units.

' _They aren't very powerful on their own but if an attack gets through I could be in trouble.'_ Dan thought. ' _And Anthony and I can't really afford much more damage to begin with.'_

"I use Noisette's skill. I counterblast and send her to the soul." Mai explained. "I select two units with Maiden of in their name. The units I select are my Vanguard Lily and Maiden of Gladiolus. Now when one of their attacks hit your Vanguard, I get to draw."

' _Well this is great. If I let anything hit, she'll be activating a multitude of skills.'_

"With a boost from Maiden of Waterpot, Maiden of Gladiolus will attack the Vanguard!" Mai said. "Activating Gladiolus's skill. I target my rear guard Waterpot, search my deck for a copy of it, and call it to the rear guard." Mai called the grade 1 directly behind her Vanguard with the spot left open by Noisette.

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I guard!" Dan said, using a stand trigger from his hand.

"Damask Rose is up next, with Rambler's boost!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I guard once again!" Dan said, this time using a critical trigger.

"Well how about this?" Mai smirked. "With a boost from Maiden of Waterpot, Maiden of Fertility Governing Lily attacks!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

"Activating Lily's skill." Mai said as she turned a copy of Lily face up in her G Zone. "I look at cards from my deck equal to the number of cards on my field and face up in my G Zone with Maiden of in their name. I have six Maiden of units on my field and another one in my G Zone that I just flipped face up. So that means I look at the top seven cards of the deck. I can then select up to five units among them that have the same name as any of my units and call them to rear guard." Mai looked at the seven cards and smiled. "Oh goodie! There's three units here that I can call! I call Maiden of Chrysanthemum over Gladiolus, Maiden of Gladiolus over Damask Rose, and Maiden of Rambler over the Rambler currently on my field!"

Dan gasped as he watched her field fill back up. "Three units just like that?!"

"Just wait. The best is yet to come." Mai said with a grin. "Since another unit with Maiden of was called to rear guard, I activate the skills of both of my Maiden of Waterpots. I send them to the soul and shuffle a normal unit from my drop zone into the deck for each of them. Then I can countercharge and draw. I do lose my Vanguard's boost, bringing the power back down to 26000, but this more than makes up for it."

' _She's replenishing her field while adding to her hand. And she even countercharged to boot.'_ Dan grit his teeth as he saw the young idol girl acting so carefree about this. ' _These two are seriously strong. They're on the same level as Genius Prodigy. No, even higher than that.'_

"So? You gonna guard or no?" Mai asked.

Dan looked at his hand. He lacked the sentinel unit that would help him right now. And he didn't have a heal trigger to use for a Generation guard either. "No guard." ' _As long as she doesn't pull two critical triggers, we'll still be in this.'_

"Triple drive." Mai said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger." Dan breathed a sigh of relief that he was safe from a possible double critical. "Hey don't get too comfy just yet. Third check, critical trigger. I give the critical to my Vanguard and the power to Chrysanthemum."

"Damage check." Dan said. The first card wasn't a trigger, but he got lucky on the second one. "Stand trigger! I give the power to my Vanguard!"

 **[Damage: Dan & Anthony(8), Mai & Keiko(5).]**

' _Eight damage. We're at our limit.'_ Dan thought. He glanced over at Anthony and could tell his teammate was thinking the same thing.

"Maiden of Chrysanthemum, attack the Vanguard!" Mai called out.

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"I guard with Masquerade Bunny!" Dan said, holding up the grade 1.

"Gladiolus will finish things then with a boost from Rambler!"

Dan looked at his hand. He only had two cards in it. One was a grade 3. The other card was Happiness Collector. He could guard with it, but then he wouldn't be able to use it on his next turn. ' _If only it was in soul and I had something else to guard with instead.'_

Having no other option, Dan guarded with the card. "Happiness Collector guards."

"Ouch, that must hurt." Mai said. "Well, I guess my turn's done. Over to you."

 **[Turn 16. Hand: Dan(1), Anthony(8), Keiko(4), Mai(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _We're losing by a large margin. I need to use this turn to even things back up again.'_

"Stride Generation!" Dan called out. "Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Activating Masked Phantom, Harri's stride skill!" Dan said. "I soulblast and call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul! Then with her magia, I call Face Magician, Lappin from the soul! Add 5000 power! Next, I call Cat Knight in High Boots from the soul with his skill! Then his magia allows me to call Flying Peryton from the soul. Finally, Flying Peryton's magia will call out Darkside Swordmaster!"

"Impressive. You managed to call out a full field simply by striding." Mai said. "Too bad you couldn't add that Happiness Collector into the mix. You would have been able to increase your hand. And looking at the state it's in right now, you need it."

Dan knew that Mai was right. There was no way he would be able to finish them off this turn. Not with their damage at five and Mai having ten cards in her hand. That meant that they'd have to survive Keiko's next turn after that and hope to win then. Regardless, a player's hand was an incredibly important factor in deciding the game. And it was a factor that Dan was lacking in.

Keiko sighed. "You're in this situation because you're indecisive."

"What?"

"Your Happiness Collector. You rely on its skill to add more cards into your hand. But you need Cat Knight in High Boots as your starting Vanguard to create a large field without touching your hand. So you decided that instead of replacing Cat Knight with Happiness Collector as your starting Vanguard, you'd add Happiness Collector into your main deck and get it that way." Keiko said. "That may work some games, but there will be plenty of times where you can't get it into your soul, or even into your hand. That flaw makes your strategy inconsistent. Am I wrong?"

Dan glanced down. Keiko was right. He knew she was right. He had gotten Happiness Collector into his soul in his game against Kenta in the finals. But by then, it was too late for him to do much with it. And in his semi-final match against Team Star Gate Sentai he was unable to get the card early enough for when he could have used it. And it that game it had ended up in his hand instead of the soul where he wanted it.

"You refused to make a decision, trying to get the best of both. I'm sure you've seen the result." Keiko told him.

"Hey, Dan works hard!" Anthony yelled. "What gives you the right to criticize his deck choices."

"I'm just stating the facts." Keiko said. "You also have your flaws, Anthony Ferges."

Anthony already knew where the idol was going with this. He looked away, wanting to run away from it.

"You rely too much on power and triggers. You've convinced yourself that your deck will answer your call whenever you want. You neglected strategy and relied on luck. That's why you lost in the finals."

The words stung. They stung because Anthony knew they were true. Both Keiko and Akari had him read like a book. ' _Narukami… I've always used this clan. It's been how I fight since I started playing Vanguard. But now… was I wrong? Should I… should I give up on my playstyle? Give up on my clan entirely?'_

Mai shrugged. "Hey, don't be too hard on them Keiko. They're just not ready for the big leagues yet."

Mai's words snapped Anthony out of his thoughts. "What was that?"

"Face it. You guys are struggling against us. And the cardfighters you'll face on the world stage are even better. What does that say about your current skill level?"

Dan and Anthony didn't have an answer for her. They both knew it painfully well. Once they got to the world tournament, they're current best wasn't going to cut it. If they didn't improve, they had no chance at winning.

' _Even so…'_ Dan thought. ' _Even if we're weak, we can't lose here! We need to prove that we can go the distance.'_

"Flying Peryton attacks your Vanguard with Darkside Swordmaster's boost." Dan said. "And with there being two face up Masquerade Masters in the G Zone, all my magia units gain a 6000 point boost."

 **(9000+6000+4000=19000)**

"I guard with Maiden of Waterpot in my hand, as well as an intercept from Maiden of Gladiolus." Mai said.

"Lappin is up next with a boost from Cutie Paratrooper! With Lappin's skill, I soul charge the top card. Since it has magia, 5000 is added!"

 **(9000+5000+6000+7000+6000=33000)**

Mai shrugged. "No guard." The top card of her deck went into the damage zone, not being a trigger.

 **[Damage: Dan & Anthony(8), Mai & Keiko(6).]**

"With Cat Knight's boost, Masquerade Master, Harri comes in!" Dan declared. "With Darkside's skill, I send her to the soul to add 5000 and draw. Then I use Masquerade Master's skill. I send Cutie and Peryton to the soul and call both of them back out. Then I use Cutie's magia to call out Masked Magician, Harri and Peryton's magia to call out Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty. With another Masquerade Master face up in the G Zone, that 6000 boost to my magia rear guards becomes 9000."

 **(26000+5000+5000+9000=45000)**

"Yeah, gonna just go ahead and stop that entirely." Mai said as she held up a sentinel from her hand. "Perfect guard."

"Triple drive. First check, Critical trigger. I give all effects to my rear guard Harri. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Hehe, good thing I've got this big hand." Mai said. "Good luck getting any of your attacks through."

"Well let's see how you like this one! Masked Magician, Harri attacks with a boost from Cutie!"

 **(11000+5000+9000+7000+9000=41000)**

"Another perfect guard!" Mai said with a grin. "See? What did I just tell you?"

"If one big attack won't work, I'll just go at you with a series of attacks!" Dan said. "Betty boosts. Go Peryton!"

 **(9000+9000+7000=25000)**

"I don't guard." Mai said. "Damage check, stand trigger. I give the power to my Vanguard and stand my rear guard Chrysanthemum."

"With Betty's skill, I send Peryton back to the soul and call it back out. Then with Peryton's magia I call another Betty in my soul out behind it." Dan said. "Here's Peryton and Betty with an encore performance!"

 **(9000+9000+7000=25000)**

"I guard with the Maiden of Chrysanthemum in my hand!" Mai said.

Dan narrowed his eyes. "But it's a grade 3 without any shield."

"True but my Vanguard Maiden of Chrysanthemum as a pretty sweet skill." Mai explained. "When I guard with another Maiden of Chrysanthemum, it gains 10000 shield."

Dan's eyes widened. With this, all of the Maiden of Chrysanthemums in Mai's hand would become powerful guarders. "Then I guess I'll just have to go for another round. I use the same skill again to recycle Peryton and call out another Betty. Attack!"

 **(9000+9000+7000=25000)**

Dan expected her to play another guard, but to his surprise, Mai didn't make a move. Just as he thought his attack was about to hit, Keiko called out a card from her hand. "I guard with Dragon Dancer Nilda."

' _A tag guard.'_ Dan realized. ' _A move where your teammate guards with cards from their hand to block an attack for your unit. However, they can't tag guard with perfect guards or G Guardians. And they can't intercept an attack for their teammate either.'_

"Thanks a bunch, Keiko." Mai giggled.

"One more time!" Dan said. "I use Betty's skill to send Peryton to the soul! Then I call Peryton back out and use its magia to call out Lovely Companion!" Dan couldn't call out a fourth Betty since he lacked one in the soul. But this attack would still be a powerful one. "Attack!"

 **(9000+9000+6000+9000=33000)**

"I'll go ahead and stop that one! Generation guard!" Mai called out. "Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero! With its skill, I soul blast and add 5000 to the shield!"

' _I managed to get six cards out of her hand, but they only took one damage.'_ Dan thought. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 17. Hand: Dan(5), Anthony(8), Keiko(3), Mai(4).]**

"My turn then." Keiko said. "Stand and draw." She discarded a grade 3 from her hand to stride. "Behold the power of the Dragon Dancers! Watch as their dance empowers the blazing dragons of Kagero! Stride Generation! Worshipped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon!"

 **Worshipped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill of Spirit Dragon Dancer, Selena. I retire one of my opponent's rear guards and my Vanguard becomes a Flame Dragon until the end of the turn."

"But your Vanguard's already a Flame Dragon." Anthony said. "So what's the point?"

"Because if my Vanguard is already a Flame Dragon before this, I can retire a second enemy rear guard." Keiko explained. "So I'll retire your rear guard Chatura and Plasmatron Dragon."

Anthony watched as his two rear guards burned away in pillars of fire and the cards moved to the drop zone.

"I'm not done." Keiko said. "Next I call Dragon Dancers Arabella, Karin, Morgan, and Penelope to rear guard! And with Arabella's skill, since my Vanguard is a Flame Dragon, I can counterblast and add 5000 power to my Vanguard."

Anthony watched as Keiko filled up her board with those four rear guards. Her starting Vanguard Dragon Dancer, Mira was still behind her Vanguard, giving her a full field. ' _I'm surprised she'd completely fill her board up when she's playing Kagero. It's not know for field swarming. Does she plan to end it this turn?'_

"I activate the skill of Inferno Spirit Dragon." Keiko explained. "I choose any number of my rear guards with Dragon Dancer in the name and rest them. I choose to rest all five of my rear guards."

' _She's resting five rear guards?! What kind of skill is she planning on using?!'_

"Since I rested three or more rear guards, 10000 power is added to my Vanguard. Then, since four or more were rested, all rear guards on my opponent's field are retired." Anthony's eyes widened as the last rear guard on his field was retired and burned away. "Finally, since five or more were rested, my Vanguard gains a skill. After it attacks, I can discard a card to restand it with drive minus one."

Dan took notice of the dangerous unit Keiko had as her Vanguard. ' _She powered up, destroyed her opponent's field, and gained a restand ability all at once. But would she really do all that just to only have two powerful attacks with her Vanguard?'_

"The skill of Dragon Dancer, Morgan. Whenever she's rested, if I have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, I can draw one card." Keiko explained. "Then I activate Dragon Dancer, Mira's skill. I counterblast and send her to the soul. Then I can stand as many of my Dragon Dancer rear guards as I want. And I choose to stand all of them."

"You're kidding?!" Anthony gasped. "That means you essentially paid no cost for your Vanguard's skill!"

"Welcome to the big leagues, boys." Keiko said. "Your the little fish in a big pond and the bigger fish are about to gobble you up."

Anthony felt his body shake. ' _Is this really it? Is this the best I can do? Was I… was I just in over my head, thinking I could somehow take on the best in the world? I can't even beat a couple of pop idols!'_

"Boosted by Dragon Dancer, Karin, Dragon Dancer, Arabella attacks." Keiko declared. "With Karin's blaze, I soulblast and add 4000 power to this attack.

 **(9000+6000+4000=19000)**

"I… I guard!" Anthony said, using a stand trigger from his hand.

"Penelope is up next with Morgan's boost." Keiko said. "With Morgan's skill, I draw a card since she rested. Then Penelope's skill. As long as I have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, she gains 3000 power for every rested Dragon Dancer on my field. Including her and Morgan, that's four rested rear Dragon Dancer rear guards."

 **(9000+12000+7000=28000)**

Anthony looked at his hand. ' _What do I do? I can guard this attack, but then she's swinging with her Vanguard twice. Am I going to have enough? Can I really do this?'_ His body shook with anger. ' _Damnit! She's using a power and retire deck, just like mine, but she's so much better! She's activating skill after skill to replenish her resources and add power! But me… what can I do? Is this how far power alone is going to get me?'_

"Anthony! Wake up!"

Dan's shout snapped the teen out of his thoughts as he turned towards his teammate. "Are you really giving up, just like that?! Where's the usual you?! The one that never lets anything keep him down and keeps fighting no matter what?!"

"But I… I can't-"

"You can do this." Dan told him. "We can work together and beat these two. You're the brawn, and I'm the brain. So act like your normal self and kick some butt!"

Anthony blinked in surprise. "Dan…"

Mai leaned forward with narrowed eyes. "Wait, are you telling him to continue acting like an idiot?"

"He may not be the brightest person." Dan told the idol. "But when it comes to pure spirit and passion, nobody can beat this guy. And Team Cosmic Trio wouldn't be the same without him. And I know he can figure out what he needs to do to win."

A small grin came to Anthony's face. ' _Geez. I'm getting told off by this guy? I must have looked really pathetic.'_ He looked at his hand. ' _Alright, think. What's the best move I can make?'_ Suddenly, his eyes widened. ' _Wait, of course!'_

"Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Impede Dragon's skill, you choose one of your rear guards to retire and bind. Then, since you have two or more rear guards than I do, another one of your rear guards is retired!"

"Fine. Karin retires and goes to the bind zone. Then I'll retire Arabella."

"There's more! Since two of your rested rear guards are gone, Penelope's power goes down by 6000! And with that, the attack is fully guarded!"

Keiko showed a small smirk. ' _Not bad. He actually used his head for once.'_ She continued with her assault. "Worshipped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+10000+5000=41000)**

"Dan, you ready?!" Anthony asked.

"Of course!" he said.

Together, the two used three cards from Dan's hand, totalling 25000 shield, and two triggers from Anthony's hand, totalling another 20000 shield.

' _That brings his Vanguard to 56000. I'll need three triggers to break through.'_ Keiko thought. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger."

"Aw yeah! How'd you like that?!" Anthony said with a grin.

"I'm not done yet." Keiko said. "Inferno Spirit Dragon's skill! I discard a card to stand my Vanguard back up with drive minus 1! Now attack again!"

 **(26000+10000+5000+5000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!" Anthony called out.

"Grr… Twin drive." Keiko said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"With Anastasia's skill, I draw." Anthony said.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 18. Hand: Dan(2), Anthony(3), Keiko(5), Mai(4).]**

"Stand and draw!" Anthony said. "Here we go! Generation Zone release! As lightning tears through the skies, true power is unleashed! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"'s stride skill! Bind a card from your drop zone! Then, since VBUSTER has the Thunderstrike ability, retire and bind one of your rear guards!"

Keiko bound a card from her drop zone and her rear guard Morgan. That brought her to five cards in the bind zone.

"I'm not done! Next I call Dragonic Descendant "Sigma" and Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel! Then I use VBUSTER's skill! A card in your drop zone and one of your rear guards get bound! Then, since I have more rear guards than you, my three units gain 3000 power!"

With that, Keiko's field was completely empty of rear guards. Anthony smirked. "And now, thanks to VBUSTER's Thunderstrike 7, my front row gains an additional 5000 power and my Vanguard gains a critical and an additional drive check!"

' _This is bad. I didn't get a perfect guard with my draws last turn.'_ Keiko thought.

"Here we go! Grizel attacks the Vanguard! With her thunderstrike, 9000 power is added!"

 **(9000+9000+3000+5000=26000)**

"I've got you Keiko!" Mai said as she held out two cards with 10000 shield each on them. "Guard!"

"Get ready! VBUSTER's coming in hot!"

 **(26000+3000+5000=34000)**

Keiko quickly threw down her entire hand, except for the one grade 3 she had in it. The collective shield totalled to 25000. "Guard!"

Mai also used the last non-grade 3 in her hand, a grade 2 with 5000 shield. "I guard too!"

"Quadruple drive."

' _He'd need 2 critical triggers for Sigma to finish us. That means this will be the deciding attack.'_ Keiko thought. ' _With our combined shield, my Vanguard is at 41000. That means two triggers will allow him to break through.'_

"First check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Fourth check..."

Tension filled the air as all four players waited to see what the card was. Finally, Anthony flipped the final card over. "Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

Mai and Keiko gasped as VBUSTER smashed through their army of defensive units before crashing into Keiko's Vanguard. The impact sent the unit flying and crashing into the side of the cliff.

 **[Damage: Dan & Anthony(8), Mai & Keiko(9).]**

With the game over, the scenery around them changed and returned them all back to the hallway where they had all been standing.

"I can't believe they beat us." Mai said.

Keiko let out a sigh, though a small grin came through. "Maybe they can actually pull this off after all."

The sound of clapping caused everyone to turn and see Jasmine standing right outside the door she had brought Aurora through. "That was well done. An excellent fight."

"Alright, we won. Now keep your promise." Dan said. "Let us in."

"Of course. That was what Yukari instructed after all." Jasmine said. "You two have proven yourselves worthy of knowing the truth. But before that..." Jasmine reached into her pocket and held out two sets of cards. "I have a little gift for you since you managed to beat Keiko and Mai."

Dan and Anthony eached looked at the card Jasmine had gave them and widened their eyes. "This is incredible. I've never seen a unit like this." Dan said.

"Mine either." Anthony added.

"Now then, please follow me." Jasmine said as she led the two teens inside. "Ms. Tatsunagi doesn't like to be kept waiting."

* * *

Yukari showed an amused grin at Aurora's claim. "You'll finish me here and now, huh? Alright then, let's see if you can really pull that off."

' _I'm at five damage. And Yukari's at four.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But Yukari has eight cards in her hand. I'll have to hit her with everything I've got.'_

"Generation Zone release!" Aurora called out as she discarded a grade 3 from her hand. "Clustering stars, join together! For the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from the deck and call Ursa to rear guard from the bind zone. It gains 3000 power from the skill, and my Sagittarius rear guards each gain 3000 since a unit was called from the bind zone." Aurora explained, calling the unit behind her Vanguard. ' _That's three Sagittarius units, counting the two I have on my rear guard. Sucks that the last one is in my damage zone.'_

"That's four of your rear guard circles filled up. Now you only need one more for your G Unit's skill." Yukari noted.

"That's right, so allow me to introduce you to number five!" Aurora said. "I move Sagittarius back and call Gemini from my hand! Boosted by Sagittarius, Gemini attacks!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard." Yukari said. "Damage check, stand trigger. I give the power to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Yukari(5).]**

' _Just one more.'_ Aurora went in for her next attack. "Scorpius attacks with Sagittarius's boost!" ' _If it wasn't for that damage trigger she got, I could get another attack in by using Scorpius's skill. But now her Vanguard is too strong for a solitary unit to hit.'_

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard." Yukari said, holding a grade 1 from her hand.

"Boosted by Ursa, my Vanguard attacks!" Aurora called out. "I bind the top card of my deck with Ursa's skill to add another 3000 power!"

 **(26000+7000+3000+3000=39000)**

"Perfect guard with Stone Element Ballista." Yukari said.

"Alright then. Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger." a smirk came to the blonde haired girl's lips. "All effects to the Vanguard. But I'm not done yet. Activating Meteor Shower Dragon's skill! Generation Break 3! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call the same number of rear guards from the bind zone and add 5000 power to each of them! I call three Sagittarius units, Gemini, and Hikari!" One of her new side columns was made up of two of her Sagittarius rear guards. The last one was in her other side column behind Hikari. Gemini stood behind her Vanguard. "The skill of my Sagittarius units allow them to gain 12000 power. I also use Gemini's skill to give it boost. In addition, since five rear guards were called with this skill, Meteor Shower Dragon stands back up with drive minus 2!"

"Impressive. You've built quite the formation." Yukari said. "Also, my perfect guard Ballista has a skill. When its retired from the guardian circle, I can send it to the G Zone face up instead of sending it to the drop zone."

"Put as many units as you want in there! It won't help you!" Aurora said. "Get ready for a double Sagittarius attack!"

 **(7000+5000+12000+7000+5000+12000=48000)**

Yukari smirked. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I still have ways to protect myself." The silver haired girl discarded a heal trigger from her hand. "Generation guard! Protection Element, Barrios!"

 **Protection Element, Barios**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating Barios's skill." Yukari explained as she counterblasted a card. "I choose up to two face down copies of Protection Element, Barios in my G Zone and call them to my front row rear guard circles. Any units currently on there before this are sent to the G Zone face up until the end of the turn."

Aurora's eyes widened. "You're calling G Guardians to the rear guard?!"

"That's right." Yukari said. "The called Barios units gain the ability to intercept. At the end of the turn, if they're still on my rear guard, they go back to the G Zone face down. However, if they're targeted for an attack, intercept an attack, or are sent off the field due to any card effect, they are sent to the G Zone face up."

"In other words, I can attack them to prevent you from using them later. Or I can ignore them, and risk you being able to use them as G Guardians later in the game." Aurora concluded.

"You catch on quick." Yukari said. "Now then, back to the current attack. My current Barios that's guarding brings me up to 31000 against your 48000 attack. So I'll intercept with one of my two rear guard Barios units." She then threw down a unit from her hand with 5000 shield. "I'll also add this in."

"Well then how about this! My Vanguard attacks with a boost from Gemini!"

 **(26000+5000+9000+5000=45000)**

"I'll use another perfect guard." Yukari said.

Aurora grit her teeth that another perfect guard had been stored away in Yukari's hand for a situation like this. "Drive check. No trigger."

"Just like the last Ballista, this one goes to the G Zone after guarding."

"I still have one attack left!" Aurora said. "Hikari attacks with a boost from Sagittarius!"

 **(11000+5000+7000+5000+12000=40000)**

' _She still has one more Barios to intercept. But that'll only bring her to 31000.'_ Aurora calculated. ' _As long as that last card in her hand doesn't have a 10000 shield, that attack will go through. Please don't be a grade 0...'_

Unfortunately, no such luck existed as Yukari threw out the card in her hand. A trigger with a 10000 shield. "I guard with this, as well as Barios's intercept."

"Turn… end…" Aurora said, unable to believe her finishing turn hadn't been enough to win her the game.

"And with that, the Blizza and New Star, Atmos that were in my front row are called back to the field." Yukari said as the two units appeared back on the field.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(7), Yukari(0).]**

"I suppose it's my turn then." Yukari said. "Stand and draw." A grin was on her face as she drew her card. "You remember my Vanguard's skill from our last game, right? Since all other forms of Atmos are in the G Zone or soul, all cards in my hand gain grade plus 3 when paying the cost to stride. So now I send the card in my hand to the G Zone face up to pay the cost to stride."

Aurora looked at her hand. ' _I still have seven cards in my hand. Even if she strides into Paleos, I think I can just barely defend against her attacks.'_

"Generation Zone release!" Yukari called out. "Now, being of purity and light, shine upon this world and guide me into the future! Stride Generation!"

Aurora watched as a pillar of light shot up around Atmos. She shielded her eyes from the blinding light. When it finally died down, Aurora gasped at what she saw. Instead of Paleos, she was staring at an even stronger-looking Atmos. This version had its entire body shining with a warm white light. The orbs that had made up its joints were now floating behind it in a circle. Wings of light sprouted from each of the orbs.

"Meet my trump card." Yukari said. "Savior Element, Atmos."

 **Savior Element, Atmos**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"With the stride skill of Prophecy Element, Atmos, I call Thunder Element, Volt from the G Zone. Since it has the Beacon skill, it can become Beaconed without paying the cost." Yukari explained, calling the unit behind her rear guard grade 1 Atmos. "Then I bind both of my Ballistas and one Barios in the G Zone to have New Star, Atmos, Thunder Element, Volt, and Freeze Element, Blizza become Beaconed until the end of the turn." No her only rear guard that was not Beaconed was Rain Element, Tear due to the unit not having the Beacon skill. "When Volt becomes Beaconed, I look at the top 2 cards of the deck send any Cray Elementals among them to the G Zone, and then return the rest to the deck and shuffle. Both cards Yukari grabbed were Cray Elementals, needless to say so that was another 2 cards in her G Zone.

' _But what's her Vanguard's skill?'_ Aurora wondered. ' _And what's this… intimidating pressure I feel from it?'_

"New Star, Atmos and Thunder Element, Volt switch places." Yukari said. "And don't forget, both New Star and Blizza have the skill to gain 1000 power for every face up card in my G Zone. There are seven face up cards in my G Zone so that's a 7000 power boost. Now Blizza attacks with a boost from Tear!"

 **(9000+7000+6000=22000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, using a grade 0 and 1 from her hand to total 15000 shield.

"Volt is up next with a boost from New Star."

 **(9000+7000+6000=22000)**

Once again, Aurora used 2 cards from her hand to block. "Guard!"

"Savior Element, Atmos attacks." Yukari said. She then counterblasted two cards and flipped a copy of her Vanguard face up in the G Zone. "The skill of Savior Element, Atmos! Generation Break 3!"

' _Here it comes.'_

"I send all my Beaconed rear guards to the G Zone face up. Then I can call any units from my G Zone to rear guard up to the number of cards I just sent to the G Zone. I have three Beaconed rear guards being sent so that means 3 units are called. I call two copies of Cosmic Element, Paleos and the Savior Element Atmos that I just flipped face up."

Aurora gasped as three G Units appeared on Yukari's field. It was as if she was facing an army of giants.

"The called units gain 5000 power and the ability to attack from the back row." Yukari explained. "In addition, since I have at least three G Units on my rear guard, my Vanguard gains a drive and can't be guarded against by grade 1 or higher units from the hand.

The strength in Aurora's knees nearly gave in upon hearing that. She had a perfect guard saved up for the Vanguard attack but now it was useless. That left her with one option. "Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromedia! With its skill, 10000 is added to the shield since I have at least 2 face up cards in my bind zone!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromedia**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

' _With this, Yukari needs 2 triggers to break through.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But even if I guard this, I only have 2 more cards in my hand to guard with. Am I… Am I really going to lose again to her?'_

"Quadruple drive." Yukari said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to my Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final check."

' _Don't get it…'_

Yukari's confidence didn't waver as she flipped over the fourth card. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Aurora was left completely helpless as Yukari's Vanguard blasted her with blinding light. The final card fell into her damage zone as she fell to her knees.

 **[Damage: Aurora(6), Yukari(5).]**

"Well, it seems that's the end." Yukari said. "You're stronger than you were last time. But you're still not strong enough."

Aurora clenched her fist as she shook with rage and self pity. ' _Damnit… I wasn't able to beat her.'_

"You'll have to wait to hear about your mother until after you win the world tournament like I said." Yukari told her. "However… there is something else I wish to share with you."

Aurora lifted her head back up. "Something else?"

Before anything else could be said, a knock was heard at the door. Jasmine walked in, followed by Dan and Anthony. "Pardon us, Ms. Tatsunagi."

Seeing Aurora's teammates told Yukari all she needed to know. "Thank you Jasmine."

The blue haired idol bowed before walking out of the room. Dan and Anthony walked over to Aurora, who was getting back to her feet. "Are you alright, Aurora?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." she nodded. "What are you guys doing here though? I thought it was just me coming here."

"Please, we're a team." Anthony told her. "We face everything together."

"Now then, seeing as you're all here we can begin." Yukari said as she looked at the three teens.

"What is all of this about, Yukari?" Aurora asked. "What is this thing you wanted to tell me?"

Yukari waved her arm and suddenly the room around them changed. It was just like before when they had been brought somewhere else for their cardfights. Their surroundings showed them traveling through space. Finally, they all stopped. In the distance, they saw a planet.

"What is that?" Anthony gasped.

"What you are looking at right now is the planet Cray." Yukari told them.

Dan narrowed his eyes as he turned back to Yukari. "Cray? You mean the made up planet that all of the units in Vanguard are from?"

"It is indeed where all of the units you know call home, but it is far from made up." Yukari explained. "Planet Cray truly exists. As do each and every unit from the game of Vanguard."

The three teens widened their eyes as they heard this. Anthony was the first to speak. "You're joking right? You expect us to believe that Planet Cray actually exists?"

"Is it truly so far-fetched?" Yukari asked. "Do you remember how you were transported away for your cardfight just now? That place you saw was on Planet Cray."

They wanted to write Yukari off and believe she was making this all up. But after the things they had all just experienced, they couldn't fully deny that it was impossible.

"The story I have to tell you dates back over one hundred years." Yukari began. "A group of beings on Cray had decided to try and go out into the universe. They wondered about what was out there. Planets. Lifeforms. Civilizations. It fascinated them. And those residents of Cray with their superior technology ventured out into the vast reaches of space using several ships. It was supposed to be a journey lasting a few months. However, during their journey, they encountered a warphole that sucked them in. They survived, but navigation systems of their ships experienced errors from the warphole. They were lost in space, and all their navigation data of how to reach back home was gone. Miraculously, they survived by finding another planet by pure chance. The beings of that planet had advanced technology. They managed to repair the damaged ships and their systems. However, they still had no way of knowing how to get back home."

"So what happened to them?" Aurora asked.

"They journeyed out into space once more. A few of the lifeforms of the planet they had found even joined them, equally curious about what secrets the universe held." Yukari explained. "They still didn't know how to reach home, but they still managed to journey to countless planets. They visited them, and over time improved their technology and knowledge even further. And like the first planet, beings of those worlds joined them. Their size grew, eventually enough to where they decided to form their own clan. They became known as the clan you wield, Aurora Fujou. They are Star Chaser."

Aurora's eyes widened. "The units that left Cray in search of what was out in the universe. They were Star Chaser?"

Yukari nodded her head. "Star Chaser visited countless planets and with the warp drive technology they obtained, they even managed to go to other dimensions. Then one day, a miracle appeared before them. Their ships picked up on an energy source of incredible power. The power known as striding. They followed that energy like a homing beacon. And in the end, it brought them back to their home. Planet Cray. They could have disbanded, but after their long time together, they had decided to stay together as the clan known as Star Chaser."

"So that's it then? They all lived happily ever after?" Anthony asked.

"Not quite." Yukari said with a shake of her head. "You see, during their journey through space, the Star Chaser clan came across a horrifying group. An intergalactic empire, ruled by a fierce and powerful tyrant. His goal was to conquer every planet throughout the universe. A united empire ruled by him and him alone. And for all the planets he conquered, he enslaved the beings of those planets, making them work for him. As a result, his empire grew along with the suffering of the planets he conquered."

"That's horrible." Aurora gasped.

Yukari nodded her head. "Indeed. Star Chaser was wise to flee when they ran into this fierce empire. However, little did they know that the empire was locked onto them. They followed them, and soon came upon Planet Cray."

As if following Yukari's story, a massive fleet of ships appeared in orbit around Planet Cray. Aurora gulped before asking her next question. "And… was Cray able to drive them away?"

"The answer to that is still unknown. They combined forces of all the clans managed to defeat the first fleet. But that was merely the scouting party. Cray is still currently at war with this intergalactic empire."

"It sounds almost impossible." Dan said. "One planet against an empire that's conquered hundreds of planets."

"True, but the forces of Cray are strong. Even more so when they combine their power. And with the added power of Star Chaser, Cray has done well at fighting back." Yukari explained. "However, there is a more pressing concern. This empire has also learned of the connection Cray has with Earth and plans to invade it after they conquer Cray."

"They plan to conquer Earth too?!" Aurora exclaimed. "Isn't there something that we can do?!"

"Our only hope is for Cray to stop them. Because if Cray falls, then the Earth will have no chance at stopping the empire's forces. Even now, they are already planning their invasion of Earth. And they've done it using the same connection Cray has to us. Vanguard."

"Vanguard?" all three of them said simultaneously.

"Indeed. In the tournament, there is already a player using the forces of that empire." Yukari said. "It is still unclear what they hope to accomplish through this. But what is clear is the threat that is now facing us."

"Is that why you gave me the Star Chaser deck?" Aurora asked. "Cause you think I can defeat this player?"

"That is partially the case, yes. There were other reasons though." Yukari told her. "But for now, this player cannot be allowed to win the world tournament. It is unclear what their motives are but it cannot be anything good."

"So we just need to defeat this player and their team?" Anthony asked.

"That is what I am hoping you can accomplish." Yukari nodded. "I have shared with you the secrets of Cray and the Star Chaser clan. Now it is up to you three to stop this threat."

With a snap of her fingers, their surroundings went back to normal and they all found themselves back in the room in the stadium. Yukari walked up to Aurora. "Before you leave, I have something for you Aurora." she handed her an envelope. "I believe these will help you in your future fights in the tournament."

Aurora opened the envelope. Inside were several new cards for her clan. However, one card she came across was completely blank. "What's this one?"

"That is a special card." Yukari said. "It's power will be revealed when your bond with Star Chaser grows strong enough. Until then, it will remain in the blank state it's in now."

Aurora stared at the blank card. ' _Increase... my bond with Star Chaser?'_

"Now then, I believe that is all for today." Yukari said. "I wish you luck in your future fights in the tournament, Cosmic Trio.

* * *

As the team of three arrived back on the first floor, they soon met up with Aurora's father. They explained that Yukari Tatsunagi had asked them upstairs which was why they were late meeting up, though they decided to leave out everything that had actually happened there. Even now, they were having trouble wrapping their heads around it all.

"So what did Yukari Tatsunagi want with all of you?" he asked as they walked to the car.

"Just to congratulate us and wish us luck in the tournament." Aurora lied. "I also got some new cards for my deck."

"That's good to hear." Ryuji said. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but feel that his daughter wasn't telling him everything. Yukari wasn't the type of person to ask people to meet with her in private for such a trivial matter. But he decided not to ask any further.

"Well we've got a couple weeks left before summer break starts." Dan said, trying to change the topic. "And once that starts, we'll be going overseas for the World Tournament."

"Did they say where it's being held yet?" Anthony asked.

"I think somewhere in Europe, but I'm not sure if the location is finalized yet." Aurora said.

"That would make sense. With the Euro League being such a big event, there's probably all kinds of stadiums for Vanguard there." Dan noted.

As they drove home, Team Cosmic Trio couldn't help but think about what Yukari had told them. An intergalactic empire was trying to conquer Cray, which was in fact real. And if Cray fell, Earth was next.

* * *

In New York City, thousands had gathered for the finals of the preliminary tournament for the Vanguard World Tournament. Millions more were watching all across the country on television. The favorite team to win was the team consisting of the top 3 players in the country. They had gathered together to form an unstoppable team.

Which is why everyone watching found it _very_ surprising that they had completely and utterly lost in the finals.

"U-Unbelievable…" the announcer said. "The team made up of the U.S's strongest three fighters has lost in a stunning upset. Both their first player and their leader fell one right after the other in the first two games."

The leader of the team, the top player in the country, shook with fear as he fell to his knees. "What power… There was nothing I could do… What is he…?"

"Hehehe." his opponent chuckled. "This was the best player in the country? What a letdown. I expected more of a challenge."

The announcer was still as stunned as everyone from the result of the match but managed to speak into his mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce once again the winners, and the team that will represent America in the Vanguard World Tournament. Team Apocalypse, and their leader Allen Demacio."

The leader known as Allen walked off the field to his teammates. He held his deck in his hands. ' _With these cards, not even the best in the world will be able to stop me. With this deck, I'm invincible.'_

He laughed as he and his team walked away victorious while their opponents wallowed in their defeat.

 **Aurora: I still can't believe Cray is real.**

 **Dan: What are we going to do? And what is their goal for trying to win the tournament?**

 **Aurora: I don't know.**

 **Anthony: We'll have to step up our game. There's going to be lots of strong players there.**

 **Aurora: Before all that though, I have an idea for something we can do.**

 **Next time: Under the Starry Sky**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Prophecy Child, Atomos  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **AUTO:** When your unit named "New Star, Atmos" rides this unit, look at the top seven cards of your deck, search for up to one card named "Potential Element, Atomos" or "Prophecy Element, Atmos" and add it to your hand.  
 **ACT (Soul):** CB1 and send this unit to your G Zone face up. Choose one of your Cray Elementals and give it +3k power. At the end of the turn, send this unit to the drop zone.  
 **ACT RC:** Send this unit to your soul. Choose up to one face up card in your G Zone and turn it face down. If you turned one or more cards face down, choose one card from your G Zone and exclude it from the game.

* * *

Flame Element, Magum

Grade 0

Power: 4000

Critical Trigger

 **ACT RC:** Send this unit to the G Zone face up. When your grade 3 or greater VG with "Atmos" in its name attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw one card and add 5k power to your VG until the end of the battle.

* * *

Wind Element, Seizos  
Grade 0  
Power: 4000  
Stand Trigger  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is sent from the G Zone to the drop zone, you may CC1 and SC1.

* * *

Life Element, Yggdrasil  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Heal Trigger

* * *

New Star, Atmos  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **CONT VC:** If you have a unit named "Prophecy Child, Atmos" in your soul or face up in your G Zone, this unit gains +1k power.  
 **CONT VC/RC GB1:** If you have a Cray Elemental VG, this unit gains +1k power for every face up card in your G Zone.

* * *

Stone Element, Ballista  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO GB1:** When this unit is sent from the GC to the drop zone, you may send it to your G Zone face up instead.

* * *

Potential Element, Atmos  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **CONT VC:** If you have "Prophecy Child, Atmos" and "New Star, Atmos" in your soul or face up in your G Zone, this unit gains +1k power.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** Send this unit to your G Zone face up. At the end of a battle where this "Beaconed" unit's attack hit, you may pay the cost. If you do, select up to one face up grade 3 or lower card from your G Zone, not named "Potential Element, Atmos" and call it to a RC. If that unit has Beacon, you may have it become Beaconed without paying the cost.  
 **ACT VC/RC:** Send a faceup grade 3 or lower unit from your G Zone to your drop zone. Search your deck for up to one card named "Prophecy Element, Atmos" and add it to your hand.

* * *

Thunder Element, Volt  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **AUTO RC 1/Turn:** If this unit is "Beaconed", look at the top 2 cards of your deck, search for up to 2 Cray Elementals, place them in your G Zone face up, and put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order. At the end of the turn, take the cards sent to the G Zone by this effect and send them to the drop zone.

* * *

Freeze Element, Blizza  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **ACT 1/Turn:** CB1 If this unit is "Beaconed", this unit gains "CONT: This unit gains +1k power for every face up card in your G Zone." until end of turn, and at the end of the turn, send this unit to the G Zone face up.

* * *

Sacrifice Element, Totem

Grade 3

Power: 11000

Beacon VC/RC: Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.

ACT [G Zone]: Send this face up unit to the drop zone. Choose one of your Cray Elementals and give it "CONT: This unit gains 1k power for every face up card in your G Zone." until end of turn.

* * *

Prophecy Element, Atmos  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 _ **Beacon VC/RC:**_ _Choose a face up card in your G Zone and bind it face up. If you do, this unit becomes "Beaconed" until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the bound card back to the G Zone face up.  
_ **CONT VC:** If you have "Prophecy Child, Atmos", "New Star, Atmos", and "Prophecy Element, Atmos" in your soul or face up in your G Zone, this unit gains **(CONT: When discarding cards from your hand as the cost to STRIDE, send them to the G Zone face up instead of the drop zone.)** and **(CONT GB2: When paying the cost to STRIDE, all cards in your hand get grade +3.)**.  
 **ACT VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, choose you may pay the cost. If you do, call up to one grade 3 or lower face up card from your G Zone. Then, choose up to one of your rear guards, and that unit gains **(CONT: This unit can become "Beaconed" until end of the turn without paying the cost)** until end of turn.

* * *

Cosmic Element, Paleos  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** CB1 and take a face down card in your G Zone and turn it face up. Check the top seven cards of your deck, search for cards among them up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone and send them to the G Zone face up, shuffle your deck, and give this unit **(CONT: All of your "Beaconed" units gain 1k power for every face up card in your G Zone.)** until end of turn. At the end of the turn, send the units sent to the G Zone with this effect to the drop zone.  
 **AUTO VC:** At the end of your turn, when you are sending card(s) from your G Zone to the drop zone that are grade 3 or less, select cards among them up to the number of face up cards named "Cosmic Element, Paleos" in your G Zone and return them to your hand instead.

* * *

Savior Element, Atmos  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC GB3 1/Turn:** CB2 & take a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this unit and turn it face up. When this unit attacks, send all of your Beaconed rear guards to the G Zone face up. Select face up cards from your G Zone up to the number of units sent to the G Zone with this skill and call them to separate RC face up. They each gain +5000 power and **(CONT: This unit can attack from the back row)** until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, send the called units to the G Zone face up, and call the Beaconed rear guards sent to the G Zone with this skill to separate RCs.  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, if the number of G Unit rear guards you have is 3 or more, this unit gains +1 drive and **(CONT VC: Your opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater cards from hand to GC.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Protection Element, Barrios  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO GB2 GC:** CB1. When this unit is place on GC, if you have a Cray Elemental Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, select up to 2 face down cards in your G Zone with the same name as this unit. Call them to your front row RC, give them Intercept, **(CONT RC: If this unit is attacked or retired, send this card to the G Zone face up)** , and **(AUTO RC: At the end of the turn, send this unit to the G Zone face down)** , and send the units on those RCs to the G Zone face up. The units sent to the G Zone are called back to RC at the end of the turn.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Mira  
Grade: 0  
Power: 5000  
 **AUTO:** Forerunner  
 **ACT RC GB1:** CB1 & Send this unit to soul. Choose any number of your rear guards with "Dragon Dancer" in their name at rest and stand them.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Morgan  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** When this unit rests, if you have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, draw one card.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Penelope  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC GB1:** During your turn, if you have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, this unit gains 3000 power for each of your rested units with "Dragon Dancer" in their name.

* * *

Spirit Dragon Dancer, Selena  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards, retire it, and your Vanguard gains Flame Dragon until end of turn. If the G Unit is already a Flame Dragon, choose another one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it.  
 **CONT VC GB1:** All your "Dragon Dancer" rear guards in the front row gain +5000 shield and **Intercept**.

* * *

Worshiped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC GB2:** Take a facedown card from your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up. Rest any number of your rear guards with "Dragon Dancer" in their name. If you rested three or more, this unit gains +10000 power. If you rested four or more, retire all of your opponent's rear guards. If you rested five or more, this unit gains **(AUTO VC: Discard a card from your hand. After the battle that this unit attacked, Stand this unit and it gets drive -1.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Maiden of Chrysanthemum  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** When your G Unit with "Maiden of" in its name STRIDE, choose up to three of your units and they gain **(AUTO VC/RC: When this unit's attack hits, look at the top 5 cards of your deck, search for up to one card among them with the same name as one of your units, and call it to RC.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** When your Maiden of Chrysanthemum is placed on GC, that unit gains +10000 shield until the end of the battle.


	16. Under the Starry Sky

**A/N: Hello readers. Glad to see you're all continuing to enjoy the story so far. There won't be a cardfight this chapter, but I can assure you there will be plenty of other things to make up for it. Enjoy.**

Aurora looked through her deck as she laid on her bed. She had spent the past few nights considering what changes to make to her deck with the new cards she had gotten from Yukari. But it wasn't just deck building that was on her mind. It was everything else that she had heard from the silver haired girl.

' _I still can't completely believe it.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Cray being real. An intergalactic empire planning to conquer Cray and Earth. It sounds too weird to be true. But with everything I've seen, I can't really deny it either.'_

Was this why Yukari had brought her into this tournament? And if so, why her? Why out of everyone in the world was she given Star Chaser?

' _Before anything else, I still have my main goal.'_ Aurora reminded herself. ' _I have to win this tournament. And by doing so, I'll get Yukari to finally tell me the truth about my mother.'_ As she thought about it, the fight she had against Yukari remained fresh in her memory. ' _I have to get stronger. Even with these new cards, I need to get my skills to the next level.'_

Summer break had finally rolled around the corner. In only a few days, Aurora and her team would be going overseas to fight in the World Tournament. She felt excited yet at the same time nervous.

After another few minutes of looking through her deck, Aurora placed the cards to the side. ' _I need to find a way to relax. To loosen up before the tournament. Maybe Dan, Anthony, and I can do something as a team.'_ She pondered to herself over what to do for the next few minutes before finally an idea struck her.

"That's it!" Aurora quickly brought out her cell phone and began texting her two teammates. ' _This is gonna be great.'_

* * *

"Antonio, time for breakfast!"

"Be down in a minute!"

Anthony looked back to his desk with his deck laid out before him and sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Akari was right during their match. He had come to rely too much on the luck of the draw and in the end it came to bite up. He was still confident in his skills as a cardfighter but that defeat shook him even into his fight with Dan against the idols.

Taking a look almost cemented this fact now that he looked at his deck. Nothing but methods to get pure power out with very little after that. Sure he was powerful during his turn but with no way to keep that defensive momentum going, he would be a sitting duck before long.

' _But there are other cards I could use… I'd be sacrificing some of my offense if I do this but with that new card I got…'_ Anthony mulled over his options. All the cards he had collected over the years could prove useful if built right but he couldn't find the middle ground he was looking for.

As he looked over all his options, he could barely hear the noise of his door opening. Maria looked to see her nephew looking very hard over his cards. She and her husband were there to see the finals match in its entirety. It tore her up to see Anthony looking so defeated at the end of his match, especially with how nasty that one girl was acting to him. But seeing him look so intently at his cards means something must had sparked in him. Smiling, she moved up to the teen and gave him a pat to the head.

"I know you're excited with the tournament coming but you shouldn't be neglecting food. Can't play a good game on an empty stomach, you know." Maria said while affectionately patting him on the head.

While embarrassed, Anthony smiled at the love from him aunt and looked up to her, "Sorry about that. Just mulling a few things over. Let's go and eat."

"Let's."

Maria went first as Anthony cleaned up his collection into a neat pile. He had plenty of time to think about his deck after eating. But just as he was about to head down, a buzz from his phone caught his attention. Taking a quick look, he saw a message from Aurora was highlighted. ' _What could she want?'_ Looking at the message, his eyes widened slightly before settling on a smile. He quickly replied and headed downstairs for his breakfast.

As he began eating with his relatives they couldn't help but notice a soft yet distinguishable mood change from their nephew. Hideyoshi was the first to comment on this. "Something come up kiddo? You seem in pretty high spirits."

Anthony looked up from his miso soup and nodded. "Yeah, I think Aurora has something planned to help all three of us out. So I think I should pack for it a bit later today."

"Oh? What does she have planned?"

"I'll tell you later. For now let's just enjoy the food you made."

Maria nodded and the family fell into a comfortable silence with nothing but the sound of silverware moving. It did feel a bit strange not having his parents around for breakfast but they did want to go out touring so Anthony understood. He'd simply catch up with them later tonight as usual. But one thing was for sure, he was excited to not only get some opinions with Aurora and Dan but to also get some quality friend time with what she had planned.

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

Aurora stood by the train station as she waited for Dan and Anthony to arrive. She had a large backpack filled with a sleeping bag and all the essentials she would need. It had been awhile since she had last gone camping. The last time she remembered was going with her father a few years back.

"Yo Aurora!" Anthony's voice caused the blonde girl to turn and see her teammate walk over her way. Like her, he had a large backpack with him. "You been here long?"

Aurora shook her head. "Only about ten minutes."

"Well the train should be here soon." Anthony said as he checked the time on his phone. "Isn't Dan here yet?"

"Not yet." Aurora said. "Where is he?"

The two waited for another few minutes. The train taking them to the camping area would soon be here, yet Dan was still absent.

"Seriously, what's taking him?" Anthony asked.

"Hey guys!" Both Aurora and Anthony turned to see Dan running over their way. When he got to them, he took a moment to catch his breath. "Sorry I'm late. It took longer than I thought to get everything ready."

Aurora took a look at Dan's backpack. He had a sleeping bag with him but the backpack itself was fairly small compared to her's and Anthony's. "Do you have everything you need in there, Dan?"

"I think so." Dan said. "I asked my mom about some of the stuff to bring and looked up online a bit."

"Ah I get it." Aurora said. "Dan, you've never been camping before, have you?"

Dan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well… no, not really. I've never been good at outdoors stuff like this."

"Oh boy." Anthony said. "Sounds like we're gonna have to teach this guy camping from scartch."

"Hey, it can't be _that_ hard, can it?" Dan asked.

"I have a feeling we're in for an entertaining day." Aurora said with a smirk as she and Anthony shared a laugh at their friend's expense.

Soon the train came and the team of three boarded. Aurora and Anthony spent what time they could trying to teach Dan the basics of camping. But it was clear that wasn't going to be so easy.

"So you've been to this camping site before, Aurora?" Anthony asked.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. Once or twice with my dad. There's a lake nearby where we can fish even." She glanced over at Dan. "I'm guessing you've never fished before either?"

"That would be a no." Dan admitted.

"It's alright. I'm a pretty good teacher, if I do say so myself." Aurora said, grinning with confidence.

"So… is there anything else I need to know?" Dan asked.

The rest of the train ride was spent with Aurora teaching Dan what she could. It was clear though that the teen was still somewhat confused about the explanation he was getting.

Eventually, the train arrived at their destination. The trio got off and began walking to the site. It only took them about a ten minute walk before they reached it. The flat ground gave them plenty of space to set their things down and set up camp. The weather forecast was said to be sunny throughout the next few days so they neglected to bring tents, deciding that sleeping bags would suffice.

Looking at the time, Aurora saw that it was nearing noon. "Alright, let's make ourselves lunch. After we eat, we can work on fishing for dinner.

"Works for me." Anthony agreed. "So what're we doing for lunch?"

"I brought some snacks and stuff." Dan said, pulling out a bag of candy from his backpack. Silence followed as Aurora and Anthony stared at him with narrow eyes. "What?"

"You are such an indoor kid." Aurora commented with a sigh. "Alright, I brought a pot and some vegetables. Who's up for soup?"

No objections were heard so soup it was. Aurora, Dan, and Anthony worked together in making themselves lunch. Dan, being the least experienced among them, was put in charge of getting firewood. As much as he wanted to argue, he couldn't deny that it was probably the only task he could do correctly.

Once everything was ready, Aurora lit the fire and began heating up the soup. Before long, the three friends were sitting together, and eating the soup they had made.

"Hey this is pretty good." Anthony said.

"What did you expect? I'm not that bad of a cook. And soup's practically one of the easiest things to make." Aurora told him.

"Speaking of food, I just realised." Dan pointed out. "Did anyone bring any fishing rods? How are we gonna fish without those?"

"There's a stream we can go over to." Aurora explained. "It leads directly into the lake and we won't need rods. We can just grab the fish with our bare hands."

"Huh, never tried fishing like that before." Anthony said. "But it is a way more direct approach so I say we do it."

"It's easy. I'll show you boys how it's done after lunch." Aurora told them. "You brought swimsuits like I asked, right?" Both Anthony and Dan nodded in response. "Good. We'll all get changed and start when we're finished eating." The blonde haired girl shot a stern glare at Anthony. "And if _someone_ peeks on me, there will be hell to pay, got it?"

"That was one time! It was an accident and I said I was sorry!" Anthony complained. "When are you going to let that go?!"

Dan let out a chuckle at seeing his two friends argue like this. It had been a long time since he had felt this close with others. After the incident at the Demon's Den, he stopped having faith that he'd ever find a place to fit in and cardfight for fun. But with his time at Card Galaxy, he had grown close to his two teammates. And to think, they were going to be fighting in the World Tournament against some of the best teams in the world. He felt lucky to have this chance.

Once lunch was over, the three friends each changed into their swimming clothes. Aurora led them over to the nearby stream, wearing her two piece blue swimsuit.

"Alright, so the trick is patience and anticipation." Aurora said as the three of them stood in the stream with the water running along past them. "The fish are slippery in the water, so you've gotta time your grab just right."

Dan nodded his head understandingly. "Alright, let me try." He kept his gaze on the running stream and the fish swimming along with the flow. With a swift motion, he went for one. However, the fish he aimed for slipped right through his grasp. "Darn it."

"Heh, let me show you how it's done." Anthony smirked.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "You've never done this either, Anthony."

"True but how hard can it really be." he said. He waited for the first fish to come by him and went for it. Unfortunately though, it escaped his grasp just like Dan's had.

Dan showed a grin. "Great demonstration."

"Shut it. I'm gonna get tons, just watch." Anthony said.

"Well you boys go ahead and play." Aurora smirked as she reached into the stream and grabbed a fish, holding it in her hands as she showed it off. "I guess it'll be up to me to get us dinner."

Dan and Anthony weren't about to take that comment lying down. Soon all three of them were quick at work trying to grab fish. It wasn't hard to tell that Aurora was beating them by a landslide, with most of the fish collected in the basket being caught by her.

Before long though, Dan managed to grab a fish and held it up in his hand. "Got one!"

"What?!" Anthony gasped.

"Not bad Dan." Aurora giggled. "Maybe Anthony's just not cut out for this."

"Oh it's on now!" Anthony said with a fierce glare.

Their time fishing continued as the three friends began getting more fish. Even Anthony had started to catch up in catching fish.

"Got o- Woah!" Dan exclaimed.

Aurora and Anthony looked over and gasped as they saw a fish bigger than anything they had caught so far in his grasp. Dan struggled to hold it with his hands as it flopped around.

"That's a big one!" Aurora gasped. "Hold it steady, Dan!"

"I'm trying!" Dan said, doing his best to keep the fish from escaping. "I-I just… Ah!" With a slap to the face from the fish's tailfin, it left his grasp and went flying midair while Dan fell over..

"I've got it!" Aurora said. She lunged for the fish, barely managing to grab it. She held it close, but the fish struggling to break free as it wiggled near Aurora's chest. "H-Hey, stop that!"

It was a bit awkward for Anthony and Dan to watch. Both of them wanted to go help, but they knew that any action would result in the scolding of a lifetime from their leader.

"And… there!" Aurora said as she finally managed to get the fish in the basket with their other catches. She held onto the basket at the side of the stream to keep it from getting knocked over from inside.

"Nice save there, Aurora." Dan said.

"That one sure put up a fight." Aurora said. "Well with that, I'd say we have enough for dinner. What do you guys think?"

Both Dan and Anthony nodded in agreement so the trio went back to camp with their catch. It was still early in the afternoon so that left them plenty of time until dinner. They decided to spend it swimming in the large lake they had near them.

' _This is great.'_ Aurora said. ' _We really needed this. A way to unwind and relax before the big tournament.'_

Laughter escaped from them as the three friends hung out together, enjoying the perfect weather on a perfect day.

* * *

Night darkened the sky as Team Cosmic Trio sat together and ate. The campfire they had going was cooking the fish perfectly as they each ate their full. After the fish, they used the marshmallows Dan had brought along for smores.

As the trio of friends snacked on smores, Aurora looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled in the twilight. It reminded her of the past, when she and her father would stargaze together.

"It really does look nice, doesn't it?" Dan's voice snapped Aurora out of her thoughts as she noticed her two friends looking up at the stars as well.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. I've always loved stargazing. Just looking at all of the bright dots in the night sky." She took a hand and reached out towards the sky as it to try and grasp the stars themselves. "I always wished I could soar in the sky, looking down at the planet. Just like those stars."

"Well I can't promise anything about soaring in the sky" Anthony said. "But we'll be sure to shine just as bright as a star when we win the World Tournament."

"Yeah." Dan nodded in agreement. "Team Cosmic Trio is gonna win it all."

"Team Cosmic Trio…" Aurora said aloud. ' _I call myself the leader of this team, but I haven't even told them about the real reason I entered this tournament. They've fought so hard all this time and yet I've kept them in the dark. Well no more.'_

"Hey guys." Aurora said. "There's a reason I entered this tournament."

"Well yeah, genius. We all entered this tournament for a reason. To be number one." Anthony told her.

Aurora shook her head. "There's another reason. You guys know how my mom died when I was little, right?" Dan and Anthony nodded their heads. Anthony had known for years since he was a regular at the shop. Dan had learned about the sad fact not long after joining the team. "The truth is… Yukari says she knows my mother. And that she's alive."

Dan and Anthony widened their eyes. "Your mom's alive?!" Anthony gasped. "Where is she?! Why has she been gone all this time?!"

"I don't know." Aurora told him. "That's all Yukari told me. She appeared one day at the shop, challenged me to a cardfight, and told me that she knew my mom was alive. Then she left the Star Chaser deck with me and made that tournament announcement. It was like she was telling me to fight my way to her to learn the truth."

"Did you ask your dad about any of this?" Dan asked.

"How can I?" Aurora said. "Ask him if he's been lying to me all these years about my mom? What if it's not true and Yukari was just lying to me to get me to enter?"

"Aurora…"

"I just… I want to know the truth. I know next to nothing about my mother. I want to know more about her." Aurora said. "That's why I'm in this tournament. To find out those answers. I just felt you guys deserved to know."

Dan and Anthony glanced at each other before looking back up at the sky with Aurora. "Well my family's not so great either." Anthony said. "My parents are gone most of the year. Heck, my aunt and uncle have raised me more than my mom and dad ever have."

"As for me, it's just me and my mom." Dan admitted. "My dad ran out on us when I was five. Haven't seen or heard from him since."

"Guys…"

"We know it's not fun having a messed up family." Dan said. "There's no way to sugarcoat it. But maybe you should ask your dad about it. There could be some reason you don't know about."

"Either way, you can count on our support." Anthony added. "Whether it's to become number one or help you learn the truth about your mom. All we gotta do is win the tournament. Kill two birds with one stone."

A small smile came to Aurora's face as she heard this. "Thanks. You guys are the best."

Anthony stretched out his arms. "Well, I say we call it a night. What do you guys think?"

Anthony's suggestion caused a yawn to escape Aurora. "Yeah, it is getting pretty late."

The three friends each crawled into their sleeping bags. They stared up at the night sky, seeing the twinkling stars all around it.

"Planet Cray is out there somewhere too." Dan said.

"Yeah." Aurora nodded. "As well as that empire trying to take it over."

"Heh, no need to worry. If Cray's real, then so is Dragonic Vanquisher. And he'll send those losers flying." Anthony smirked.

Dan let out a chuckle. "Bet you Harri will be a way bigger help."

Aurora giggled as she listened to the two of them argue. ' _Hikari… Star Chaser… you're fighting too, aren't you? Good luck.'_

Closing their eyes, the three of them each drifted off to sleep, resting under the starry sky.

* * *

The Lewis family was one of the wealthiest families in England. It only made sense, considering they were descendents of nobles. Excellency was expected from each of them, just as with any high class family.

And that was especially true for the heir to the role of head of the family, William Lewis.

Ever since he was little, William had worked vigorously to master each and every thing put in front of him. Fencing. Horseback riding. It was what was expected of him. It was clear to everyone that he was worthy of becoming head of the family when the time came.

But the one thing that had fascinated him when he was younger came when he was watching television. He saw the finals of the Vanguard Euro League. The intensity from the players. The passion they showed. It excited him. It wasn't much later that he started trying out the game of Vanguard for himself. And now here he was, one of the top fighters in the Euro League. It came as no surprise when the team of himself and two others had qualified to represent the country in the World Tournament.

The limo he was riding in pulled up to the airport. A private jet was sitting in the terminal, waiting for him.

As he walked up to the airplane, he saw one of his butlers waiting for him by the staircase. He bowed his head to the heir of the family. "Master William, everything is ready. We can take off anytime."

"Thank you, Hans." William said. "Are my two teammates here yet."

"Yes sir. Miss Scarlet and Mister Ainsworth arrived a few minutes ago. They're waiting in the plane." Hans informed him.

"Thank you." William told the butler. "Please inform the pilot that we can take off whenever he's ready."

"At once, Master William." Hans bowed.

William walked up the stairs and into the jet. As he came into the aisle of seats, he saw his two teammates already seated. The first was a girl in her late teens. She had bright blue eyes and scarlet red hair tied up in a neat ponytail. Her attire consisted of a fancy looking dress that was a black color with red trim. The other was a male that was roughly the same age. His neat brown hair was combed to the side and his red colored eyes shined like flames. His attire was also somewhat fancy. It only made sense since the two of them were from wealthy families, like William.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Elizabeth, Thomas." William said. "I had some business to take care of that took longer than I thought."

"Yeah, yeah." Elizabeth said. "Let's just get going already."

"Now, now, is that anyway for a lady of the Scarlet family to speak?" Thomas asked.

"Well my family's not here right now so it doesn't really matter, now does it?" Elizabeth told him.

"Come on Thomas. You know how stressful Elizabeth's life can be." William said as he took a seat.

"Yeah I know. Just messing with her." Thomas chuckled.

"The plane should be taking off any minute now." William told them. "So, are both of you ready?"

"Of course." Elizabeth told him. "The other teams have no chance at victory."

William let out a small chuckle. "I appreciate your enthusiasm Elizabeth, but it's best not to get too overconfident. We'll be facing teams from all over the world."

"You say to be cautious, yet you sound quite excited, William." Thomas said.

"Guilty as charged." William admitted. "But this is a good opportunity to test my skills. And I may even be able to improve, fighting against players from all over the world. And of course… that one other thing."

"You mean the new clan that was said to be in the tournament, don't you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Indeed." William said. "And I believe I may have found it."

Elizabeth and Thomas both raised a brow. "Is that so?" Thomas asked.

"Your family's information network sure is surprising." Elizabeth said. "You're sure this is the new clan?"

William pulled out a tablet and showed it to his two teammates. "Take a look for yourselves."

* * *

"Ah, these flowers smell lovely."

In an airport in France, one woman stood by a small area where several flowers were planted. The woman in question was at the age of twenty. Her long red hair flowed down to her waist, and her ruby red lips matched its color.

"Our plane will be boarding soon, Rose." another voice said. A girl of the same age as the red haired girl walked up next to her. Her curly black hair went a little down past her shoulders. "Best get ready."

"Yes, of course." the woman named Rose said with a nod. "Thank you Juliet."

"Hey, what's the holdup, you two?" a third one, this girl having short blonde hair, asked. "We're getting ready to board soon."

"Coming." Rose said as she and Juliet walked over to their third teammate. Once the doors opened for people to start boarding, flashes of cameras came as people took pictures of the three girls boarding the plane. Their beauty and elegance was matched only by their skills as cardfighters.

"I wonder how many little flowers will be blooming in this tournament." Rose said aloud as she walked with her teammates. "Or how prickly their thorns will be."

* * *

"Wow! This view is amazing!"

Sophia Perez stared out of the window of the plane as it soared through the air. They were flying out from Brazil to some country in Europe. She hadn't bothered to remember the name of the country. All that mattered to her was that she was getting the chance to go overseas and compete in the World Tournament. How many other 12 year old kids could say that?

She didn't live a very prosperous life, being stuck in an orphanage for as far back as she could remember. But Vanguard had at least been able to bring some joy out of it to her life. And she wasn't just a regular player. She was talented at the game. Even still, it shocked her when she and her teammates had won against the current Brazilian champions and made it to the world stage.

The view from when the plane had taken off was still stuck in her memory. Seeing all of the kids from the orphanage waving to her and wishing good luck from the airport. That was why she was here. Because of all of their support.

"Excuse me miss?" one of the flight attendants said as they came up to her. "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"Umm… do you have any apple juice?" Sophia asked.

The attendant nodded with a warm smile. "Of course miss." She reached into her assortment of snacks and pulled out a box of juice. "Here you are."

"Yay! Thank you!" Sophia said as she plucked the straw in and began sipping on her juice box.

"It's no trouble at all miss." the attendant said kindly as she moved onto the next passenger.

' _This is so exciting.'_ Sophia thought to herself. She reached into her bag and pulled out her deck, looking at the first card in it. ' _It's because of you I made it this far, Infinite Zero. Let's do our best and win for everyone at the orphanage.'_

She continued to sip on her juice as she plane soared through the air towards their destination.

* * *

Once morning came, Aurora and her team packed all of their things and headed off the campsite. It had been an exciting day of camping but they didn't have much time for a second day. After all, they left for the World Tournament tomorrow. They would spend today heading back home from their trip and getting ready for the tournament.

The train ride home wasn't too eventful. The three of them did discuss possible strategies for the tournament and what they had heard about teams from the other countries.

One thing did nag at Aurora's mind though. Dan's suggestion. To ask her father about her mother directly. It wasn't something she was keen on doing. But perhaps it was the right choice.

' _I'm not sure what to do. Should I ask him?'_ Aurora thought.

Once they arrived back at the train station from home, the three of them had each gone their separate ways, agreeing to meet up at the airport tomorrow morning.

It was a little before noon when Aurora had arrived back home. "Hey dad. I'm back."

"Welcome home, sweetie." her father greeted. "How was camping."

"It was great." Aurora said. "I'm gonna go get ready for tomorrow."

"Ok then." Ryuji said as he watched his daughter head upstairs. "I'll have lunch ready soon. I'll call you when it's ready."

"Ok then. Thanks dad." Aurora called back downstairs.

Once Aurora had unpacked everything from the camping trip, she worked on packing her suitcase for the World Tournament. She put in an assortment of outfits and other things she would need for the days she'd be overseas. Even after lunch, she worked on it. Fashion was just as important as Vanguard after all. But when she was finished, all that was left to do was examine her deck. Aurora laid on her bed, shifting through the cards in her deck. After playtesting and all of the thought she had put into what she knew about Star Chaser and Vanguard itself, this was the deck she had come up with using the new cards she had gotten from Yukari.

But the more she thought about it, the more the thought of her mother nagged at her. Before long, it was all she could think about. She slid her deck into its case and put it in her pocket as she contemplated on what to do.

' _Can I really ask dad about this? Would it be right? Would he even tell me the truth if she is alive after all?'_

Time had gone by faster than Aurora had realised because before long she heard her father call for her. "Aurora! Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" Aurora called back.

Aurora headed downstairs where the table was already set with dinner. She sat down with her father and the two of them began eating.

"So, are you excited for the tournament?" her father asked.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah."

Ryuji narrowed his eyes. "You alright, Aurora? You don't seem too excited like you did earlier."

"Well… the thing is…" Aurora contemplated on whether she should do it or not. But finally she made a decision. "Dad I have a question."

"Sure dear. What is it?" he asked.

Aurora took a deep breath before staring her father directly in the eyes. "I want you to tell me the truth. Is mom really dead?"

 **Anthony: Man, that camping trip was a blast.**

 **Dan: It was interesting to try out. We should do it again sometime.**

 **Aurora: Yeah…**

 **Dan: Aurora? You ok?**

 **Aurora: Yes, I'm fine. I just feel like there's about to be a whole lot of drama coming my way.**

 **Next time: Sightless Vision**


	17. Sightless Vision

**A/N: Well everyone, I know you're probably dying to see what happens after the cliffhanger from last chapter. So here it is. Enjoy.**

 **Also, Sarah and the characters of Team Sightless Vision belong to Marcus Cersy. AKA Ion Gree. If you haven't read his work, I seriously recommend it. His stories rock.**

An awkward silence fell over the dinner table as Aurora and her father stared at each other. Aurora's question had caught her father completely off guard as he blinked in surprise.

"A-Aurora… what are you talking about?" Ryuji asked.

"I asked you whether mom is really dead or not." Aurora told him. "Please dad, I just really need an answer."

"I… I…" Ryuji didn't know how to react to the sudden question. He glanced away from his daughter's pleading eyes.

Her father's actions were answer enough for Aurora. "It _is_ true, isn't it? Mom really is alive."

"Aurora-"

"Tell me the truth dad!" Aurora demanded.

A long moment of silence passed before Ryuji finally sighed. "Who told you?"

"That's not important right now." Aurora told him. "I want to know why. Why have you been lying to me about mom all this time? And where is she?"

Ryuji shook his head. "I'm sorry Aurora, but I can't tell you that."

"Can't or won't?"

"Aurora-"

"Damnit dad, how could you do this?!" Aurora yelled at him. "All my life you've told me that mom died when I was a baby! How could you lie to me like that?!"

"Watch your tone, young lady." Ryuji told her sternly. "I am still your father."

"A father that's lied to his daughter her entire life."

"Aurora, now that's uncalled for."

"Oh it is _more_ than called for!" Aurora said. "Do you have any idea how much I've wondered about mom?! What she was like?! Who she was?! And all this time she's actually been alive?!"

Ryuji couldn't bear to look his daughter in the eyes with the tears flowing down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Aurora."

"If you're really sorry then you'll tell me the truth." Aurora glared. "Tell me about my mother. Everything."

"I…"

Aurora slammed her hands on the table. "DAMNIT DAD, TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"That's enough!" Ryuji yelled back. "This discussion is over, young lady! Go to your room!"

Aurora was stunned into silence by her father. More tears emerged from her eyes as she ran from the dinner table. But instead of going to her room, she ran out the front door crying.

"Aurora?!" Ryuji exclaimed with widened eyes. He quickly ran after his daughter. But when he got outside, he couldn't see where she was. It was too dark to get a good view. "Aurora, come back!"

Aurora ran. She ran and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to get away. She wasn't sure how far she had gone before she finally stopped. But when she looked around at her surroundings, she could tell it was a pretty long distance.

' _How… How could you , dad?'_ Aurora asked herself as she tried to wipe her eyes. ' _Do you really care that little about how I felt all this time?'_

Aurora took a moment to collect herself and sort out her thoughts. She couldn't go back home. At least not yet. She didn't want to face her father after everything that had just happened. She didn't even want to see his face.

' _Ok… who could I go to right now? Anthony's place? No, he's got his folks over. I'm sure he has enough to deal with.'_ she thought. ' _Dan's? It is a bit of a walk, but seeing my options I don't have much choice.'_

Aurora began making her way to Dan's house. As she did, she pulled out her phone to call him.

* * *

Dan sat in his room with his deck spread out before him. He had an idea of what he wanted for the majority of his deck. But two cards laid out before him. Happiness Collector and Cat Knight in High Boots. His mind still thought about Keiko's words when he had fought her and Mai with Anthony.

" _You refuse to make a decision, trying to get the best of both. I'm sure you've seen the result."_

' _She's right. Frankly, I've relied too much on trying to get Happiness Collector into my soul from my deck.'_ Dan thought. ' _Using them both, I've tried to get out an easy field while also increasing my hand size. But it's not always that easy.'_ He looked at the G Unit he had received from Jasmine. ' _But with this, I might just be able to do it. However, I'm going to have to say goodbye to one of them.'_

As he thought to himself, Dan heard his phone ring. He looked at it, seeing it was Aurora calling him and answered it right away. "Hey Aurora. What's up?"

"Hey Dan…"

Dan narrowed his eyes when he heard the depressed tone coming from his friend. "Is everything alright?"

"It's a long story." Aurora told him. "If it's not too much trouble… do you think I could come to your place and stay there for the night?"

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise. "Uh… yeah sure. I think so."

"Thanks." Aurora said. "I'll be there soon."

With that, she hung up. Dan wasn't sure what was going on with his team leader but something definitely wasn't right. He put his cards away and waited for Aurora to arrive. Nearly half an hour passed by before he finally heard the doorbell ring. He answered the door, finding Aurora standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey." Aurora greeted.

Dan opened the door and let his friend in. "What happened Aurora? Does your dad know you're here?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He…" Tears began to form in her eyes. "That insensitive jerk doesn't care one bit about me!"

"W-Woah! Aurora, calm down for a second." Dan said. He led her over to the couch and sat down with her. "Ok, now what exactly happened?"

Aurora went on to explain everything that had happened. About how she had asked her father about her mother and his reaction. As she told the story, tears flowed down her eyes. "It's just… it's not fair! All I want is to know the truth about my mother! Is that so wrong?!"

Dan embraced his friend as Aurora cried. He rubbed her back soothingly. "It's going to be alright. I know it doesn't look that way right now but I'm sure your dad cares about you."

"Dan?" A new voice spoke up as a woman walked into the room. Her eyes blinked when she saw Dan hugging the crying Aurora. "Um… care to explain what's going on?"

"Oh right. Sorry." Dan said as he separated from Aurora. "This is Aurora Fujou. The friend I told you about." He turned his gaze back to Aurora. "Aurora, this is my mom."

Aurora quickly wiped her eyes. "Hello Mrs. Kisha. It's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise." the woman said. "Dan already said you'd be staying for the night. But do your parents know you're here?"

"Well… not exactly."

Dan's mother sighed. "Dan, I am not comfortable letting this girl hide here from her parents, even if she's your friend."

"Parent, actually. She lives with her dad." Dan corrected. "And I'll call him and try to straighten things out."

His mother was silent for a minute before finally nodding. "Very well. But if he's not ok with her staying the night here, then she has to go back with him. I'm sure he's worried about her."

Dan nodded in agreement. "Alright mom."

The woman left the room and Aurora looked at her friend. "Dan…"

"Look Aurora, I know you're mad at him right now, but I agree with my mom. I'm sure your dad is worried and he deserves to know where you are." Dan told her. "I'll try and convince him to let you stay here for the night."

Aurora sighed and gave in. "Fine."

Dan stepped out of the room and called Aurora's father with his cell phone. After a few rings, he picked up. "Hello Mr. Fujou."

"Dan, has Aurora contacted you at all?! She ran away and I can't find her anywhere!" Ryuji spoke frantically from the other end.

"Actually, Aurora's here right now." Dan explained. "She showed up a few minutes ago."

"She's there?!" A sigh of relief escaped Ryuji knowing his daughter was safe. "Alright, I'll be there soon to-"

"I'm not actually sure that's a good idea." Dan said. "Look, I don't know the details of what happened between you and her but she's really mad at you right now. If you came here, I think it'd only make her angrier."

"But she's-"

"If it's alright with you sir, she's welcome to stay the night here." Dan told him. "I think it'd be best to give her some distance. At least until she calms down."

Ryuji contemplated this. Usually he wouldn't feel comfortable about Aurora staying at a boy's house, but he knew Dan was a good kid that wouldn't take advantage of Aurora. And he did raise a fair point about Aurora's emotional state right now. Finally he gave in. "Alright. But you kids are leaving for overseas tomorrow. I'll meet you at the airport with Aurora's suitcase. I want to talk with her too."

"Alright then." Dan said. "We'll see you tomorrow."

With the phone call ended, Dan walked back into the living room where he had left Aurora. The blonde girl looked at him. "Well?"

"He said he's ok with letting you stay the night." Dan told her. "He's going to meet us with the airport tomorrow with the stuff you packed."

"Alright…" Aurora said. "Dan… I'm sorry about this. For troubling you like this. And for letting you see me in such a pathetic state."

Dan shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about Aurora. We're friends after all." He looked at her caringly. "You even went so far as to get my card back from those guys from Demon's Den. I couldn't begin to repay you for that. It… well it meant a lot to me."

Aurora showed a small smile on her face. "It was nothing." She laid down on the couch and closed her eyes. "You mind if I take up your couch?"

"Not at all." Dan said. "Goodnight Aurora."

"Goodnight Dan." Aurora said. Within seconds, it already seemed the blonde girl was fast asleep, no doubt tired from the stress of everything that had happened tonight.

Dan quietly turned off the lights and walked out of the room. He took one more look at Aurora's sleeping position. ' _I promise Aurora, I'll help you find the truth about your mother. Whatever it takes, we will win the World Tournament together.'_

With that last thought, he walked upstairs to his room to go to bed.

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

Anthony let out a yawn as he sat in the airport. It was still a bit on the early side, but he was all ready to go. Their plane was set to start boarding in a few minutes. Before long, he and his teammates would be overseas fighting against the best of the world.

"Hey Anthony." the teen turned to see Dan and Aurora walking up to him. "Surprised to see you here first."

"Heh, well what can I say? I couldn't wait to get going." Anthony smirked. "So what happened? You two meet up by the entrance or something?"

"Yeah… something like that." Aurora said. She wasn't entirely keen on letting Anthony know the details of what had happened last night.

"Aurora."

The sound of the familiar voice made Aurora let out a small sigh. She turned to see her father walking over to them, with her suitcase at his side.

"Dad." Aurora said back with a cold tone.

"Aurora, please listen." he said. "I-"

"If you have anything to say, then it better be an explanation about mom." Aurora told him sternly.

Her father shook his head. "Aurora, I'm sorry but I can't-"

"Then I don't want to listen to another word. And for that matter, I don't want to see your face, either." she said.

Anthony narrowed his eyes, confused on what the tension was all about. He leaned in towards Dan and whispered to him. "Mind filling me in here?"

"I'll explain later." Dan whispered back.

" _Now boarding for Flight 239."_ an electronic voice spoke by the gate. " _Flight 239 is now boarding."_

Aurora grabbed her suitcase from her father and stormed off, not even bothering to give him a goodbye. "Let's go."

Ryuji let out a sigh as he watched his daughter walk away from him. He looked to her two teammates. "Dan. Anthony. Please look after her. I'd go with you all myself, but I doubt Aurora would want me around right now. So please. Keep her safe for me."

Dan nodded his head. "We promise Mr. Fujou."

"Don't worry about a thing." Anthony assured him with a thumbs up.

Ryuji bowed his head. "Thank you."

Dan and Anthony both headed for the gate following after Aurora. They all got on the plane together, finding their seats together in the same row.

Anthony looked at Aurora after they all sat down. "So mind telling me what _that_ was all about?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Aurora said as she pulled out a headset and put it over her ears to listen to some music.

Anthony looked at Dan, who shook his head as if to say it was best left alone for now. They waited as all the seats were filled up. Before long, the plane took off into the sky. The pilot's voice came through the speaker as they soared through the air.

" _Thank you for traveling with our airlines today. We hope you have a relaxing flight as we make our way to Rome, Italy."_

It would be quite awhile to get to Italy from Japan so they had a long flight ahead of them. Luckily, the Tatsunagi Corporation was flying all the participants first class, which came with small television on the back of the seats for people to watch. Dan put the earbuds provided in and turned his on, shifting through the channels. Eventually, he stopped on one that showed an interesting event.

"And here we are at the semi-finals for the Wild Card Round in the Vanguard World Tournament." an announcer spoke. Dan recognized the voice as Sachi's. "This has been an exciting match so far here in Rome, Italy."

The mention of the World Tournament caught both Anthony and Aurora's attention as they looked at Dan's screen. "What's that? The World Tournament can't have started already, could it?" Anthony asked.

"It's the Wild Card Round." Dan told him.

"Wild Card Round?" Anthony questioned.

"Yeah, I remember hearing about that." Aurora said. "Apparently all the teams that showed promise in the preliminary tournaments around the world were hand picked by the Tatsunagi Corporation for a second chance at getting in. There's sixty four teams from across the participating countries and they're all fighting in a big tournament for the last spot. It's been going on since yesterday."

Anthony and Aurora turned their own tvs on and put their earbuds in. "This I gotta see." Anthony said.

* * *

"This has been one exciting game so far folks!" Sachi spoke to the crowd. "Both of these teams are giving it their all for a chance to have a second chance at the World Tournament."

The crowd roared with excitement as they watched the game. Currently fighting was a teenage girl with long golden blonde hair that fell to her waist and purple eyes. She wore a purple t-shirt with black stripes, as well as a black shirt that fell to her knees. A pair of black boots were on her feet. Her opponent was a guy who also had blonde hair, but combed in a sleek fashion. He wore a pair of shades over his eyes.

"Sarah Radcliffe of Team Sightless Vision just finished her turn, putting her opponent at three damage." Sachi explained. "But now it's Johnny Princeton's turn. And he's out looking to get the win his team needs. Especially after their loss in the first game of the match."

Looking at the field, the blonde girl known as Sarah was at grade 3 with Alter Ego Neo Messiah as her Vanguard. Johnny on the other hand was at grade 2. But now it was his turn to ride to grade 3 which would give him the advantage of striding first.

"Hey yo, get ready for my sweet ride!" Johnny said as he started his turn. "I stand and draw. Then I ride the greatest fruit. He's gonna give your chances at winning the boot. Now watch as your dreams go kapoot. Yeah baby, I ride Yeah What Pineapple!"

 **Yeah What Pineapple**

 **Grade 3 , Power: 11000**

The Motion Figure System showed Johnny's Vanguard appear. It was a humanoid orange pineapple with shades over its eyes. Johnny grabbed a card from his hand that everyone assumed would be used as the cost to stride, but to everyone's surprise he instead called it out. "I call Hey Yo Pineapple to rear guard!"

"What's this?!" Sachi gasped in shock. "Johnny Princeton has the advantage to stride first, but he decides not to! Does he not have the cards to pay the cost?!"

Johnny smirked. "Heh, who needs striding? Let me show you what my deck can do." He held his hand over his deck. "Seek mate!" At his command, four cards from his drop zone moved to his deck. Then one card flew out from it and into his hand. "Hey yo! Yeah what?! The powers of these two cool fruits combine into one! With Yeah What Pineapple and Hey Yo Pineapple, Legion!"

With that, the Hey Yo Pineapple Johnny got from his deck appeared on the Vanguard circle alongside Yeah What Pineapple.

"Incredible!" Sachi exclaimed. "Rather than striding, Johnny Princeton has opted to use the ability to legion that his Vanguard has! Now two units are on the Vanguard circle together, their combined power put together as one!"

"Interesting move." Sarah said. "However, with the 11000 power of your grade 3 and the 8000 power of your grade 2, the total power is only at 19000. Was it really worth it?"

"Just you watch girlie." Johnny said. "These dudes may be foods, but you better believe they got some attitude. I activate Yeah What Pineapple's Legion skill! I counterblast and look at the top five cards of my deck! Then I can select up to 2 Dryad units among them and call them to rear guard!" As the top five cards appeared before him, Johnny smirked. "Well whadya know? Just what I wanted. I choose the two Hey Yo Pineapple's among them and call them to rear guard! They both gain 5000 power, as does my Vanguard!"

The two Hey Yo Pineapples appeared together in the same column. That brought him up to four rear guards counting the other Hey Yo Pineapple he called to his other front row rear guard circle and his grade 0 behind his Vanguard. Sarah narrowed her eyes. ' _He's got all four copies of Hey Yo Pineapple out on the field. But why call a grade 2 to the back row?'_

"Check this out yo!" Johnny said. "With these smooth moves, we'll show you our groove! Yeah What Pineapple's skill! As long as I have four or more rear guards, all my rear guards gain 5000 power and Resist! In addition, Yeah What Pineapple's power increases by 1000 for every Hey Yo Pineapple on the field!"

Sarah gasped. With four Hey Yo Pineapple's out, his Vanguard's power was up by 4000, not to mention his rear guards all getting a 5000 point boost and becoming unable to target with her skills.

"Oh, one thing I should mention." Johnny added. "That power boost to my Vanguard is a continuous ability. So even on your turn, my Vanguard will still be sitting pretty at an extra 4000 power, unless you can get rid of my Hey Yo Pineapple rear guards. But since they have Resist now, that ain't happening blondie!"

' _That's going to be an annoying skill to work around.'_ Sarah thought. ' _Even if he loses Hey Yo Pineapple's 8000 power during my turn, he'll still be at 15000 power. He's got an impressive mix of offense and defense with that unit.'_

"Next I use Ringer Paprika's skill yo. I send it to the soul and give the Hey Yo Pineapple in my backrow the ability to Boost until the end of the turn." Johnny said. "Next to fill in our missing fourth rear guard, I call Mean Green Tangerine behind my other front row Hey Yo Pineapple. And with four rear guards out again, my homies gain their 5000 power and Resist from my Vanguard's skill. In addition, Tangerine's skill activates when placed on the rear guard yo. I choose one of my units, which will be Hey Yo Pineapple. Now for every one of that unit on the field, 2000 power is added to Mean Green Tangerine. There's four out so that's 8000 power yo!"

Sarah grit her teeth. Her opponent just kept increasing the power of his units more and more. ' _No! I can't give up here! I have to win this! For myself… and for Kimiko.'_

"Yo! Yo! Yo! Just watch as me and my team take home the gold!" Johnny said. "Boosted by Mean Green Tangerine, Hey Yo Pineapple attacks! And with Hey Yo Pineapple's skill 3000 power is added since I have four or more units!"

 **(8000+3000+5000+7000+5000+8000=36000)**

"Generation guard!" Sarah declared. "Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer! With its skill, I soul blast and add 5000 to the shield since I have a Messiah Vanguard!" She then threw down a critical trigger. "I also guard with this!"

"Well then get ready for this camaraderie! It's too late for an apology!" Johnny said. "Yeah What Pineapple and Hey Yo Pineapple! Legion attack!"

 **(19000+4000+5000+3000=31000)**

"No guard." Sarah said. ' _Since he's not using a G Unit, he only has twin drive. I'm at three damage so he'd need two critical triggers to finish me, which I doubt he can pull.'_

"Twin drive." Johnny said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to my standing rear guard Pineapple and critical to the Vanguard yo!"

"Damage check." Sarah said. Both of the triggers that fell into her damage zone weren't triggers like she had wanted.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Johnny(3).]**

"With my pair of Hey Yo Pineapples, one last attack is coming yo!"

 **(8000+5000+5000+5000+3000+8000+5000+5000=44000)**

"No chance! Perfect guard!" Sarach declared.

"My turn's a wrap. Now try your best, ya poor sap."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sarah(3), Johnny(6).]**

' _This guy's rapping is getting really old.'_ Sarah thought. "Stand and draw." She took a card from her hand and discarded it. "Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Amnesty Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Amnesty Messiah**

 **Grade: 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill of Alter Ego Neo Messiah! One rear guard from each player is locked!"

"Too bad you can't lock mine though! All my rear guards have Resist!"

"Then I'll just have to settle for one of my own. I lock my rear guard Neon Messiah. Then I call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmission and Dunamis Messiah."

With that, Sarah's field now consisted of her Vanguard, the locked Neon Messiah behind it, one rear guard column of the Lady Fencer and Dunamis Messiah she had just called, and a Myga Messiah in the front row of her other column.

"With Lady Fencer's skill, she gains 2000 power whenever she's called to rear guard or unlocked." Sarah explained. "With a boost from Dunamis Messiah, Lady Fencer of Matter Transmission attacks! Lady Fencer's other skill! I soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"As if yo! I guard!" Johnny said as he held up the critical trigger he had gotten last turn.

"Since I used Lady Fencer's skill, she locks herself at the end of the battle." Sarah said. "However, now I use Dunamis Messiah's skill. I soul blast, choose one of my locked rear guards, unlock it, then lock Dunamis. Afterwards, I can give one of my units 4000 power. I unlock Lady Fencer and give it the 4000 power."

"And just like that, Sarah Radcliffe locks one of her rear guards only to unlock it immediately with another skill!" Sachi spoke. "And since rear guards stand when unlocked, her Lady Fencer is posed to attack once again!"

"Lady Fencer, attack his Vanguard!" Sarah called out. "Using her skill to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+4000+5000=20000)**

"No guard." Johnny said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Johnny(4).]**

"Like before, Lady Fencer is locked due to using her skill." Sarah said. "Next, Myga Messiah will attack! It's skill adds 2000 power for each of my locked units!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"Your weak attacks don't mean squat yo! I guard!" he said as he used a grade 2 from his hand.

"I activate Myga's skill. At the end of the battle, I lock Myga. Then I look at the top three cards of the deck and call one card among them to rear guard as locked." Sarah checked the top three cards. "I call Sacrifice Messiah behind Myga as locked."

"Big deal yo! You may have a full field, but all your rear guards are locked! All that's left is your Vanguard and I can block that no problem!"

A smirk formed on Sarah's lips. "Are you sure?" She called out her next attack. "Amnesty Messiah attacks the Vanguard! Using Amnesty's skill! I counterblast and unlock as many rear guards as I wish!"

"Say what now?!" Johnny gasped.

"I choose to unlock every single one of my rear guards!" Sarah said. "For every rear guard I unlock this way, 3000 power is added to my Vanguard! In addition, since three or more were unlocked, my Vanguard gains a critical!"

"Woah, woah, woah! Slow down a sec!"

"If you liked that then you'll love this! With Neon Messiah's skill, since it was unlocked I can send it to the soul. Then I search my deck for a grade 3 Messiah and add it to my hand. I add Ideal Ego Messiah to hand."

 **(26000+15000=41000)**

Johnny quickly held up a perfect guard from his hand. "100% Orange will 100% block that attack!"

"Fine with me. Triple drive." Sarah said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lady Fencer."

"No way yo!"

"Third check" Sarah grinned as she showed the card to her opponent. "Critical trigger. Power to Lady Fencer and critical to Myga Messiah."

"A double critical!" Sachi exclaimed. "With that triple drive, Johnny Princeton is going to have a tough time guarding with the two cards he's got in his hand."

"With Dunamis Messiah's boost, go Lady Fencer!" Sarach declared. "With her skill, 5000 power is added and I soul charge!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+10000+7000=33000)**

"G-Guard!" Johnny said as he held up a grade 0 and 1 from his hand. "I also intercept with Hey Yo Pineapple!"

"And with that your out of cards in your hand to guard with." Sarah grinned. "And since you used one of your Hey Yo Pineapples, your Vanguard looses 1000 power. And lets not forget that guard brought you down to three rear guards, meaning your Vanguard can't protect them anymore."

"She… She totally played me…" Johnny gasped.

"Lady Fencer's skill. I lock her. Then Dunamis's skill locks itself and unlocks Lady Fencer. Adding 4000 to Myga Messiah. Next I use Sacrifice Messiah's skill to lock itself so I can countercharge and add 3000 to Myga." Sarah went in for the next strike. "Lady Fencer, attack! Once again I use her skill!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Johnny(5).]**

"Lady Fencer locks itself. And now Myga Messiah will deliver the finishing blow."

 **(9000+4000+3000+6000=22000)**

"No guard…" Johnny said. "Damage check…" He turned the last card over, not getting the heal trigger he needed.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Johnny(6).]**

"And there you have it!" Sachi declared. "The winner is Sarah Radcliffe of Team Sightless Vision from Japan! With two wins and no losses, they triumph of the the American Team Funky Groove and move on to the finals! There they will face off against Team Genius Prodigy! Who would have thought that two teams from the same country would make it to the finals of the Wild Card round?!"

Sarah walked over to her two teammates. Besides herself there were two others with her, both male. The first was a brown haired teen with hazel eyes. He wore a green polo shirt with black pockets. His shorts were also black, along with his black and green sneakers. The other wore a white jacket over a red t-shirt, along with a pair of black pants and boots. His hair was short and black, while his eyes were an ice cold blue. From the looks of things, he was the leader.

"What kind of fight will these two teams show us?! You'll just have to wait until the finals tomorrow to find out!" Sachi said. "Until then viewers!"

* * *

After Sachi's words, it went to commercial. Anthony let out a slightly impressed whistle. "That girl's got game."

"And she wasn't even the leader. I wonder how strong her teammates are." Dan pointed out.

"Team Sightless Vision. They made it to the top 8 if I recall, didn't they?" Aurora asked.

Dan nodded his head. "I think so. They lost to Genius Prodigy in that round I believe."

"So it's a rematch from back then? Well that should be at least a little entertaining." Anthony said. "Nothing we have to worry about though. I'm gonna get some rest before we land."

With that, Anthony closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. Aurora put her headset back on to listen to music once again while Dan watched tv. As they flew, Aurora couldn't help but think about the fight she had just seen.

' _Team Sightless Vision… Team Genius Prodigy… Whichever wins will make it to the World Tournament. That means whoever wins will become yet another obstacle in our path to victory.'_

 **Dan: I've never been overseas before. I wonder what Rome is like.**

 **Anthony: It can't be that different, can it? Besides, all that matters here is kicking butt in the tournament.**

 **Aurora: How can you say that? We'll be in Rome. That means there's one thing we've gotta do.**

 **Anthony: What's that?**

 **Aurora: Shopping!**

 **Dan: Somehow I had a feeling you'd say that.**

 **Next time: When in Rome**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Yeah What Pineapple

Grade 3

Power: 11000

 **ACT VC:** **Legion (19000) [Hey Yo Pineapple]**

 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** CB1 If this unit is in Legion, look at the top 5 cards of your deck, search for up to 2 Dryads and call them to RC. Those units and this unit gain +5000 power until end of turn.

 **CONT VC:** If you have 4 or more rear guards, all your rear guards gain +5000 power and **Resist**.

 **CONT VC:** This unit gains +1000 power for each Hey Yo Pineapple on your field.

* * *

Mean Green Tangerine

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **AUTO RC:** When this unit boosts, choose one of your other Dryad rear guards. For each of your units with the same name as that unit, this unit gains 2000 power until the end of the battle.


	18. When in Rome

**A/N: What's up readers? Time for the new chapter, as well as the introduction for a few new characters. Hope you all enjoy it.**

"Woohoo! Hello Rome!" Aurora called out as she exited the airport.

Dan and Anthony exited the airport following their friend. "Well, someone's sure excited." Dan said.

"Can you blame me?" Aurora asked. "We're finally here in Rome! And now we'll be in the World Tournament!"

"It sure wasn't easy getting here." Dan said. "But now the real test begins."

"And we'll be the ones that come out on top." Anthony added. "Whaddya say we check out the stadium?"

"There'll be time for that later." Dan told him. "First, we should find our hotel and check in."

"Dan's right." Aurora nodded in agreement. "Once we check into our rooms and put our stuff away we can explore the city."

With that, the team of three walked out. Right by the street they saw a limo with a driver outside holding a sign that read "Team Cosmic Trio". Aurora and her teammates looked at each other before walking up to the well dressed man.

"Umm… excuse me?" Aurora asked.

"Ah yes. I presume you three are Team Cosmic Trio from Japan?" the man asked politely. The three teens nodded in response. "Splendid. I'm here to drive you to the hotel the participants will be staying at on behalf of the Tatsunagi Group."

"That's certainly nice." Aurora said. "Thank you very much."

"It's no trouble at all, miss."

Aurora, Dan, and Anthony all got into the limo and the driver drove them away from the airport. As they made their way to the hotel, they saw the streets of Rome, watching in amazement at everything. It was all so new to them.

"Come to think of it, you were born in Europe, weren't you Anthony?" Dan asked.

He nodded his head. "Yeah. Spain to be more precise. But with how often my parents were out traveling, they felt it best for me to stay with my aunt and uncle in Japan."

"I wonder what Spain's team will be like." Aurora said. "Actually, I'm curious about all the different teams from around the world."

"Well there's one team per country, plus whoever wins the Wild Card Tournament." Dan pointed out. "That's a lot to work with."

"Oh yeah, the finals for Wild Card Round is today, isn't it?!" Anthony realized. "It's Genius Prodigy against… um… what was their name again? The one with that girl that used Messiah."

"Sightless Vision if I remember correctly." Dan said. "And the finals start this afternoon. So we've got plenty of time until then."

"They begin at 3pm sharp, to be precise." the driver said to them. "The hotel should have directions to the stadium. It shouldn't be too far of a walk from there."

"That's convenient." Dan noted.

After a bit more time passed, the driver finally pulled up at the hotel. "Here we are."

Getting out of the car, Team Cosmic Trio stared at the fancy tall building they'd be staying at. Dan let out a low whistle of surprise.

With a polite bow, the driver took off. The team walked inside and walked over to the concierge.

"Excuse me. We're here to check in." Aurora said.

"Ah yes, you must be one of the teams competing in the tournament." the woman said. "May I have your name please?"

"Team Cosmic Trio. I'm Aurora Fujou." Aurora said. "These are my teammates, Dan Kisha and Anthony Ferges."

The concierge scanned the list of participants as she looked for the name. "Ah yes here we are. You three will be staying in Rooms 110, 112, and 113." She handed them each a card. "Here are your room keys. Please keep them with you at all times."

The three teens thanked the concierge before heading to their rooms. They each agreed to meet up within half an hour to give themselves time to unpack.

Once in her room, Aurora crashed onto her bed. It had been an exhausting time, considering everything that had happened the night before their departure.

' _Why dad… Why couldn't you just tell me the truth?'_ Aurora shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _Forget him! All I need to do now is focus on winning. Then I'll learn the truth.'_

Aurora quickly unpacked all of her things and took a shower to freshen up. When she was finished, she changed into a new outfit for her debut in Rome. A pink sleeveless top and a pair of blue shorts. Aurora had her deck with her, just in case. After all, she never knew if they might come across something interesting.

Eventually a knock was heard at the door to her room. "Aurora? You done yet?"

"Coming!" Aurora called out as she ran over to the door and opened it up. She was greeted by the impatient looking faces of her two teammates. Dan was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and brown shorts. Anthony had on a black shirt and white shorts.

"Took you long enough." Anthony said. "It's been forty five minutes. What happened to under half an hour?"

"Hey, a girl's gotta make sure she looks perfect. Especially when she's overseas." Aurora said. "Boys like you two wouldn't understand."

Dan and Anthony rolled their eyes at the comment as they both headed down to the lobby with Aurora following them. As they walked outside the hotel, Dan looked at the pamflet they had been provided about the city. "Ok… now where should we go first?"

"Well, well, aren't you two a pair of cute boys?" a new voice spoke up.

"Huh?" Both Dan and Anthony turned to see who the voice belonged to. Both of their eyes widened. It was a girl, roughly around the age of twenty. Her red hair had a brilliant sheen to it, along with her ruby red lips. Part of their shock was due to the stunning beauty of the girl. But the main reason was because they both recognized her.

"You're Rose Orchards…" Dan gasped in shock. "The French Champion…"

"So you've heard of me? I'm flattered." Rose giggled innocently.

Of course they had heard of her. Anyone who kept up to date with worldwide Vanguard knew the name Rose Orchards. She was a cardfighting queen, holding the title of French Champion, as well as being one of the Euro League's top fighters.

Anthony was the first to regain his composure. "S-So what can we do for you?"

"I just couldn't help myself. A couple of handsome boys like you are a rare treat." Rose said with a smile. "Are you both participating in the tournament?"

Aurora had seen enough and stepped forward. "Yes, they're with me. Me and these two lovestruck idiots here are Team Cosmic Trio."

"Lovestruck idiots?" Dan and Anthony questioned simultaneously.

"Cosmic Trio? Can't say I've heard of you." Rose said. "Are you really all that strong?"

Aurora reached for her deck, glad that she had brought it along. "Wanna find out?"

Rose let out a giggle. "Sounds like fun."

Before Aurora and Rose could continue, a new voice spoke up. "Alright Rose, that's enough. There's no need to antagonize the newbies." All heads turned to see another person walk up. He was male and seemed to be the same age as Rose. His blonde hair was combed neatly and he wore a fancy white jacket.

Rose pouted. "Aw, you're always spoiling my fun, William."

The man known as William walked up and showed a smile to Aurora's team. "You'll have to forgive Rose here. She's actually a nice person, she just likes to tease certain people."

Dan's eyes widened. "You're-"

"You're William Lewis!" Aurora exclaimed as her eyes sparkled and a big grin came to her face. "Oh my gosh, I'm such a big fan! I've seen all your biggest cardfights! You're amazing!"

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Now who's acting like a lovestruck idiot?"

William let out a light-hearted chuckle. "I'm not all that great, really. Just a regular cardfighter."

"Always the modest one, aren't you William?" Rose commented. "It has been awhile since we last played each other. Care to go a round?"

"Actually, I'm more interested in this girl over here." William said, looking at Aurora.

Aurora's eyes widened as she blushed. "Wh-What? M-Me? Oh, I'm not that special."

"I wouldn't quite say that. You are Aurora Fujou, correct?" William said. "The girl with the new clan?"

Aurora's eyes blinked in surprise. "Huh, you've heard of me?!"

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Uhh… William? She's not the one with the new clan."

William looked at Rose with a confused expression. "Yes she is."

"No she's not."

"Yes she is."

"No she's not."

"Yes I am." Aurora said. She pulled out her deck and showed it to Rose. "See for yourself."

Rose took a look at the deck as her expression became the confused one. "Star Chaser? This isn't the clan I heard about."

"Well what did you hear then?" William asked. "My info sources found her without much difficulty."

"Then what about the American team? The one who's leader uses Conquest Empire." Rose asked as she handed Aurora's deck back to her.

The group all looked at each other with narrowed eyes. "Conquest Empire?" Aurora asked. "Never heard of it."

Rose took out her phone and quickly brought up a video. "Take a look at this. It's the finals for the preliminary tournament in America."

Everyone leaned in to get a look at the video. The screen showed a cardfight going on. One side was filled with units none of them had ever seen before.

"General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander attacks the Vanguard!" the player said.

"No guard…" the other player said grimly. The sixth damage fell into his damage zone and the game ended.

William blinked his eyes in surprise. "This is certainly news to me. I did hear that the winners of the tournament in America beat the current champions. But I wasn't aware their leader had a new clan."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Anthony said. "Yukari said there was only one team with a new clan, right?"

' _Actually… it might make perfect sense.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Yukari mentioned that the intergalactic empire was using someone in the tournament. And with a clan name Conquest Empire, chances are it's him.'_ She glanced over at Dan and could tell he was thinking the same thing.

"I guess it'll be explained when the tournament begins." William said. "In any case, do you all have plans?"

"Huh? Us?" Aurora asked. "No, not really. We were just going to sightsee until the Wild Card Round finals started."

"Well in that case, I think I know a place you'll all enjoy." William told them. "There's a good card shop in the area. I try to visit it whenever I'm here for the Euro League."

"Ah, you're talking about _that_ one, aren't you?" Rose asked.

William nodded his head in confirmation before looking at Team Cosmic Trio. "Come on. I'll lead the way."

Deciding to trust William, Aurora and her team followed him along with Rose. It was a little nerve wracking for them, being with not just one but two famous fighters. It was clear several others knew of William and Rose's reputation based on the looks they got from passersbys as they walked.

After a short walk, they finally arrived at the shop William had spoke of. As they walked inside, none of them saw anything especially out of the ordinary. It looked like a regular card shop, similar to Card Galaxy back in Japan.

The man behind the counter they could only assume was the owner greeted them with a smile. "Ah, William. It's been too long."

"Hello Angello." William said with a wave. "I hope business has been treating you well. How's the family?"

"Ah, there doing great. And business has been as good as always. Of course the times you visit here always help." the man known as Angelo let out a hearty laugh. "And miss Rose. Always nice to see your lovely face too."

"Hello Angelo." Rose said with a bow.

Angelo looked over at Aurora and her team. "And who are these three you've brought with you? I don't recognize them."

"Oh um… hello sir." Aurora greeted with a bow. "My name is Aurora Fujou. My friends and I are here representing Japan in the World Tournament."

"Ah, from Japan eh? Well good luck. You'll have a hard time beating William and Rose here."

"Actually Angelo, Aurora here is the one with the new clan, Star Chaser." William explained.

Angelo's eyes widened. "Seriously?!" He turned back to Aurora. "M-Miss Aurora, would you mind terribly if I have a look at this new clan?"

"Not at all." Aurora said. She handed her deck over to him.

Angelo looked through the cards, his eyes gleaming. "Mamma mia. These are exquisite. The artwork. Such beauty."

"Angelo's a bit of a collector." William explained. "He just loves seeing rare cards."

After looking through the deck, Angelo handed them back to Aurora. "Young miss, than you for letting me see these. I am very much looking forward to seeing them in action at the tournament."

"No problem, sir." Aurora told him.

"I must say, I'm surprised that no one's come to greet us." William said. "All the kids here usually swarm the area whenever I show up."

"Well… there probably a bit distracted right now." Angelo said with a chuckle. "A rather unique group showed up here a bit before you all did."

"Unique group?" Aurora asked.

"Followers of evil! Bow down before our righteous power!"

The voice caused all of Team Cosmic Trio to widen their eyes.

"No…" Aurora and Dan groaned.

"Yes…" Anthony squealed.

Sure enough, as they walked over and saw the cardfight going on in the fighting area below them, there was three costume wearing cardfighters. Team Star Gate Sentai.

"Go! Bravest Peak, X-Gallop! Attack the Vanguard!" Golden Spark called out.

"I-It's too powerful…" his opponent said. "Damage check… no trigger." With that, the player was at six damage. "I lost…"

"Fret not, young one! For that was a valiant effort in facing against a true hero of justice!"

Aurora groaned as she face palmed herself. "Not these idiots again…"

"You know them?" William asked. "They're certainly a… colorful group."

"We fought them in the preliminary tournament in Japan." Dan explained, equally off put by seeing them again. "They're Team Star Gate Sentai."

"By the great hand of justice, is that Team Cosmic Trio?!" Blue Lightning exclaimed as he and his team looked up and saw Aurora's group. "It has been far too long, heroes of justice!"

' _Maybe if we stand really still, they'll think we're not actually here.'_ Aurora thought pleadingly to herself.

But of course, Anthony had no such plans. "Indeed! It is an honor to be in the presence of those who fight for peace yet again!" the teen said as he came down to greet the team.

"Nay, the honor is ours!" White Cosmos spoke. "Now, strike a pose with us, young hero of justice!"

The three members of Star Gate Sentai all struck a dramatic pose. Anthony quickly followed. "Like this?"

"Raise your right arm a bit more. And bend your left knee forward just slightly." White Cosmos told him. Anthony did as he was told, earning a thumbs up. "Perfect!"

"So what are you guys doing here?" Dan asked as he and Aurora finally walked down with William and Rose.

White Cosmos was the one to answer him. "Why young hero, we are here for the Wild Card tournament! We were invited by Miss Tatsunagi herself!"

"But alas, the teams here were stronger than we anticipated." Blue Lightning spoke. "They truly put up a good fight."

"So in other words, you guys lost and now you're out for good." Aurora realized.

"... You don't have to rub it in." White Cosmos sulked as he and his team sat together in the corner.

"Japan's cardfighters did show promise though." William noted. "Both of the finalists for the Wild Card tournament are from Japan."

"We've gotta make sure to go watch that later." Aurora said. She looked at the time on her phone. "Luckily we still have some time."

Rose nodded. "In that case, why don't we-"

"There you are, William!"

Everyone turned to see another person come from the floor above. A girl with red hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Hello Elizabeth." William greeted.

"Don't you 'Hello Elizabeth' me. What were you thinking, leaving without me or Thomas?"

"I thought I'd give you some time to rest." William told her. "The tournament starts in two days after all. It's important to give yourself time to relax."

"Please. We both know I'm not someone that's gonna roll over that easily." Elizabeth told him.

"Ah, Elizabeth Scarlet. Long time no see." Rose said. "I think our last meeting was during the last Euro League."

"Rose Orchards…" Elizabeth said with a glare. She pointed a finger at her. "Don't you think for a second that things will go like they did then. This time, I'm going to crush you."

"Eager as always I see. However, if our teams face it'll most likely be William who faces me. Assuming you and your other teammate can even get a win."

"Oh that's it." Elizabeth said as she pulled out her deck. "Maybe I should silence mouth right here and now. After all, I'm not someone you can seduce to win."

Just as it seemed Rose was about to take up Elizabeth up on her offer, White Cosmos spoke up. "Hold fair maiden! Such words do not befit one like yourself."

"Huh, what the?" Elizabeth blinked in surprise at suddenly seeing the costume wearing person standing in front of her. "Just who are you?"

"Fair maiden, I am White Cosmos, the champion of justice!" he spoke. "And I would hate to see a delicate flower like yourself start a fight here with such a rough attitude. A lady must present herself in a gracious manner."

Elizabeth clenched her fists, her body shaking with rage. "Delicate flower…?"

"Oh boy…" William said nervously. "Here we go."

"You've got a lot of nerve treating me like someone who can't do what she wants just because I'm a girl!" Elizabeth said. "I've changed my mind! Before I crush Rose, I'm gonna beat you into the ground you sexist pig!"

"I'd suggest we all watch from upstairs." William said quietly as he motioned for everyone to head up. "Elizabeth's fights can get… fierce."

Deciding to follow his advice, everyone followed William upstairs. They all looked at the fight going on down below as both Elizabeth and White Cosmos stood across from each other at the fight table. The two other members stood behind their leader for support.

"Ha! It seems your allies have abandoned you, young miss. While mine stay here to support me." White Cosmos said.

"There's one difference though." Elizabeth said with a glare. "I don't need other people's support to win my fights."

With no more time for words, the two players began their fight. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Pedigree Knight, Tigresse!"

 **Pedigree Knight, Tigresse**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"Beginning of Terror, Zeal!"

 **Beginning of Terror, Zeal**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

Aurora blinked in surprise. "He's using his Zeal deck? But I thought he was only using that because of that villain thing he had going on before."

"I am learning to control the darkness within my heart." White Cosmos explained. "Therefore, I will use this deck until I can master such power and conquer the evil heart that sleeps within me."

Aurora let out a groan. ' _He just wants to play that deck without giving up his hero gimmick.'_ She looked over at the unit on Elizabeth's field. ' _She seems to be using Shadow Paladin. I wonder how skilled she is.'_

"I'm up first." Elizabeth said. "I ride Blue Espada Dragon!"

 **Blue Espada Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Tigrese moves back with forerunner." Elizabeth explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Elizabeth(5), White Cosmos(5).]**

"Then it is the hero of justice's turn! Stand and draw!" White Cosmos spoke. "I ride Planetary Terror, Zeal!"

 **Planetary Terror, Zeal**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Beginning of Terror's skill. When a unit with Zeal rides onto it, I can search my deck for a unit that is one grade higher than the ridden unit and has Zeal in its name, then add it to my hand. Then I call Beginning of Terror to the rear guard." White Cosmos explained. He searched his deck for the card he needed. "I add grade 2 Solar System Terror, Zeal to my hand." The grade 0 starting Vanguard he had slid behind his Vanguard. "Next with Planetary Terror's skill, your Vanguard loses 3000 power whenever its placed on the field if I have a Zeal Vanguard."

"It's just like when he fought Aurora." Dan noted. "He's gonna strip her Vanguard of all its power bit by bit."

"Yeah." Aurora nodded. "Which means his next move will probably be…"

"I call Evolution Monster, Davain to rear guard!" White Cosmos declared. "I activate Davain's skill! I send Beginning of Terror to the soul to ride a unit that's the same grade as my Vanguard from my deck. So now I'll ride another Planetary Terror, Zeal! Then, with the next part of Davain's skill, I call the Planetary Terror, Zeal in my soul to rear guard and lower your Vanguard's power by 3000. Then another 6000 in total is taken away from the two Planetary Terrors appearing on the field."

Elizabeth widened her eyes as her Vanguard now had a pitiful power of -5000. And her opponent had three units ready to strike.

"This guy's pretty good, despite the funny costume." William said. "He now has three attacks, each that need 15000 shield to guard with her Vanguard's current power. And it's only his first turn."

"They may be dorks, but their skill is the real deal." Aurora nodded in agreement. "But who's the other girl? You said her name was Elizabeth, right?"

William nodded. "Yes. Elizabeth Scarlet. She's from England like me, and is on my team."

"She also has a decent standing in the Euro League." Rose added. "Though she's far from mine or William's level."

"I wouldn't count her too far out yet." William said. "She's a tough one. Just watch."

Back down at the cardfight, White Cosmos began his assault. "Go, Davain! Attack her Vanguard!"

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), White Cosmos(0).]**

"My Vanguard's up next! And as long as Beginning of Terror rests in the soul, my Vanguard gains 1000 power as long as it has Zeal in its name!"

 **(7000+1000=8000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check! No trigger."

"Damage check." Elizabeth turned the card over, smirking at what she saw. "Heal trigger. Power to my Vanguard, and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), White Cosmos(0).]**

"Then my rear guard Planetary Terror will finish things off for the turn!"

Elizabeth responded by holding up a grade 0 from her hand with 10000 shield. "Guard!"

"Turn end." White Cosmos said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Elizabeth(4), White Cosmos(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said as she started her turn. "I ride Knight of Brawn, Grosne."

 **Knight of Brawn, Grosne**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Get ready. With a boost from Tigresse, Grosne attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard." White Cosmos said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), White Cosmos(1).]**

"That's all for my turn." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Elizabeth(5), White Cosmos(5).]**

"Very well then. My turn. Stand and draw." White Cosmos said. "I ride Solar System Terror, Zeal!"

 **Solar System Terror, Zeal**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"His power rises to 10000 thanks to Beginning of Terror in the soul." White Cosmos explained. "Now, attack Grosne my Vanguard!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said.

"Drive check." The yellow icon in the corner of the card was a good sign for White Cosmos. "Critical trigger. Power to Davain, and critical to my Vanguard."

"Damage check." Elizabeth said. Neither card was a trigger, putting her in a tougher spot.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), White Cosmos(1).]**

"Davain, attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"I guard!" Elizabeth said as she used a grade 1 from her hand.

"My turn is over." White Cosmos said. "Do you see now, fool?! The power of one who has mastered both light and dark is frightening indeed!"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Elizabeth(4), White Cosmos(6).]**

"You call this mastering the power of darkness?" Elizabeth questioned. "Let me show you what real darkness is. Stand and draw." Elizabeth held out a card from her hand. "Dark dragon that stands at the pinnacle of strength. Annihilate all who dare make light of your power. Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The unit Elizabeth rode was a black dragon, wielding a sword stained red with blood. A cape of menacing azure flames flowed down along its back.

"Activating Tigresse's skill. I counterblast and retire it. Then I check the top seven cards of my deck for a unit with Claret Sword Dragon in its name and add it to my hand." Among the cards, Elizabeth found a copy of Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny and added it to her hand. "Then, since I have a Vanguard with Claret Sword Dragon in its name, I can draw a card."

"Not bad." Anthony said. "She got two extra cards in her hand for the cost of one rear guard."

"And she's not done yet." William added. "This is where Elizabeth really starts her attack."

"I call Blue Espada Dragon and Darkpride Dragon!" Elizabeth said, calling the two units to the same column. "I'll start things off with Darkpride boosted by Blue Espada."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I guard!" White Cosmos declared, using a grade 0 with 10000 shield from his hand.

"Claret Sword, you're up next!"

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Darkpirde Dragon."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), White Cosmos(2).]**

"Darkpride, attack again!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"I'll guard that." White Cosmos declared, using a grade 2 from his hand.

"That's it for me." Elizabeth said. "Now do your worst."

"She was able to rebuild her hand, but she's still one damage behind." Dan noted. "And now her opponent can stride. She's not in a great spot."

"I wouldn't count her out just yet." William told him. "Just wait and you'll see."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Elizabeth(6), White Cosmos(5).]**

"Stand and draw." White Cosmos said. "Forgive me fair maiden, but I am about to unleash a being of unstoppable power. I pray you forgive me."

"And I pray that you take this seriously." Elizabeth glared. "Now continue your turn."

"Very well then." White cosmos held up a card in his hand. "To conquer evil, one must experience evil! Now bear witness to the most heinous villain in the galaxy! Ride! Galactic Terror Beast, Zeal!"

 **Galactic Terror Beast, Zeal**

 **Grade 3, Power: 10000**

"And there's more! Stride Generation! Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal!"

 **Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lower your Vanguard's power by 5000! In addition, you can't increase its power with skills for the rest of the turn! Next I move Planetary Terror back and call Solar System Terror, Zeal!"

"He still has Davain in his front row." Rose pointed out. "Usually a grade 1 wouldn't be powerful enough on its own to hit a grade 3. But with Elizabeth's Vanguard at 6000 power, Davain is strong enough."

"Her power's about to get a lot lower than that." Aurora said.

"Skill of Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal!" White Cosmos declared. "Your Vanguard's power becomes zero! And my Vanguard's power increases by 11000, the original power of your Vanguard!"

' _A powerful move.'_ William thought. ' _He made her Vanguard helpless and powered his up all at the same time.'_

"Solar System Terror will attack with Planetary Terror's boost. And with Solar System Terror's skill, your Vanguard loses another 3000 power."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), White Cosmos(2).]**

"Beast of Apocalypse attacks! Crush her!"

 **(25000+1000+11000=37000)**

"Perfect guard!" Elizabeth declared. "You'll have to do better than that to beat me."

"Triple drive." White Cosmos said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Davain! Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger."

"What a shame. You can't heal since you have less damage than me." Elizabeth smirked.

"Even still, I can give the power to Evolution Beast, Davain! And now it'll attack!"

 **(7000+10000=17000)**

"Generation guard!" Elizabeth called out. "Dragwiser Bronach! With its skill, I check the top five cards of my deck and call out all grade 1s among them to the guardian circle." Among the five cards, Elizabeth found 3 grade 1s. The added 15000 shield among them was more than enough to guard the attack.

"Turn end." White Cosmos declared. "At the end of the turn, Galactic Terror's Generation Break 2 activates. I retire your Blue Espada Dragon and draw a card. Then I use Solar System Terror's skill to send Davain to my soul in order to counter charge and draw a card."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Elizabeth(3), White Cosmos(8).]**

"Fair maiden, I implore you to accept defeat." White Cosmos told her. "I have the lead in both hand size and damage. Surely you can see that your defeat is inevitable."

"... Admit defeat?" Elizabeth asked in an angry tone. She glared hell at White Cosmos, causing the hero to shiver slightly. "The Scarlet family doesn't know the meaning of the word defeat!"

"Now she's mad." William said. "I pity that guy she's facing right now. I know I wouldn't want to be down there in his shoes."

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked.

"Elizabeth's last name is Scarlet. The Scarlet family is a rather wealthy family in England, much like the Lewis family that I come from." William explained. "However… Elizabeth isn't actually a true Scarlet."

"How so?"

"She was adopted into the family. She never knew her birth parents." William said. "Her adopted mother was unable to give birth to children of her own so this was the only way for her to have a child. Elizabeth was raised to be a proper member of the Scarlet family. Despite that however, a large majority of the family doesn't see her as a true member of the family. Often, she's treated as an outsider, even though she works so hard to make her family proud of her. That's caused a lot of stress in her life."

"That sounds tough." Anthony said.

"It's also the reason for her short temper. But more than anything, she hates being treated differently for any reason, especially if it's because she's a girl." William continued.

"So that's why she reacted to the "delicate flower" comment." Dan realised.

William nodded his head. "And now that she's mad, she's going to use every ounce of her power to crush her opponent."

"Get ready for this! Stride Generation!" Elizabeth called out. "Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed!"

 **Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"With the stride skill of Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny, I retire Darkpride Dragon to search my deck for a grade 1 unit and superior call it to the field. I superior call Black-winged Swordbreaker behind my vanguard. In addition to that, since it was brought out using the stride skill, when chosen for one of my retire effect it counts as two units!"

"What? That's crazy!" Anthony said. "That pretty much makes sure she can always activate any skill that requires at least two retires!"

"And now for two more effects to come. First Black-winged Swordbreaker's skill. By soul blasting one I can draw a card. Then Darkpride Dragon's skill. When it's retired by my effect as long as I have a Claret Sword Dragon vanguard I can search for a Darkquartz Dragon and superior call it." Elizabeth quickly looked through her deck and brought out the extra unit. "And since I did that, countercharge one. Finally the skill of Darkquartz Dragon, when placed on the rear guard both it and my Claret Sword vanguard gain 3000 power until the end of the turn!"

"For such a beauty, you show no hesitation to stomp on your allies to move upwards to me. Is there a need to act so viciously?" White Cosmos asked, seeming to be unaware of how his comments were coming off.

Elizabeth grit her teeth in annoyance as her glare intensified. "You just don't learn! Keep your comments to yourself! And just so you know, I'm not moving upwards to you. I'm coming down to crush you with my power! I call Mage of the Rouge Eye, Arsur and then activate Doomed's skill!" She counterblasted a card in her damage and retired both the stand trigger she just placed and Black-winged Swordbreaker. "By paying the cost I can reveal the top two cards of my deck and if they're grade 1 or less I retire a unit on your field. If there were three Aurageyser Dragons face up in my G Zone, I'd also gain a critical, but that's not the case. Good thing I won't need it though. For the first card." She flipped the top card of her deck, revealing a perfect guard. "That's a grade 1, get Solar System Terror, Zeal out of here!"

White was quick to remove the unit as to not get his opponent even more upset. William sighed with a shake of his head. "Oh boy, her switch is really flipped now."

"Next card." Elizabeth revealed a grade 2 unit.

"Looks like you can't retire anything else with that card."

"Didn't I tell you to keep your comments to yourself? Clearly you must be soft in the head if you think you're safe. While in my deck, Morion Spear Dragon counts as a grade 1 unit so long as I have a Claret Sword Dragon vanguard! Destroy Planetary Terror now!"

Just like that, White Cosmos field was completely empty while the overwhelming presence of the Shadow Paladin user left the justice man short of words. Mostly because he didn't want to get yelled at again.

"And with the skill of Arsur, when it's retired as the cost for one of my skills I shuffle it back into the deck. Now I call Night Sky Eagle and Morion Spear Dragon! With Night Sky Eagle's skill it gains 4000 power when placed on the rear guard." She turned her grade 1 to start her attacks. "Night Sky Eagle attacks the vanguard!"

 **(7000+4000=11000)**

"I think not!" White threw down a grade 1 unit to block the attack easily.

"Aurageyser Doomed attacks the vanguard!"

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"No guard!"

Elizabeth nearly let a snicker come out of her mouth at the proclamation. "You'll regret that soon enough. First check, stand trigger! Giving all effects to Night Sky Eagle. Second check, critical trigger! Critical to my vanguard and power to Morion Spear. Third check, nothing!"

"Tch, damage check. No trigger." That was going to make things all the harder for him. Now having to deal with two more powerful attacks.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), White Cosmos(4).]**

"Night Sky Eagle attacks again!"

 **(7000+4000+5000=16000)**

White Cosmos quickly threw down a critical trigger to block the attack. "Guard!"

"Now with a boost from Darkquartz Dragon, Morion Spear Dragon will crush you! With Morion Spear's skill, it gains 5000 power when boosted by a grade 1 unit!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000+5000=29000)**

Dan widened his eyes at the high power he was seeing in one attack. "That attack is just as strong as her vanguard!"

"Guardian from the future, come forth to protect me! Generation Guard! Gallant Incarnation G-O Five! With its skill I soul blast a unit with 5000 or greater power to gain 10000 shield! And since I took damage this turn, it gains an additional 5000 shield!"

"I end my turn."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(6), White Cosmos(5).]**

"Stand and draw." White Cosmos said. "Now you shall witness the power I have mastered due to my intense training! Stride Generation! Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal!"

 **Beast of Apocalypse, Zeal**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Your Vanguard loses 5000 power and cannot increase its power with skills for the rest of the turn! Next I use the skill of Beast of Apocalypse! Your Vanguard's power is reduced to zero and mine goes up by the 11000 base power of your Vanguard!"

Once again, Elizabeth found her Vanguard stripped of all its power. This was going to be another tough turn to defend against.

' _She wiped out my formation last turn. I'll have to try and rebuild what I can.'_ White Cosmos though.

"I call Planetary Terror, Zeal, Gunrock, and Galactic Beast, Zeal!" White Cosmos announced, filling up his front row with Galactic Beast and Gunrock while Planetary Terror sat behind Gunrock. "Planetary Terror's skill decreases your Vanguard's power by another 3000!"

"He's got three attacks lined up." Aurora noted. "They're not overly powerful, but with the state Elizabeth's Vanguard is in, it doesn't really matter."

"The question is, can she guard through this turn." Anthony said.

"Galactic Beast, Zeal is setting his sights on your Vanguard!"

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), White Cosmos(4).]**

"Five damage…" Dan said. "She's at her limit."

"Beast of Apocalypse, attack!"

 **(25000+1000+11000=37000)**

"Perfect guard!" Elizabeth called out.

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Gunrock. Second check, no trigger. Third check, another critical trigger. Once again, all effects to Gunrock"

Elizabeth grit her teeth. This next attack was going to be a big one.

"Boosted by Planetary Terror, Zeal, Assault Monster, Gunrock will finish you! Gunrock's skill adds another 3000 power since your Vanguard is at 8000 or less power!"

 **(8000+3000+10000+7000=28000)**

"Here goes! Generation guard!" Elizabeth called out. "Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade: 4, Shield: 15000**

"You are foolish to think that is enough to stop my attack! I activate Beast of Apocalypse's Generation Break 3! I counterblast to lower your guardian's shield value to zero!"

"Well then it's a good thing I still have Plotmaker's Ritual 3! Three grade 1s are in my drop zone, so add 10000 to the shield!"

"That brings her Vanguard up to 7000 power. She still needs another 25000 to block it." Dan pointed out.

Elizabeth held up two grade 0s in her hand, adding another 20000 to the shield, as well as moving her Morion Spear rear guard to the guardian circle. "Guard! Intercept!"

"Turn end. I use Galactic Terror Beast's skill to draw and retire Darkquartz." White Cosmos stared down at the board. "Unbelievable… to think that my power was blocked?"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(1), White Cosmos(6).]**

"Time for your reckoning. Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "And now I'll put an end to this. Stride Generation!"

"Think she's gonna go into Aurageyser Doomed again and wreck his field?" Anthony questioned.

William shook his head. "No. Knowing Elizabeth, she's going to use…"

"Supremacy True Dragon, Claret Sword Helheim." Elizabeth said as she placed the unit onto the field.

 **Supremacy True Dragon, Claret Sword Helheim**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I retire Night Sky and call out Black-winged Swordbreaker. She can be treated as two retires when paying the cost for one of my units." Elizabeth said. "With her soulblast, I draw a card." The grade 1 was positioned right behind her Vanguard. She took the remaining two units in her hand and called them out in her front row. "Call! Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny and Knight of Brawn, Grosne!"

"She used up her entire hand." Rose said. "She's really planning to end it this turn."

"And she will." William grinned. "She's in the perfect spot to win this."

"Claret Sword Helheim attacks with a boost from Swordbreaker!" Elizabeth called out.

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"That's no problem. Perfect guard!" White Cosmos called out.

Elizabeth smirked. "I was hoping you'd do that."

"What?!"

"Helheim's skill!" Elizabeth declared as she flipped a copy of Helheim face up in her G Zone. "I can use this skill whenever a sentinel or G guardian is placed on the guardian circle! I call grade 1 or lower units from my deck up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone!"

"No way?!"

"Yes way! And even though I have five face up cards in the G Zone currently, I'll only be calling out three units! Come! Two Darkquartz Dragons and Night Sky Eagle! My Darkquartz Dragons boost themselves and my Vanguard by 3000, while Night Sky boosts itself by 4000!" The three units quickly appeared and filled up Elizabeth's back row, with Night Sky behind Grosne and the other two grade 1s behind her Vanguard and rear guard Claret Sword. "Grosne's skill also increases his power by 3000 everytime a unit with a lower grade than his own is called out! Three units were called so that's a 9000 point boost!"

Dan let out an impressed whistle. "She barely had a field but with one move she filled up all her rear guard circles and powered up her units. She's good."

"Triple drive." Elizabeth said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Grosne. Third check, no trigger." With her Vanguard's attack done with, Elizabeth continued her assault. "Grosne attacks with a boost from Night Sky Eagle!"

 **(9000+9000+5000+7000+4000=34000)**

' _I'm at four damage. If I can just block this attack, then I can survive her next attack and win next turn.'_ White Cosmos thought. He quickly used up two grade 0s and a grade 1 from his hand. "Guard!"

"Let me guess. You think you're safe because you stopped the critical attack and can afford one more damage, right?" Elizabeth asked with a smirk. "Too bad you couldn't be more wrong."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I'll show you what I mean! Boosted by Darkquartz Dragon, Claret Sword Tyranny attacks! Tyranny's Generation Break 2! I retire Night Sky Eagle to increase Tyranny's power by 5000 and add one critical!"

"Impossible!" White Cosmos gasped.

 **(11000+5000+7000+3000=26000)**

White Cosmos looked at his hand. All that was left was a grade 3, not even close to enough to guard the attack. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card…" Silence fell as everyone waited to see what the card would be. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), White Cosmos(6).]**

"Unbelievable." White Cosmos said as he fell to his knees. "It seems that I still have not yet tamed the forces of evil to draw out their power for justice."

"I think we can all see who the actual delicate one here is now." Elizabeth said as she walked away.

Rose looked over to Elizabeth as she walked back up. "Not a bad show. But I still don't think you're ready to take me on yet."

Elizabeth replied with a smirk. "Don't go making the mistake of thinking that was my best. I still have a hidden reserve, just for this tournament."

Rose raised a brow in interest. "Is that so? Seems I have something to look forward to then."

Aurora took another look at her phone and checked the time. "The finals start in a little less than an hour. We should probably start heading over to the stadium."

"True. I'm interested to see who the last team in the tournament will be." William said. "Are you coming, Elizabeth?"

"Not interested." the red haired girl shrugged. "I'm gonna walk around a bit. Maybe I'll check out how things end on tv when I get back to the hotel."

With that, Elizabeth left the store. William sighed. "She never has been a social one."

"Let her do what she wants William." Rose shrugged. "We should get going though. It's a bit of a walk to the stadium from here."

After saying goodbye to the shop owner Angelo, the group all left the store. William and Rose led the way as everyone began heading towards the stadium.

* * *

In the waiting room, a group of three all sat together as they waited for the match to start. They were Team Sightless Vision, the ones that would be fighting against Team Genius Prodigy in the finals of the Wild Card round.

"Is everyone ready?" the black haired leader asked.

"Of course." Sarah said. "We have to win this, no matter what."

"We made it this far." the third member of the team, a brown haired male, said. "But our opponents are one of the finalists from the preliminary team."

"We're not the same as we were back then." Sarah told him. "We trained hard so we wouldn't waste this opportunity." She looked over to her leader. "Right Marcus?"

The black haired leader known as Marcus nodded his head. "Yeah. We're winning this. For Kimiko."

A young girl sat at Marcus's side. "I'll be doing my best to cheer you all on!"

"Thanks Emma." Marcus said with a warm smile as he patted the girl's head. He looked back to his teammates. "Alright then. Sarah. Daiki. Let's do this. For Kimiko."

His two teammates nodded simultaneously. "For Kimiko."

 **Aurora: Wow, that Elizabeth girl was intense.**

 **Dan: She sure was. And she mentioned she still had a trump card hidden in reserve. To think she's still got power left to show. And there's also that weird clan that the player from America was using.**

 **Anthony: Quiet guys. The match is about to start.**

 **Aurora: Team Sightless Vision and Team Genius Prodigy. I wonder who's going to win.**

 **Next time: Epic Clash! Wild Card Finals!**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** Choose one of your rear guards and retire it. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for one grade 1 unit, call it to RC, and it gains **(CONT: When retiring this unit for the cost of one of your skills, this unit counts as 2 units.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO VC/RC GB2:** When this unit attacks, choose one of your rear guards and retire it. This unit gains +5000 power and +1 critical.


	19. Epic Clash! Wild Card Finals!

**A/N: Hey readers. Is everyone ready for the exciting match between Sightless Vision and Genius Prodigy? I sure hope so cause it starts here and now!**

Aurora and the others walked into a large room. There was a lot of space, along with multiple couches for people to sit on. At the end of the room was a large glass window. Walking over to it, Aurora and her teammates widened their eyes at the clear view of the fighting field it gave them.

"I've never watched a fight from a VIP area before." Aurora said.

"All tournament participants were given permission to watch the fight from here." William explained. "It beats the view of the other seats, doesn't it?"

"Without a doubt." Dan nodded. He walked over and took a seat at one of the front couches. "Well, better get comfortable. The match is about to start."

Sure enough, down below the lights lit up on the field. In the center were the idol trio, Premium Beauty.

"Hello cardfighting fans!" Mai greeted. "We are Premium Beauty!"

"In just a few moments, we will start the finals of the Wild Card Round." Keiko explained.

"Many teams were hand picked for their performance in the preliminary tournaments across the world for a second chance at entry." Jasmine said. "And now only two remain. So please give it up for these two teams!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the two teams walked out on separate sides of the field. On one side was Team Genius Prodigy. On the other, Team Sightless Vision.

Premium Beauty walked off the field and the spotlight shined on Sachi who was up in a booth for her usual commentary job. "We've kept you all waiting long enough! It's time to find out who gets the last spot in the World Tournament! First we have Team Sightless Vision, made up of Marcus Cersy, Sarah Radcliffe, and Daiki Izumi! They made it to the top 8 in the preliminary tournament in Japan, but were sadly defeated. However, they've shown that they're a force to be reckoned with. They're back and better than ever!" Sachi then focused on the other team. "Their final obstacle will be tough however, as they now come face to face with Team Genius Prodigy, made up of Yuma Koto, Akari Hermonia, and Kenta Iragaki! They won the last three Japanese national tournaments, but lost to Team Cosmic Trio in the finals of the preliminary tournament. Will they get their shot at revenge? Or will they come up short once again?"

"Of course we won't." Akari said as she stood with her teammates. "We're not losing again."

"We were overconfident last time. We won't make that mistake again." Yuma nodded. "Now lets win."

"It's finally time for the first game to begin!" Sachi announced. "Who will be up first for the two teams?!"

Over by Team Sightless Vision, Daiki walked forward. "Allow me."

On the side of Genius Prodigy, Kenta stepped up. "Looks like it's finally time."

Everyone watched as the two players took their spots on the field. The Motion figure Systems spun around them, setting the board up for each of them. Both players set their decks and drew their starting hands.

"The first match! Daiki Izumi vs Kenta Iragaki!" Sachi declared. "Who will get the first win of this exciting match?!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Outstanding Mutant, Promularva!"

 **Outstanding Mutant, Promularva**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Arboros Dragon, Ratoon!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Ratoon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"So it's Megacolony against Neo Nectar." Aurora said. "I wonder who'll win."

"Waah! Did I make it?!"

The sudden outburst caused all heads to turn around to the entrance to the VIP room. Standing there was a little girl, who couldn't have been older than fourteen. She had long straight black hair that fell to her waist. She wore a dark green shirt with a cute black miniskirt at the end, which matched well with her emerald green eyes.

"Who's the kid?" Rose asked. "How'd she get past security?"

The little girl quickly ran over to the window. "Did the match start?! Did I miss it?!"

"U-Uh... no." Dan said. "The match just started. No one's done anything yet."

The girl let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good. I got lost and thought I'd miss it."

"Um… not to be rude, but should you be here?" Aurora asked. "The only ones allowed here are the participants of the tournament."

The girl looked at Aurora with a confused expression. "Yes, I know. Why wouldn't I be able to be here? I'm a participant."

Everyone in the room widened their eyes. "What?!"

The girl nodded her head. "Yes, I'm Sophia Perez. I'm the leader of Team Southern Jungle from Brazil."

Everyone was put into a stunned silence as they tried to process this information. Anthony was the first to speak. "H-Hang on! You're not just on one of the teams, you're the LEADER of one of the teams?! What are you, ten?!"

Sophia pouted with puffed cheeks. "I'm twelve!"

"Sophia?!" The sound of another voice caused everyone to look to the entrance again as a teenage girl with glasses walked in. She breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the little girl.

"Maria, come look! The fight is starting!" Sophia said excitedly.

"Sophia, what have we told you about running off on your own?" the girl named Maria said. "You can't do that here. You could get lost, and then who knows what might happen."

"I'm sorry." Sophia frowned.

Maria let out a sigh. "What am I going to do with you?" she looked at the others in the room. "I hope she hasn't been too much trouble."

"Not at all. She's more than welcome to watch." William said. "But is she really the leader of the Brazilian team?"

Maria nodded her head. "Believe it or not, she is. I'm her teammate, Maria Ricudo."

"I had heard rumors that Brazil's national champion team had been defeated in the preliminaries." Rose said. "But I wasn't sure if it was really true."

"Yup! We beat them good!" Sophia giggled. "It was a super fun fight!"

' _She beat the leader of Brazil's top team? Not to mention Brazil had the top team in all of South America.'_ William thought to himself. ' _This girl… just who is she?'_

"Hey look! The fight's getting good!" Sophia said, bringing everyone's attention back to the fight.

Looking at the board, both players were at grade 2. They were both tied at two damage, but now it was Daiki's turn.

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. "Ancient spirit of the forest, rise up from the earth and protect us with your sacred power! Ride! Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I move the Screen of Arboros, Aila in my right column back and call Warden of Arboros, Airi!" Daiki called out. His field currently consisted of the two units in his right column, as well as another copy of Screen of Arboros, Aila in his left column. In Kenta's case, he had Bolg Wasp as his Vanguard and Dangerous Horn on his front row rear guard, as well as Promularva behind his Vanguard.

"Daiki rides to grade 3 and gets out a formation ready to attack!" Sachi announced. "Up against the tricky Megacolony clan, he knows he can't afford to let the fight drag on."

"Boosted by Aila, Warden of Arboros, Airi attacks!" Daiki declared.

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I guard." Kenta said, using a grade 0 with 10000 shield from his hand.

"Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil attacks your Vanguard next!"

"No guard." Kenta said. ' _His remaining front row unit is only a grade 1. It won't have enough power to hit my Vanguard unless he pulls a trigger.'_

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Aila and critical to the Vanguard."

"Tch, damage check." Kenta revealed two cards from the top of his deck. The first was a dud, but he got lucky on the second. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Daiki(2), Kenta(3).]**

' _I can't hit his Vanguard now thanks to that trigger.'_ Daiki thought. ' _But I can still take out his rear guard.'_ "Screen of Arboros, Aila attacks Dangerous Horn!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"As if I'd let that hit. I guard." Kenta said.

"Turn end."

"And with that, Daiki Izumi ends his turn. Kenta Iragaki managed to hold off by staying at only three damage, but he's used a fair bit of his hand to guard Daiki's relentless assault. Can he stay in the game?"

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Daiki(4), Kenta(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. ' _I've learned from our fight against Cosmic Trio that analysis won't always be enough to determine a perfect victory. But I can still use it to keep the favor of the fight in my favor. Witness my new analysis strategy.'_

"Here it comes." Dan said as he watched. "He's gonna use _that_ unit."

"Queen of Megacolony, spin your thread. Show my foes that they are already ensnared in your web. Ride! Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora!"

 **Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"The skill of Gredora." Kenta pointed over to Daiki's left column. "Until the end of your next turn, you cannot call units to that column."

"That's gonna be tough to deal with." Rose mentioned. "Neo Nectar specializes in calling out a bunch of rear guards from the deck. Having one less column hurts that. Not to mention that the only unit he has in there is a grade 1."

"The outcome of this fight will depend on how he deals with that handicap." Dan said.

"Stride Generation!" Kenta called out. "Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm!"

 **Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I call Punish Stag and Flowing Mutant, Twilight Madder." Kenta said, calling the two units together in the same column. "Punish Stag's dark device. It gains 2000 power. Then I gigaparalyze your Warden of Arboros, Airi."

Sophia tilted her head as she watched. "Gigaparalyze? What's that?"

"It's an improved version of Megacolony's ability to keep rear guards from standing on the next turn." William explained. "In addition to preventing it from standing on the next turn, Kenta will be able to draw a card if that unit is still rested during the end phase of the next turn."

"Basically he has to get rid of that rear guard or risk his opponent gaining a bigger hand advantage." Aurora added. "A very dangerous skill."

"I see." Sophia said as she sipped on her drink and continued to watch.

"Overwhelm's skill. I draw cards equal to the number of rested rear guards. There are three, so I draw three cards." Kenta said.

"Incredible! Kenta used up his entire hand calling units, but with the skill of his Vanguard, he's already hard at work to replenish the cards he lost!" Sachi announced. "Hindering the opponent's offensive options while adding to their own defense! This is Megacolony at its finest, people!"

"Dangerous Horn attacks!" Kenta declared. "With dark device, it gains 6000 power!"

 **(10000+6000=16000)**

Daiki quickly held up a grade 0 unit from his hand with 10000 shield. "Guard!"

"With Promularva's boost, go Overwhelm!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard." Daiki said.

"Fine with me. Triple drive!" Kenta said. "First check, critical trigger. Power to Punish stag and critical to the Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Daiki said. "First card, no trigger. Second, no trigger either."

 **[Damage: Daiki(4), Kenta(3).]**

"Punish Stag attacks with a boost from Twilight Madder! And with Twilight Madder's dark device, I add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000+3000=26000)**

"Guardian of the forest, come from the future and protect me! Generation guard!" Daiki called out. "Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon!"

 **Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"The skill of Rain Breath! I call Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil from my hand! It gains Resist and 5000 is added to Rain Breath's shield!"

"At the end of the battle in which I used Twilight Madder's dark device, it goes to the soul and I draw a card." Kenta explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Daiki(2), Kenta(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. "Activating the skill of Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can take a card with the same name as my Vanguard, like the copy of Yggdrasil I called out with Rain Breath, and return it to my hand. By doing this, I'm able to draw one card."

"Oh my goodness!" Sachi exclaimed. "Daiki not only returns a unit to his hand, but also adds another card with a draw! It seems Kenta Iragaki isn't the only one that can add to his defense!"

"The skill of Arboros Gardening Dragon, Illya in my hand. When discarded for the cost to stride, it can be treated as a grade 3." Daiki explained as he revealed the grade 2 unit in his hand. "Here we go! Generation Zone release! Nature's guardian! Grow proudly into the future, and gain eternal life! Stride Generation! Arboros Dragon, Eden!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I search my deck for a unit with Arboros in its name and call it to rear guard! I call Screen of Arboros, Aila!" He called the unit over the Aila in his back row. "This Aila is then treated as having the same name as my Vanguard! Next I use the skill of the Illya I discarded to stride! I call it to rear guard and allow it to be treated as having the same name as my Vanguard until end of turn!" This time he called the card over his rested Airi, leaving him with no rested rear guards.

Over by Daiki's teammates, Sarah showed a smirk. "That's two rear guards with the same name as his Vanguard. Just one more."

Marcus nodded his head. "And I bet I know just how he'll get that third one."

"Call! Arboros Sprouting Dragon, Rootile!" Daiki said as he called the grade 1 behind his Vanguard. "Activating Rootile's skill! I send a normal unit from my drop zone to the bottom of my deck! In return, Rootile gains 5000 power and the skill to be treated as having the same name as my Vanguard!"

"Why's he making everything have the same name as his Vanguard?" Anthony wondered. "What's the point."

"I think we're about to find out." Aurora said.

"The skill of Arboros Dragon, Eden!" Daiki called out as he counter blasted and soul blasted. "If I have three or more rear guards with the same name as my Vanguard, Eden gains 5000 power, plus one drive, and plus one critical! And next I use Eden's Generation Break 2! I flip a copy of Eden face up in my G zone and all my rear guards that have another unit on the field with the same name as it gain 10000 power!"

"Not bad." Dan said. "He has two Aila units, and all his other rear guards are treated as having the same name as his Vanguard. That means all his rear guards gain the power boost."

"Even though he couldn't call to one of his columns, he made up for it by massively increasing the power of his units. He's pretty good." Rose said with a grin.

"Screen of Arboros, Aila will get things started! Attack!"

 **(7000+10000=17000)**

"Guard!" Kenta declared, using a critical trigger from his hand.

"With Rootile's boost, Arboros Dragon, Eden attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+7000+5000+10000=53000)**

"Perfect guard!" Kenta said.

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Illya! Third check, stand trigger! Aila stands and gets the power! Final check, no trigger."

"Kenta blocks Daiki's powerful attack with a perfect guard! But Daiki still has another two attacks left!" Sachi said to the crowd. "If both hit, Kenta will be at six damage and victory will go to Daiki!"

"Aila, attack again!"

 **(7000+10000+5000=22000)**

"It's obvious which one I need to stop! Generation guard! Dream Mutant Deity, Scarabgas! With its skill, 5000 is added to the shield!"

 **Dream Mutant Deity, Scarabgas**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Then I'll attack with Arboros Gardening Dragon, Illya boosted by Screen of Arboros, Aila!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+7000+10000=41000)**

"No guard." Kenta said, letting two cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Daiki(4), Kenta(5).]**

"That's all for my turn." Daiki said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Daiki(7), Kenta(3).]**

"Time to end this. Stand and draw." Kenta said. "Skill of Gredora. I countercharge while you turn one of your cards in the damage zone face down. And now Stride Generation! Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm!"

 **Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Once again, your right column is sealed off from calling! Next I use Overwhelm's skill! Seeing as you have four rested rear guards, I'll be drawing four cards this time!"

"He's got seven cards in his hand! And he hasn't even attacked yet!" Aurora gasped. "Genius Prodigy have really stepped up their game!"

"I retire Punish Stag and call Intimidating Mutant King, Darkface Alicides." Kenta explained. "I also call Twilight Madder, Bombscissor, and Vulcan Lafertei! In addition, Overhwlem's Generation Break 3. All my units gain 3000 power for each face down card in your damage zone. There are three cards so that's 9000 power."

"Daiki's at four damage. And he's got seven cards in hand." Dan observed. "The question is, will those cards be enough to guard."

"Darkface Alicides attacks with a boost from Bombscissor! With the dark device of Darkface Alicides, 10000 power is added!"

 **(11000+10000+9000+4000+9000=43000)**

"No guard." Daiki said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Daiki(5), Kenta(5).]**

"Boosted by Vulcan Lafertei, Overwhelm attacks. Bombscissor's skill allows me to draw and add 5000 power by sending him to the soul."

 **(26000+9000+5000+7000+9000=56000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Kenta said.

Daiki looked at the board. ' _His remaining column has 41000 power. 44000 if he uses Twilight Madder's skill.'_ He examined the cards in his hand. ' _I can guard for 35000 with my hand, and another 5000 with my intercept. Unless he pulls two triggers, I can guard his attacks.'_

"The first check." Kenta said. "Critical trigger. All effects to Dangerous Horn. Second check, no trigger. Third check."

Daiki felt a sweat go down the back of his neck. This entire game depended on what the next card was. ' _Don't draw it…'_

"Heal trigger. Power to Dangerous Horn and I recover one damage." Kenta said. "Dangerous Horn attacks with a boost from Twilight Madder. Adding 3000 with Twilight Madder's dark device."

 **(10000+6000+9000+10000+7000+3000+9000=54000)**

"No guard." Daiki said bitterly. Dangerous Horn crashed into his Vanguard, causing him to go to six damage. The image of Daiki's Vanguard faded away, soon followed by the rest of the field around them.

 **[Damage: Daiki(6), Kenta(4).]**

"And with that, Kenta Iragaki wins game 1, earning a victory for Team Genius Prodigy!" Sachi declared. "We will now move onto game 2 of the finals!"

Kenta walked over to his teammates. "Get us our next win, Akari."

"You know I will." Akari said as she high fived her teammate, walking past him and towards the field.

Over by Team Sightless vision, Daiki held his head low. "Sorry guys. I lost."

"Don't worry about it. You did your best." Sarah said as she put a hand on her teammate's shoulder. "Just leave the rest to me and Marcus."

"Knock 'em dead, Sarah." Marcus told the blonde girl.

Sarah replied with a nod as she walked out to her spot on the field. Sachi watched as both players took their positions. "Well it seems this next fight will feature the beauties of each team. Akari Hermonia and Sarah Radcliffe."

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news" Akari said as she pushed her glasses up. "But my team's winning this. So I can't afford to lose."

"I also have my reasons for winning." Sarah told her. "So unfortunately there's going to be a change in your plans. My team's going to come out on top."

"Time for the second game to begin!" Sachi announced. "Will Akari Hermonia get her team their second victory in a row?! Or will Sarah Radcliffe bring this match to game 3?! Let's find out!"

Both girls started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame!"

 **Goddess of Headwater, Nakisawame**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Neon Messiah!"

 **Neon Messiah**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"This time it's Link Joker up against Genesis." Dan noted. "Akari could have a tough fight here if she doesn't play this smart."

"I'll start us off." Akari said. "I ride Shackle Fetter, Gelgja."

 **Shackle Fetter, Gelgja**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Nakisawame will slide back with forerunner. Turn end." Akari said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sarah(5), Akari(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Sarah said. "I ride Sacrifice Messiah. Neon Messiah moves back with forerunner."

 **Sacrifice Messiah**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Now I call Dunamis Messiah." Sarah said, giving herself another front row unit. "Dunamis attacks the Vanguard."

Akari held up a grade 1 in her hand. "Guard."

"Boosted by Neon Messiah, here comes Sacrifice Messiah."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(0), Akari(1).]**

"Over to you." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sarah(6), Akari(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said as she began her turn. "I ride Goddess of Karmic Wind, Ningal."

 **Goddess of Karmic Wind, Ningal**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Ningal's revelation." Akari said as she looked at the top card of her deck. "To the soul. Rest Nakisawame. Ningal attacks."

"No guard." Sarah said.

"Drive check. Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

"Damage check. No trigger." Sarah said.

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Akari(0).]**

"That's it for me. Turn end." Akari said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sarah(6), Akari(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Here we go. Ride, Arrester Messiah."

 **Arrester Messiah**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I move Dunamis Messiah back and call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmision. Her skill adds 2000 power." Sarah said. "Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Dunamis."

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"No guard." Akari said as another card went into her damage zone, tying the game back up.

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Akari(1).]**

"Let's go Vanguard against Vanguard! Arrester Messiah, attack the Vanguard with Neon Messiah!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Akari responded with a grade 0 from her hand with 10000 shield. "Guard!"

"Drive check. Critical trigger."

"Sarah Radcliffe pulls a critical trigger! But with her Vanguard only at 14000 power, it isn't enough for it to break through her opponent's shield!" Sachi said.

"Turn end." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sarah(6), Akari(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said. "Beauty and intelligence both reside in your body. Take aim at my foes and strike true. Ride! Prime Beauty, Amaruda!"

 **Prime Beauty, Amaruda**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Amaruda's revelation." Akari said. "It stays on the top. Now I'll have Amaruda attack with a boost from Nakisawame!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

' _She put the card back on top of her deck. It's probably a trigger.'_ Sarah thought. ' _I shouldn't use too much of my hand right now. Besides, I can afford a bit of damage.'_ "No guard!"

"Twin drive." Akari said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Amaruda. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Sarah said, watching two cards fall into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Akari(1).]**

"Turn end."

Anthony narrowed his eyes as he watched the fight. "What's she doing?"

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"Akari. She was way more aggressive than this when she fought me. But she hasn't called a single rear guard from her hand so far this game. Does she not have a strong hand or something?"

"Nope. She knows what she's doing." Sophia said. "She's waiting for the right moment."

"Right moment?" Anthony questioned.

"I'm a Link Joker player, so I get it." Sophia said. "She's afraid of her rear guards being locked. Cause then she won't be able to attack."

"Sophia's got the right idea." William nodded. "Once a Link Joker deck really gets going, your field basically becomes nonexistent. So she's preventing that from happening by not calling anything out."

"Ok, but then she'll have no offense anyway and lose." Anthony argued.

"Which is why she's biding her time for the moment. Since that Messiah player is going second, she gets to stride first. If the Genesis girl had a field of rear guards out at that moment, what would happen?"

"They'd get locked." Sophia said, answering the question for Anthony. "She gets one shot to unleash her full offensive power. So she's going to hit her hard then. Probably on her next turn, when she can stride."

"Exactly." William nodded.

Anthony looked down at Akari on the field. ' _She's really thinking that far ahead? But will she be able to do it in the first place?'_

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sarah(6), Akari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. She took a card from her hand and held it up. "With your holy light, wash away the darkness surrounding our future and let it be broadcasted to everyone! Ride! Alter Ego Neo Messiah!"

 **Alter Ego Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Get ready for this! Stride Generation!" Sarah called out. "Genesis Dragon, Amnesty Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Amnesty Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lock one rear guard from each player! I choose Neon Messiah and Goddess of Still Water, Nakisawame! Lock!" The two units on the field were turned face down while their images on the Motion Figure System became trapped in a dark sphere.

"Sarah Radcliffe is using the specialty of the Link Joker clan. The power of lock." Sachi said. "We saw her use this in her previous fights. Will it be enough for her to win?"

"The difference between most Link Joker decks and Messiah is that they also lock their own units." Sophia said. "So even if her opponent doesn't have many rear guards, she can still use her skills."

"I call Ideal Ego Messiah and Sacrifice Messiah!" Sarah said as she called out the two units. "Lady Fencer will start us off with Dunamis Messiah's boost! Lady Fencer's skill allows me to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Akari(2).]**

"Lady Fencer becomes locked due to using her skill. Then with Dunamis Messiah's skill I lock itself and unlock Lady Fencer. 2000 is added to Lady Fencer due to her skill. And then I add 4000 power to Ideal Ego Messiah with Dunamis Messiah's skill. In addition, I use Sacrifice Messiah's skill to lock itself to counter charge and add 3000 to Ideal Ego."

"This is just like her semi-final match against Johnny Princeton!" Sachi exclaimed. "By locking and unlocking her units in a flurry of skills, she is able to unleash a devastating barrage of attacks!"

"Lady Fencer, go get 'em! Using her skill once again to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard." Akari said, using a stand trigger from her hand.

"Ideal Ego swings in next!"

 **(11000+4000+3000=18000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Akari(3).]**

"I use Ideal Ego's skill to lock itself. Then I check the top three cards of the deck for a unit to call as locked. "However, seeing as I already have five locked rear guards, I can't call anything."

"But you managed to lock your last rear guard." Akari said, knowing where this was going.

"Amnesty Messiah attacks the Vanguard! Using Amnesty Messiah's skill! I choose to unlock all my rear guards! Adding 3000 power for each one for a total of 15000! And since three or more were unlocked, Amnesty gains a critical!" Sarah explained. "I also use Neon Messiah's skill to send it to the soul and add grade 3 Ideal Ego Messiah from the deck to my hand."

 **(26000+15000=41000)**

"Perfect guard!" Akari declared, holding up the unit from her hand. "With revelation, I check the top card of my deck and leave it there."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Ideal Ego. Third check, another critical trigger. All effects to Lady Fencer."

"What an incredible play! Now both of Sarah's rear guards in the front row are critical! And they're all standing, ready to unleash the same barrage as before!"

"Lady Fencer, attack! Using her skill to add 5000 power and soul charge!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Akari said. "Damage check. First card, stand trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard once again."

"Talk about a lucky break." Dan said. "Now her Vanguard is at 21000. Sarah can only get one more attack through with what she has to work with. It all comes down to whether she choose to give the power boosts to Ideal Ego or Lady Fencer."

"Well since Ideal Ego still has the critical, it's obvious it'll to go that." Rose mentioned.

"Lady Fencer locks herself. Then I lock Sacrifice Messiah with its skill to countercharge and add 3000 to Ideal Ego. After that, I use Dunamis Messiah's skill to lock itself and unlock Sacrifice. 4000 power goes to Ideal Ego."

"Bring it on!" Akari said. "I'll block whatever you dish out!"

"Let's test that theory! With Sacrifice's boost, Ideal Ego attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+3000+4000+7000=30000)**

"Generation guard!" Akari declared. "Goddess of Seven Colors, Iris!"

 **Goddess of Seven Colors, Iris**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With the skill of Iris, I send three cards from my drop zone to the soul and add 5000 to the shield."

"That's it for me then." Sarah said. "Turn end. With Alter Ego Neo Messiah's skill, since a card was unlocked this turn due to one of my card effects, I soul blast and draw 2 cards."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sarah(9), Akari(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said. A fierce fire burned in her eyes. ' _I took all that punishment for a reason. I have to end it this turn or I'm toast.'_

"Stride Generation!" Akari called out. "Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar!"

 **Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Amaruda's stride skill. I soul charge." Akari threw the top 2 cards of her deck into the soul. "Since a unit with the revelation ability was among them, I draw and add 4000 power to Ishtar. Then I call Detect Angel. Revelation." Akari checked the top card of her deck. "To the soul. Rest Detect. Next up I call Battle Maiden, Kotonoha. Once again, revelation." Akari looked at the next card from her deck. "To the deck. Now I call Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil. For the third time, revelation. To the soul. Rest Kotonoha."

"She's used up all her hand cards." Aurora said. "She really is planning to end it this turn."

"But her opponent has nine cards in hand. And only three damage. Can she really break through?" Dan asked.

"Ninnil's skill! Since Kotonoha rested, Ninnil gains Kotonoha's original 9000 power! Then, Detect angel increases its own power by 4000 since another unit was rested due to a skill! And Kotonoha's skill adds 2000 power to itself since a card was added to my soul due to revelation! Next I use the skill of both Gelgja's in my soul! They go to the bottom of my deck and both Detect and Kotonoha stand and gain 3000 power!"

"Adding to the soul! Strengthening the power of her units! Akari Hermonia means business, people!" Sachi said into her mic. "Can she break through Sarah Radcliffe's rock solid defense though?!"

' _You better believe I can.'_ Akari thought. "Ninnil, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+9000=18000)**

"Guard!" Sarah called out, using a trigger from her hand with 10000 shield.

"Next up is Kotonoha with a boost from Detect Angel!"

 **(9000+2000+7000+4000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4).), Akari(5).]**

"Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar attacks the Vanguard!"

"Perfect guard!"

"Alright then! Triple drive!" Akari said. "First check, a grade 1 or higher card with the revelation ability! Ishtar's skill activates! I soul blast 3 cards and flip a copy of Ishtar over in my G Zone. Then I can select rear guards up to the number of face up Ishtars in my G Zone and add 3000 power and stand them. I select Kotonoha. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Kotonoha! Third check" Akari smirked when she saw the card. "Another grade 1 or higher card with revelation. This time I choose Detect Angel and Kotonoha! In addition, with the skill of the Goddess of Sound Sleep, Tahro I soul blasted, I send it to the bottom of my deck and stand Ninnil. And with my two soul blasted Awanami units, I soul charge 4 cards, increasing Kotonoha's power by another 4000."

"It all depends on Kotonoha's attack now." Dan said. "With her having the critical, it's the only way for Akari to get her opponent to six damage."

"Kotonoha attacks the Vanguard with Detect Angel's boost!"

 **(9000+6000+6000+5000+7000+4000+6000=43000)**

"Generation guard! Darkness That Lights Up Demise, Lacus Carina!"

 **Darkness That Lights Up Demise, Lacus Carina**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Lacus Carina's skill, I lock Ideal Ego. Then my opponent has to lock rear guards from their back row equal to the number of rear guards I locked. And since Detect Angel is your only back row unit, that's the one that gets locked." Sarah explained. "I also guard with Blink Messiah!"

Akari sighed, knowing where this match was headed. "Ninnil attacks."

"No guard." Sarah said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Akari(5).]**

"Turn end." Akari said. "Unlock Nakisawame and Detect Angel."

"There's the game." William said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sarah(4), Akari(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Generation Zone release! Herald of light, spread your white wings! Answer my prayer and help bring me victory! Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Destiny Dealer behind my Vanguard! Then I lock it, along with Kotonoha!" Sarah said. "Skill of Sacrifice Messiah. I lock it to countercharge and then add 3000 power to Lady Fencer of Matter Transmision!" With her skills done, Sarah began her assault. "With a boost from Dunamis Messiah, Lady Fencer attacks! Using Lady Fencer's skill to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+7000=24000)**

"Perfect guard!" Akari called out.

"I use Lady Fencer's skill to lock itself, then I use Dunamis's skill to lock itself as well and unlock Lady Fencer!" Sarah explained. "Go Lady Fencer! Attack again!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

Akari used the last card in her hand,the critical trigger she had gotten last turn. "Guard!"

"Lady Fencer's skill forces her to lock herself." Sarah said. "Harmonics Neo Messiah, attack the Vanguard! Skill of Harmonics Neo Messiah! I unlock all locked cards on the field. All of my units that were unlocked gain 5000 power! Then Harmonics Neo Messiah gains 5000 for each card unlocked this way! Six cards were unlocked, so that's 30000! In addition, you can't guard with cards from your hand that are grade 1 or higher. Not that you have any cards in your hand in the first place."

 **(26000+30000=56000)**

"No guard." Akari sighed.

Sarah's triple drive hardly mattered at this point. Harmonics Neo Messiah blasted Amaruda with the full force of its power. When it was all over, Amaruda was gone and the field began to return to normal.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Akari(6).]**

"And Sarah Radcliffe wins game 2 for Team Sightless Vision!" Sachi said. "What an impressive display of power!"

"Impressive. She beat Akari easily." Aurora said.

Anthony nodded his head, knowing first hand how tough a player Akari was. "She's good."

"So it all comes down to game 3." William said. "This should be entertaining."

Sophia smiled wide as she watched. "This is so exciting! I can't wait to see what the next game is like!"

Looking down at the field, everyone watched as the team leaders both took their positions. Both of them knew how important this last game was.

"Sorry, but I can't afford to lose this." Yuma said. "My team's counting on me."

"As is mine." Marcus said. "It doesn't matter if you guys won the national tournament. I absolutely will not lose this."

"Here it is folks! The game that will decide it all!" Sachi announced. "Marcus Cersy versus Yuma Koto! Who will lead their team to victory?!"

Marcus and Yuma both started the game with fierce determination burning in their eyes. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

 **Dan: This Team Sightless Vision has been pretty good so far. I'm surprised they only made the top 8 in the preliminary tournament.**

 **Aurora: But Genius Prodigy is better now too. This could go either way.**

 **Anthony: I'm just mad it wasn't me to beat Akari. I'll get my chance someday though.**

 **Sophia: Ooooh, this is just too exciting! I wanna see the fight now!**

 **William: Well you're certainly an eager one, Sophia.**

 **Next time: Reasons For Victory**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** At the beginning of your ride phase, you may choose one of your rear guards with the same name as your Vanguard and return it to your hand. If you returned one or more cards, draw a card.  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one normal unit with "Arboros" in its name and call it to RC. Then, that unit is treated as having the same name as your Vanguard.

* * *

Arboros Dragon, Eden  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC:** CB1, SB1. Choose three of your rear guards. If all of them have the same name as this unit, this unit gains +5000 power, +1 drive, and +1 crit.  
 **CONT VC 1/Turn GB2:** Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. All of your rear guards gain **(CONT RC: If there is another unit on your VC or RC with the same name as this unit, this unit gains +10000 power.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Arboros Sprouting Dragon, Rootile  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [Return a normal unit from your drop zone to the bottom of your deck] If you have an "Arboros" Vanguard you may pay the cost. If you do this unit gains +5000 power and **(CONT: This unit is treated as having the same name as the Vanguard.)** until the end of the turn.

* * *

Arboros Gardening Dragon, Illya  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO:** SB1 When this card is discarded for the cost to STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, call this unit to RC and it gets **(CONT RC: This unit is treated as having the same name as the Vanguard.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO:** When paying the cost to STRIDE into a unit with "Arboros" in its name, this card gains grade +1.


	20. Reasons For Victory

**A/N: What's up readers? Time to see who will win. Will it be Team Genius Prodigy, or will it be Team Sightless Vision? Which team will earn the last spot in the tournament?**

 **Also, Sarah, Marcus, Daiki, and Emma all belong to Marcus Cersy. AKA Ion Gree. Forgot to add that in last chapter so my apologies. I highly suggest reading his work if you have the chance. He has some awesome fics for Yu-gi-oh, Sword Art Online, and Fairy Tail.**

As both players started the cardfight, the Motion Figure system kicked on once again. The entire area around them changed to an outdoor landscape. A figure appeared next to each of the two players, the starting Vanguards for both of them.

"Chrono Tigar Z!"

 **Chrono Tigar Z**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier, Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"And with that, the third game of the Wild Card finals has begun!" Sachi announced. "Which team will take the last spot in the World Tournament?! I'm on the edge of my seat just thinking about it!"

Aurora looked down at the field. "So that Marcus guy uses Kagero, huh?"

"And his opponent is using Gear Chronicle." William noted.

"I fought Yuma in the finals of the preliminary tournament. He was a really skilled player." Aurora said. "And from what I heard, Sightless Vision lost to Genius Prodigy in the preliminary tournament."

"Well they sure seem to be doing rather well this time around." Rose said. "I guess they trained hard for this second chance."

"They all have." Dan said. "It's not just Sightless Vision. Genius Prodigy is a lot stronger this time around too."

"Ooooo, this is so exciting!" Sophia grinned as she watched. "I wish that could be me down there! I wanna cardfight right now!"

Down at the field, Akari and Kenta stood together as they watched the two team leaders face off. This was the game that would decide whether they made it into the World Tournament or not.

"Yuma can do this." Akari said. "I know he can."

Kenta nodded in agreement. "Ever since we were picked for the Wild Card Tournament, we've all trained more intensely than ever. Yuma especially."

Akari remembered it clearly. Yuma took on hordes on students in the hopes of improving his game, even if just a little. Of course he wanted to improve as a player. But he also did it because he wanted to help bring his team further.

' _We're counting on you Yuma.'_ Akari thought silently. ' _You better win.'_

Across the field from them, Marcus's teammates were also closely watching the game go on. Sarah and Daiki watched alongside Emma. Despite not being a player on the team, they were able to get Emma to come with them here under the technicality of her being their coach, though she was just really taking up a spot to be here with them.

"Marcus can win… right?" Emma asked.

Sarah gave the girl a reassuring nod. "Yeah. Don't worry Emma. You're brother's got this."

"He's gotten a lot stronger since the last time we faced off against Genius Prodigy." Daiki said. "He won't lose."

Emma looked over at her brother who was currently fighting out there. ' _Please big brother. Win… For Kimiko.'_

With the current state of the game, both players were at grade 2.

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Draw your sword, bathed in flames! Cut through the darkness to show us our destiny! Ride! Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen"!"

 **Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I activate the skill of Conroe! By retiring him I can search my deck for a grade 1 or less unit and add it to my hand. I'll add Lava Flow Dragon to my hand then call him behind the vanguard! Now I activate Lava Flow's skill."

Yuma saw through what he was doing easily. The same thing the last time they fought when using Conroe. ' _He's going to use the skill to take another grade 3 from his deck and drop the card he's going to reveal that has the Blaze ability to take advantage of Kouen's skill.'_ He nodded along with Marcus's explanation of the skill as he carried on with his turn.

"I then call Dragon Knight, Nadim! Nadim attacks the vanguard!"

Yuma threw down a grade 1 to block to attack. "Guard."

"Boosted by Lava Flow Dragon, Blademaster "Kouen" attacks the vanguard!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger!" Marcus smirked as he was about to take the lead. "All effects to the vanguard!"

"Damage check, no trigger. Second check. Heal trigger, all effects to the vanguard and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Yuma (2), Marcus (2).]**

Clicking his tongue in disappointment, the tempo swing was now balanced back at equal damage. Two for two. Early advantage would've been nice but now he had to make due with what he had. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand, Yuma (4), Marcus (6).]**

"It's now equal in terms of damage with both players getting triggers at key moments!" Sachi yelled to the cheering crowd. "But now it's Yuma's turn and he has the first opportunity to stride! Just where will this go from here!"

Yuma stood his units and drew for the start of his turn. "You're teammates have improved since the last time our teams fought but you still remain the same as before. Have you picked up no new strategies or is even that a bluff?" An eager smile adorned his face as he picked a card from his hand to ride. "I look forward to seeing how this plays out. Mechanical beast that crosses time, let nothing stand in my way from the future I invision! Unleash your full fury upon my foes! Ride, Chronofang Tiger Z!"

 **Chronofang Tiger Z**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Chronofang Tiger Z's skill. When paying the cost for stride I can instead bind a card from my hand and drop whose grades equal 3 for it. I'll bind Steam Lynx, Adadoapura and Steam Maiden, Melem to stride!"

' _Here it comes…'_ Marcus thought.

"Stride Generation! Metapulsar, Altered Dragon!"

 **Metapulsar Altered Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill of Chronofang Tiger Z, I counterblast to call Steam Lynx, Adadoapura from the bind zone and since it's grade is 2. I can send units on your field whose grade sum equals the called unit to the bottom of your deck." He pointed to Dragon Knight, Nadim. "Send it to the bottom."

Marcus quickly put the unit back in the bottom of his deck. Losing rearguards this early on would hurt his chances to use blaze next turn. Yuma knew this and moved to field control to fight against that.

Yuma then counterblasted for another skill. "Skill of Adadoapura, when placed on the rearguard I pay the cost while binding my Steam Battler, Ur-Watar and binding a card from the top of my deck. I then draw a card and give 3000 power to Adadoapura. I also choose your Lava Flow Dragon to send to the bottom of the deck."

Just like that, Marcus's field was empty with nothing but his vanguard to face the threat of Yuma's stride turn. And he still wasn't done. "Even though he's not using a Dragon Empire clan, Yuma has cleared the board of his opponents! A huge swing in momentum is going in his favor, how will Marcus react!?"

Seeing his opponent glance at his hand every now and again was a good sign for Yuma. "Next, the skill of Ur-Watar. When it's bound from the rearguard I send it to the bottom of the deck to draw two cards and send one card from my hand to the bottom of the deck and shuffle. Then the skill of Altered Dragon." He chose a card from his G zone and turned it face up. "I check the top five cards of my deck for two cards to bind and then my vanguard gains 2000 power for each card there." He smiled seeing two high valued cards in that check. "I bind two copies of Steam Tamer, Nanni. And since there are five cards in my bind zone, I countercharge."

Anthony shook his head. "Talk about luck. Those things are gonna be a huge pain for that Marcus guy to deal with later."

Sophia tilted her head at his words. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough. Let's just say it's gonna play itself out later in the fight." Dan said.

The Brazilian pouted at being told to wait and see what the big deal was but she supposed it would just make the fight all the more exciting later on.

Yuma took two cards from his hand and called them. "I call Steam Maiden, Shag-kusa behind Adadoapura and Night-barking Gear Tabby. With the skill of Shag-kusa, I bind Gear Tabby to give it 3000 power and the ability to boost until the end of the turn. Then with the skill of Gear Tabby, when bound from the rearguard I can send it to soul to add 5000 power to my vanguard and draw a card. I'll then activate Chrono Tigar Z's skill to bind itself to bind the Chronofang G from my drop zone. Now, with Shag-kusa's boost, Steam Lynx, Adadoapura attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+9000+3000+3000=24000)**

Marcus looked to his hand. There were too many important cards to go around guarding with them for an attack this huge. He looked to Yuma and shook his head. "No guard! Damage check, no trigger!"

 **[Damage Yuma (2), Marcus (3).]**

"Metapulsar, Altered Dragon attacks the vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+10000=41000)**

The other player grabbed a heal from his hand and discarded it. "Generation guard! Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam!"

 **Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam**

 **Grade 4, Shield; 15000**

"With its skill I counterblast to gain 10000 shield for every open rearguard circle you have! You have three so I gain 30000 shield added!"

"So three triggers to pass then? Alright, triple drive. First check, no trigger." Marcus breathed a sigh of relief that the attack was now for certain guarded. "Second check, heal trigger. Power to the vanguard but I don't heal. Final check, no trigger. I end my turn."

 **[Turn 7. Hand, Yuma(8), Marcus (5).]**

"Stand and draw!" Marcus knew he had to turn the tides here or else he'd stand no chance at winning. Especially with Yuma's bind zone already getting stacked up for a hard hitting stride turn. "Generation Zone release! With your burning cannons tear apart at the oppressors of your destiny! Stride Generation! Flare Arms, Ziegenburg!"

 **Flare Arms, Ziegenburg**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I won't activate my stride skill but don't think for a second that means you're safe Yuma! Call two Dragon Knight, Nadel in my left column and Wyvern Strike, Jaugo to the right! Skill of Jaugo, I counter and soul blast to retire a unit in the same column as it. I'll retire Steam Lynx, Adadoapura!"

Yuma took his unit and placed it into the drop zone. Losing a unit hurt but it more than served its purpose. "And I assume you're going to do the same to Shag-kusa?"

"You know it! Skill of Flare Arms, Ziegenburg! By soul blasting a card and flipping a copy of himself I retire Shag-kusa!" With no rearguards on Yuma's side, Marcus was in the clear for a full on blaze turn. "Now I enter my battle phase. The blaze skills of Nadel and Jaugo! Both Nadels gain 4000 power and since they were on the field when a unit was retired, I counter charge for each copy of them." Just like that he was back at two face up damage. "And then Jaugo's skill gives him 2000 power for every open rear guard circle in your back row for a total of 6000!"

"The trademark of the Kagero clan's blaze skill is going on full effect here!" Sachi announced. "By having more rear guards than the opponent, the blaze state is activated allowing for powerful skills to come into play! In this case, gaining huge amounts of power for huge swings at the opponent!"

Marcus smirked at her description. While she wasn't wrong about the power gaining, he had a whole new ability to rely on with this card to help push his way through Yuma's defenses. "Boosted by Nadel, Dragon Knight Nadel attacks the vanguard!"

 **(7000+7000+4000+4000=22000)**

"Too easy! Generation guard! Interdimensional Beast, Pandora Chimera!"

 **Interdimensional Beast, Pandora Chimera**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Pandora Chimera. By paying a counterblast I can choose one unit in the back row and send it to the bottom of your deck. Since there's only one target, send Dragon Knight, Nadel to the bottom."

Marcus returned the unit to the bottom but it didn't matter much when he was still blazing. "Flare Arms, Ziegenburg! Attack the vanguard!"

"No guard!"

"Triple drive check! First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger! All effects to Dragon Knight, Nadel. Final check." Marcus smiled at seeing the trigger. "Critical trigger! All effects to the vanguard!"

Yuma took both of his damages with no trigger to add to his defenses.

 **[Damage: Yuma (4), Marcus(3).]**

Sophia looked confused at the last decision made by Marcus. "Why would he give the power of a trigger to the vanguard instead of his other rearguards? What if he hit a defensive trigger?"

Aurora looked at Marcus. It clearly wasn't a misplay, he had a clear plan. "His vanguard. It must have another skill."

As if reading her mind the Kagero player paid a counterblast cost. "Generation Break 3 of Ziegenburg! At the end of the battle if my vanguard is blazing I pay a counterblast and discard cards equal to the number of rear guards on your side of the field to restand my vanguard with drive minus two. But since you don't have any rear guards on the field I don't have to discard anything!"

"What an insane skill! Just like that by playing with Kagero's skills, Marcus restood his vanguard for practically free! And it's still has that critical on it to put the pressure on Yuma even harder!" Sachi announced.

' _Hmm, seems there has been a small change to his strategy.'_ Yuma looked to his hand. ' _But it matters not, I have this secured at this rate.'_

"Again, Ziegenburg attacks the vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Drive check. No trigger."

With perfect guard stopped any chance at ending the game too quickly but Marcus still had two more attacks at the ready. "Nadel, get in there!"

 **(7000+4000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check. Heal trigger. Power to the vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Yuma (4), Marcus(3).]**

"Not done yet! Wyvern Strike, Jaugo! Attack the vanguard!"

"Guard!"

Marcus sighed as he returned his G unit face up to the G zone. Good as a turn as it was, that heal trigger ruined a powerful push. "Turn end. With the Generation Break 2 of Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen", since you have no rear guards I can return one grade 3 from my drop zone back to my hand. I'll add a copy of Wyvern Strike, Jaugo from my drop zone to my hand."

 **[Turn 8. Hand, Yuma(4), Marcus (7).]**

' _This is quite a predicament. Marcus had improved by a huge margin compared to the last time we fought. But it doesn't matter in the end.'_ Yuma stood his units and drew a card for the start of his turn. ' _When my back is against the wall is when I truly show my skill.'_

"That was quite the turn around from Marcus! Can Yuma take this game yet or is the heat from Kagero too strong!?" Sachi yelled into her mic.

"Just watch me! Skill of Chronofang Tiger Z! When paying the cost for stride I bind from my hand and drop units whose grades equal 3. I bind Steam Hunter, Emma-bara and Steam Maiden, Shag-kusa to stride. Stride Generation! Chronotiger Rebellion!"

 **Chronotiger Rebellion**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill, I call Steam Maiden Shag-kusa and then send Dragon Knight, Nadel to the bottom of the deck. Now the skill of Emma-bara in the bind zone, I call it behind Shag-kusa send Wyvern Strike, Jaugo to the bottom of the deck. In exchange, you have the choice to call a unit with one grade less than the unit sent."

"Thanks, I'll grab Dragon Knight, Mbudi and call it."

Yuma chuckled. "Don't go thanking me yet. I call Chronofang Tiger G and Night-barking Gear Tabby. Now boosted by Gear Tabby, Chronofang Tiger G attacks the vanguard!"

 **(11000+4000=15000)**

"Guard!"

"As I thought. You couldn't think about losing what field you had so you could keep you blaze advantage. But now that mistake will come to bite you. Skill of Chronofang Tiger G, I soul blast and bind Gear Tabby to send Mbudi to the bottom of the deck!"

Realizing he'd been played, Marcus begrudgingly put his grade 2 back to the bottom of his deck. "And now the skill of Gear Tabby. From the bind zone I send it to the soul for my vanguard to gain 5000 power and to draw a card. Emma-bara boosts Shag-Kusa's attack to the vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000+16000)**

"No guard." With his field empty once more, he had to be conservative on what to guard with. But the damage check granted him no defensive trigger to help out.

 **[Damage: Yuma (4), Marcus(4).]**

"Now my vanguard attacks! Skill of Rebellion, I soul blast, flip a copy of it from the G zone and bind a card from my hand and field. I gain a critical and a drive along with 10000 power for the four out of the five cards in the bind zone!"

 **(26000+5000+10000=41000)**

"Perfect guard!" Throwing down Flare Trooper, Dumjid, Marcus guarded the overwhelming attack.

"It's not over yet! Quadruple drive check!" The first two checks provided nothing threatening but the third one changed that. "Stand trigger! All effects to Emma-bara. Final check, critical trigger! All effects to Emma-bara again!"

Anthony gave a small poke to Sophia to get her attention. "Remember how I said those units he bound earlier in the fight would come into play? Well here it is."

Sophia nearly pressed her face into the glass with overeager vigor at watching the match, making the others chuckle at her antics.

"Time to end this Marcus. The skill of both Steam Tamer, Nanni's in the bind zone. I soul blast for each of them and call the to the rearguard over my other two units."

The crowd went wild with Yuma's finishing move while Marcus felt the pressure going on him. "My first Nanni attacks the vanguard! It gains 3000 for each for card in the bind zone."

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard…" The damage check was once again not a trigger.

 **[Damage: Yuma (4), Marcus(5).]**

"Now for the finishing attack! Steam Tamer, Nanni with Emma-bara's boost. End this!"

 **(9000+3000+7000+5000+5000=29000)**

Marcus gave a heavy sigh. The attack was huge, almost as strong as his vanguard's attack. But he couldn't lose here. Not with what was at stake. "With wings blazing in the heat of the sun, come forth to protect me! Generation guard! Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Yuma's eyes widened. ' _No… that unit can…'_

"With its skill I counterblast to retire the attacking unit!"

Just like that, the attack pittered out as if it was nothing. The crowd going wild as Marcus managed to turn this situation around. Yuma stood by gobsmacked from the abrupt end of his turn. With nothing left to do Yuma placed his G unit back to the G zone. "Turn end…"

 **[Turn 9. Hand, Yuma(6), Marcus (3).]**

"Sorry to cut you off like that Yuma but I have someone to fight for. So I'm not going to lose this or any other fight! Stand and draw!" It was now or never for him. He had to end this now. "Stride Generation! Flare Arms Ziegenburg!"

" _Wow… I'm suddenly getting a strange case of deja vu.'_ Yuma inwardly chuckled to himself, remembering his fight with Aurora and how she ended his turn when they fought. ' _These two are cut from the same cloth. Both something to fight for.'_

"Call Dragon Knight, Mbudi, Wyvern Strike, Jaugo and Dragon Knight, Nadel!" Just like that he threw all the remaining cards in his hand down causing the crowd to go wild.

"It's all or nothing now folks!" Sachi roared. "Marcus is looking to end it here and now, will he succeed or will Yuma retake it?"

Marcus responded to the MC by activating Jaugo's skill. "Retire Emma-bara and with Ziegenburg's skill retire one of your Nannis!" With all the retiring done, Yuma had only the one Nanni remaining to intercept. "Now for the attacks! Blaze! Nadel gains 4000 power and I countercharge! Mbudi attacks, with its skill I counterblast to draw a card and gain 2000 power for every open rearguard circle for a total of 8000!"

 **(9000+8000+17000)**

"Guard!" Yuma quickly threw down one of the triggers he checked last turn to block it.

"Flare Arms, get in there and burn him to a crisp!"

"Think again! Perfect guard!"

Normally people would get discouraged with their vanguard attack being blocked. But with Ziegenburg's skill he had nothing to fear. "Triple drive check! First, no trigger. Second, critical trigger! Power to Jaugo and critical to vanguard! Final check, heal trigger! Recover one and power to Jaugo! Skill of Ziegenburg, discarding one card from my hand, I restand my vanguard with minus two drive. Swing in again my vanguard!"

"Once again I guard!" Yuma threw down the remainder of his hand to guard it to make the shield 41000. Even with the last drive he wouldn't break through. ' _But I won't give up. For her, I need to win!'_ He placed his hand on the top of his deck and closed his eyes.

"Final check! Critical trigger!" Once again the crowd went wild with excitement at Marcus pulling the miracle. "All effects to Jaugo! Nadel, boost Jaugo's attack against Chronofang Tiger Z!"

 **(11000+7000+6000+4000+5000+5000+5000=43000)**

Yuma sighed, a satisfied smile on his face. "Ha… No guard."

And just like that, the last two damage entered Yuma's damage zone. Neither of which being the heal he needed to keep him in the fight.

With that, there went his chance to enter the world stage.

 **[Damage. Yuma(6), Marcus (4).]**

"And that settles it!" Sachi declared as the crowd cheered. "Marcus Cersy has defeated Yuma Koto! And with what, Team Sightless Vision wins the Wild Card Round!"

It took Marcus a second to truly believe it. The cheering crowd. The six cards in yuma's damage zone. ' _I did it… I really beat him…'_

"Marcus!" The team leader turned to see his teammates Sarah and Daiki running over to him, along with his little sister Emma. "We did it Marcus! We're in the World Tournament!" Sarah cheered.

"You did well, leader." Daiki said with a grin.

"Thanks you guys." Marcus smiled. "We earned this victory. Together."

"Cersy!" The call from Yuma made the teen turn to look at the leader of Team Genius Prodigy, who gave Marcus a thumbs up. "Good game. But you better not disgrace us any further by giving a poor performance in the tournament."

"Of course not." Marcus said. He and Yuma walked over to each other, meeting in the center of the field and exchanging a handshake.

"I can see your fighting for something important. Something besides glory." Yuma said.

Marcus nodded. "I am. Me and my team."

"I wish you luck then. You'll need it." Yuma said. He looked up towards the VIP room, seeing Aurora and her teammates. "The other team that beat us, Team Cosmic Trio. I felt it when I fought Aurora that she has something important to fight for too. They'll be tough to beat, so be careful."

"Right." Marcus said. "Thanks for the great game again, Yuma."

"Anytime. I look forward to a rematch." Yuma said as he turned around with a wave goodbye. "Until then."

Cheers from the crowd were still going on after the exciting match. And this was only the beginning. All the fights from here on would be even fiercer than this. This was the level of intensity everyone could expect at the World Tournament.

"That was so exciting!" Sophia cheered. "I can't wait until I get to fight! Vanguard is so awesome!"

The young girl's enthusiasm was catchy. Aurora was also looking forward to her chance to fight in this tournament. And she was going to make sure she won.

"That's all for today folks. Tomorrow will be a rest day for all the teams to prepare." Sachi explained. "Cause after that, it's gonna be one slugfest after another to see who comes out on top as best in the world!"

* * *

Aurora laid down on her bed. Today's match had been so exciting. And she had met all kinds of world class cardfighters as well. She knew that she was going to have to overcome them if she wanted to win.

' _Tomorrow's a day off for everyone. The tournament starts the day after that.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Best make sure I'm completely prepared for that.'_

Looking at the time, it was starting to get late. Aurora considered taking a shower, but then a thought entered her mind. Before when she was checking out the hotel, she noticed that there was a hot spring available. That was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

Aurora headed downstairs in a robe. When she reached the women's hot spring, she changed into a bath towel and walked outside. It wasn't overly crowded, just three others in it. But it was three people she recognized. The first was Rose Orchards, while the other two were the girls from the Brazilian team she had met earlier, Sophia Perez and Maria Ricudo.

Looking over at Rose, Aurora couldn't help but notice how big the girl's chest was. She had noticed it a bit earlier when they were outside together but seeing them like this made her feel a little insecure. ' _Damn those things are huge.'_

"Well, well, seems we weren't the only ones to think of coming here." Rose said as she noticed Aurora walk out.

Sophia looked over and saw Aurora, greeting her with a wave. "Hey, you're that girl from earlier! Hello!"

"Hello." Aurora said as she got into the water. "Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Aurora Fujou from Japan."

"It's nice to meet you Aurora." Sophia said with a smile. "So you're on Japan's team, huh? What clan do you play?"

"Actually, Aurora here has a unique clan." Rose explained. "Star Chaser."

"Star Chaser?" Sophia asked. "I've never heard of it."

"Neither have I." Maria said. "But that doesn't make sense. I heard that it was the American team with the new clan."

"As did I." Rose told the two. "But Aurora's deck seems to be the real deal."

"Yeah. I'm confused about it too." Aurora said. "I hadn't even heard about the American team having a unique clan like I did until today."

"That's certainly interesting." Maria noted.

Sophia on the other hand seemed like she was bubbling with excitement. "That's so exciting! I get to fight not one, but two new clans?! This tournament is going to be so much fun!"

"It certainly is loud out here. Isn't a hot spring supposed to be a place to relax?"

The girls all turned and saw the red haired girl that had been with William earlier. "I remember you." Aurora said. "You were at the card shop before. Elizabeth, right?"

"That's right. Elizabeth Scarlet." the girl said as she got into the water herself. "So what's all the ruckus out here about?"

"That was Sophia here. My apologies." Maria said. "She tends to get excited easily."

"I'm sorry." Sophia frowned.

Seeing the little girl frown, Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "It's alright, no need to apologise. I'm sure it's exciting for a little kid like you to be here."

"I have to say, I was surprised when I heard you were the leader of one of the competing teams." Aurora said. "You're probably the youngest player in this tournament."

"Hehe, yeah I'm super strong!" Sophia grinned. "But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Maria and Bruno."

"Bruno?"

"Bruno Rodriguez. He's the third member of our team." Maria explained. "See, Sophia showed up one day at the card shop Bruno and I play at. She took one look at Vanguard and picked up the game right away. It was amazing how good she got in such a short time."

"Vanguard was so much fun!" Sophia said with a bright smile. "I even taught a bunch of the kids at the orphanage how to play it."

"Orphanage?" Elizabeth asked.

Sophia nodded her head. "Yup. It's the place I live at."

"Sophia was left at the doorsteps of the place as a baby." Maria explained. "Not even the orphanage knows who her birth parents are. She's lived there ever since."

Aurora frowned as she listened to this. "That sounds so sad."

"It sure does." another voice said. Everyone turned and saw two more girls enter the outdoor hot springs. "Sorry, we didn't mean to eavesdrop. We just overheard it as we were changing out of our clothes."

Aurora recognized the first girl instantly. She had long blonde hair and purple eyes. The player that had just fought today. "You're Sarah, right? From Team Sightless Vision?"

"That's correct." Sarah said. She gestured to the young girl at her side. She had jet black hair and deep blue eyes, and seemed to be roughly the same age as Sophia, perhaps a year or two older. "And this is Emma Cersy. She's also on the team."

"Hello." Emma greeted.

"Hang on. I thought your other two team members were boys. Daiki and Marcus were their names, weren't they?" Aurora asked.

Sarah nodded her head and got into the water along with Emma. "Indeed. See Emma here is on the team filling up the slot of our coach. It was more or less an excuse to get her to be allowed to come along with us free of charge like the rest of our team."

"I see." Aurora said. "Wait, you said Emma Cersy? Isn't Cersy the last name of-"

"Marcus, that's right." Emma nodded. "He's my older brother, and the leader of Team Sightless Vision."

"I see. Well he certainly put on quite the show today, beating Yuma." Aurora said.

"As did you when you beat him, Aurora Fujou." Sarah said. "I remember watching your game in the finals. That Star Chaser clan you wield is pretty special."

"Thanks." Aurora said.

"I only watched the last fight. Your leader did alright, I suppose." Elizabeth said. "But I'm sure you realize that your team is at the bottom of the barrel."

Sarah shot a glare at Elizabeth. "What was that?"

"I'm just speaking the truth." she said. "Everyone else in this tournament won their preliminary tournaments. You were in the Wild Card Round, made up of players that all lost those tournaments."

"It sounds a bit harsh, but Elizabeth over there isn't exactly wrong." Rose added. "It's just her way of saying you'll need to be stronger if you want to win the World Tournament."

"Then that's just what we'll do." Sarah said. "My team and I won't lose. No matter what."

Elizabeth showed a small smirk. "You sound like you have some good motivation. That's good."

Sarah nodded her head. "We do have a motivation. We need to win this tournament."

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked.

Sarah sighed as she frowned slightly. "It's for Kimiko. My little sister."

"Your sister?" Maria asked. "What does she have to do with the tournament?"

"My sister played Vanguard a lot. Or at least she used to." Sarah explained. "Three years ago, when we were walking home, a man came out and attacked us. He pulled out a knife and tried to… well, to have his way with me. I tried to fight back, but he was too strong. Then Kimiko attacked him when he wasn't paying attention to her. He retaliated and attacked her back. I grabbed the knife from him after that and… I killed him. But I was too late. He had already hurt Kimiko."

Aurora was almost afraid to ask her next question. "What happened?"

"He slashed at her eyes." Sarah said. "My sister's been blind ever since."

All the others gasped as they heard this. "That's awful." Rose said. "That man was truly disgusting."

"Yeah. And it isn't exactly easy to play a game like Vanguard if you can't see." Sarah said. "After some research, we managed to find a surgery that has a chance at repairing Kimiko's sight. But it's an expensive surgery, and my family isn't exactly wealthy."

"So that's it." Rose said. "You're after the prize money for winning the tournament."

"I am." Sarah nodded. "I've been trying to win Vanguard tournaments to try and collect money. And the prize money from this tournament will put my family near the goal of the money we need."

Aurora knew what she was talking about. In addition to becoming world champions, the winning team would receive a large prize money, in a sum equivalent to five thousand US dollars. That equated out to a little over 550 thousand yen.

Maria frowned. "To be honest… we're in this partially for the prize money too."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to win for everyone at the orphanage." Sophia explained. "With the money, we can help fix up a lot of stuff at the orphanage. And everyone there can be a lot happier."

"Bruno and I agreed to let our share of the prize money got to the orphanage too." Maria explained. "After all, it's because of Sophia that we're even here in the first place."

"I see…" Aurora said. She looked down at the water. ' _They both have really important reasons for wanting to win this tournament. They need the money. Me on the other hand… I don't even need it at all.'_

Sophia frowned. "I want to help everyone at the orphanage. But I don't want to keep Sarah's sister from getting better."

"Hmph, it should be obvious, shouldn't it?" Elizabeth said. "I can tell you right now that I won't hold anything back, no matter how badly she wants to win for her sister."

"But why?" Sophia asked.

"Because everyone in this tournament came here to win. Some of them have simple reasons for winning, while others have more complicated reasons. But at the end of the day, we all have one common goal. To win and become the best in the world. And to let someone win on a stage like this because we felt sorry for them would be an insult to them and an insult to Vanguard."

"She's right." Sarah nodded. "Sure, I could really use the money. But I don't want to win because my opponent let me. I want to earn my victories in this tournament. I'm sure everyone else feels the same."

As she listened to this, Aurora widened her eyes. A smile came to her face. ' _She's right. We all have our own reason for wanting to win. No matter what their backstories are, we're all cardfighters in the end. We want to win the right way, fair and square.'_

Sophia contemplated Sarah's words before nodding her head. "Alright then. If we fight in the tournament, I'll fight with all I've got."

"Good to hear. And I'll do the same." Sarah nodded.

Rose got up from the water. "Well, I think I've had a long enough dip. I'm going to call it a night. It was lovely talking with you all. I wish you the best of luck in the tournament."

Maria stood up as well. "We should probably do the same. It's getting late, and I should get Sophia to bed."

"Hey, I'm not tired!" Sophia argued.

"Sorry, but I promised everyone at the orphanage I'd keep an eye on you and take care of you while we were here. And that includes making sure you get enough sleep."

"Fine…" Sophia moaned. "Bye everyone. I had a lot of fun talking with you."

The other girls said goodbye to them as they left. As time passed, they also left one by one for the night. Once she left, Aurora returned to her room. She fell onto her bed and drifted to sleep, thinking about everything that had happened today.

 **Aurora: Wow, everyone seems to have important reasons for being in this tournament. The competition is going to be fierce.**

 **Dan: What was that Aurora? You say something?**

 **Aurora: Oh no, it's nothing. Just thinking to myself.**

 **Anthony: Well get your head in the game. The first round is coming up.**

 **Dan: Which teams are first? Looks like it'll be an interesting one.**

 **Next time: Conquest Empire**


	21. Conquest Empire

**A/N: Hey readers, time for the premiere of the antagonist you've all been waiting for. Hope you enjoy this one, cause this clan should be quite a shocker.**

Aurora sat in the dining hall of the hotel as she and her teammates ate breakfast. Today was going to be the big day. The day that the World Tournament began. This was where everyone's hard work and countless hours of training would be put to the test.

"So are you two ready?" Aurora asked.

"You better believe it." Anthony said with a grin. "My deck's stronger than ever now. Just wait until those other teams get a load of me."

Dan nodded his head. "I'm all set. We'll take down anyone who stands in our way."

"That's the enthusiasm I like to hear." Aurora grinned. "Alright, Team Cosmic Trio! Let's kick butt today!"

"Right!"

Dan looked at the information provided to them about the tournament. "It doesn't seem to mention what the structure is going to be. I wonder why."

"It's probably just the usual bracket system. Don't worry about it." Anthony said, waving off his teammate's concern. "Regardless, all we gotta do is win."

"There's that simplistic mindset you're known for." Aurora said. "Well with that eagerness, you can be first in our lineup."

"Heh, works for me." Anthony smirked.

Dan looked around at the other tables. There were tons of players gathered here. All of them from across the world. ' _We're in for some fierce competition from here on out.'_

Once they were finished with breakfast, Team Cosmic Trio prepared themselves and made their way to the stadium. Victory was the only thing on their minds.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Vanguard World Tournament!" Sachi announced. "As always, I'm your announcer, Sachi Fukazawa! And boy do we have some exciting plans here for you all today! Now are you ready to see some cardfights?!"

The excitement in the crowd was plain to see. With all the teams selected, it was finally time to decide who was best in the world.

"Now I'm sure you're all dying to know how the tournament is going to work. So I'll take a moment to explain how things will go for today." Sachi told everyone. "We have 192 teams participating in the Vanguard World Tournament. After today, that number will be cut in half. Each team will play against another, selected by random shuffle. However, there will only be one cardfight in each match, team leader against team leader. Win your game and your team moves on to Day 2. The losing team is out of the tournament. After that, only 96 teams will be remaining. How the tournament will work from there will be explained tomorrow. So for now teams, just focus on making it to Day 2."

Several teams widened their eyes at this. "It's all being decided by one game?!" Anthony gasped.

"And in each case, it's the team leader that fights." Dan noted. He looked over at Aurora. "You up for this?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. It's not gonna be easy, but we've got no choice. I just gotta make sure I win."

"Without further adieu, let's see who will be fighting in the first match." Sachi said. The computer monitor in the stadium shuffled through team names, finally arriving at the first pairing. "And there we have it! Team Vittoria of Italy versus Team Apocalypse of America!"

Sophia narrowed her eyes. "Vittoria?"

"It means victory in Italian." Maria explained. "Quite a simple name though. It does however show their confidence."

"All other teams are now asked to please leave the field." Sachi said. "We will begin the first match right away."

The other teams all walked off the field. With their large numbers, the VIP room was too small to accommodate everyone. Instead, a portion of the seats in the stadium were set aside for the other teams to watch if they wished to until they were called up for their match.

Aurora's team took a row of three seats and sat down together. Soon, another team came over to them, one they recognized. "Hey Aurora!"

"Hi Sophia." Aurora greeted. "Wanna sit with us?"

"Sure!" Sophia said with a smile. "Oh right, let me introduce you to the last member of Team Southern Jungle." She gestured to the male teen with her and Maria. "This is Bruno Rodriguez."

"Nice to meet you." Bruno waved.

"The pleasure is all ours." Aurora said.

Team Southern Jungle sat down right in front of Team Cosmic Trio. Everyone's eyes were on the cardfight about to begin.

"Team Apocalypse… They're the ones with a unique clan, just like Aurora." Dan said.

"Time to see what this new clan does." Anthony said.

"Here we go folks! The first match will feature Allen Demacio of Team Apocalypse against Leonardo Fellini of Team Vittoria!" Sachi announced. "Before we begin, we'd like to take a moment of everyone's time for a few words from Yukari Tatsunagi, the organizer of this tournament." Sachi said. Yukari walked up next to the announcer and accepted the mic from her.

"Cardfighters from around the world, I thank you for gathering here on this momentous day." Yukari said. "When this tournament began, I announced that there would be a brand new clan premiering in this tournament. However, as some of you have probably recently figured out, that wasn't entirely true." A few gasps came from those in the audience that were unaware of this. "In truth, there are two new clans premiering this tournament. The Star Chaser clan, belonging to Aurora Fujou of the Japanese team is the first. The second however, belongs to the leader of Team Apocalypse's own leader, Allen Demacio. This clan is known as Conquest Empire." Murmurs of gossip spread across the crowd like wildfire. "I hope these exciting twists allow you to continue to enjoy this World Tournament."

Allen let out a quiet chuckle. ' _Trying to sell the idea that this was all your doing? Please. We both know that you had no clue of this clan's existence here until I entered your little tournament.'_

"Now then, I see no reason to keep all you excited people waiting any longer." Yukari said. "Let the first match begin!"

Both Leonardo and Allen started the game together. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Kelpie Rider, Mitros!"

 **Kelpie Rider, Mitros**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

The Motion figure System activated and the scenery around them changed. Allen and Leonardo now found themselves in an underwater city. Fortunately for them, it was all fake and they wouldn't have to worry about holding their breath for air. Leonardo's starting unit was a child-like soldier with a dagger at his belt. Allen's unit was also young based on its appearance. It had a handgun in each hand and a cybernetic scope attached to the side of his head covering one eye.

"So the Italian guy uses Aqua Force." Anthony said as he watched the fight start. "They can get some pretty swift attacks in if they're used correctly."

"I'm more curious about Allen's clan. Conquest Empire." Aurora said. "I wonder what kind of abilities it has."

"I'll start us off." Allen said. "I ride Imperial Knight, Lucas!"

 **Imperial Knight, Lucas**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Allen's unit looked like a young swordsman with silver hair. He wore armor resembling a knight, and held a sword in his hands.

"I move Riley behind my Vanguard with forerunner." Allen said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Leonardo(5), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Leonardo said as he started his turn. "Listen here, kid. I don't care whether your clan's special or not. I will not disgrace myself by losing in my home country!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Allen asked with a smirk. "It's such a shame… that you have no chance of winning this fight either way."

"Grr, I'll teach you. I ride Dragon Rider, Dinos!"

 **Dragon Rider, Dinos**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Mitros moves with forerunner." Leonardo said, moving the grade 0 unit to the back row of another column. "Next I call Battle Siren Melania! My Vanguard Dinos will attack first!"

"I guard with Death-scope Sharpshooter!" Allen said, holding up the critical trigger.

"Drive check. No trigger." Leonardo said. "Melania attacks next with a boost from Mitros!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(0), Allen(1).]**

"Turn end." Leonardo said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Leonardo(5), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "I ride Emergency Rescuer, Klinger!"

 **Emergency Rescuer, Klinger**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

The unit Allen rode looked differently than the medieval appearance of his previous unit. This one was instead a male soldier with a large robotic arm that had a grappling claw for a hand.

"I call Devoted Swordswoman Rachel." Allen said as he called out the grade 2 unit to his front row. This one was a female swordswoman with a thin blade in her hand and long golden blonde hair tied in a ponytail. "Rachel attacks the Vanguard."

"I guard!" Leonardo declared, holding up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Very well then. With a boost from Riley, Klinger attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, critical trigger." Leonardo cursed the timing of the trigger, since Allen had no more attacks left for the turn. "All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(1), Allen(1).]**

"That will do for now." Allen said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Leonardo(4), Allen(4).]**

"I stand and draw." Leonardo said. "Ride! Battle Siren, Adelaide!"

 **Battle Siren, Adelaide**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Battle Siren Janka." Leonardo said, filling up his front row with the grade 2 unit. "Janka attacks!"

Allen held up a grade 1 from his hand. It showed a young girl in her teens with short pink hair and grey robes befitting that of a servant. In her hands was a staff with a red gem. "Enslaved Princess, Mira will guard."

"Adelaide is up next!"

"No guard." Allen said.

"Drive check." Leonardo said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(1), Allen(2).]**

"Boosted by Mitros, Melania attacks."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check." A smirk came to his face when he saw the card. A female sorcerer dressed head to toe in white. "White Witch of the Imperial Army. It's a heal trigger. I recover one damage and add 5000 power to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(1), Allen(2).]**

"Turn end." Leonardo said.

"Well folks, so far this match has been neck and neck." Sachi said. "Allen Demacio keeps the score close with a heal trigger. But Leonardo Fellini still holds the lead."

As she watched the game, Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Something's not right."

Sophia turned her head around towards the blonde girl. "What do you mean?"

"That Allen guy. If it wasn't for that heal trigger, he'd be in a really bad spot. But it looks like he doesn't even care."

"You're right." Dan said. "It's as if it doesn't matter to him."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Leonardo(4), Allen(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said.

"I hope this special clan of your can do more than this." Leonardo said. "Cause so far, I'm not impressed."

Allen let out a chuckle. "Well then, perhaps I should actually start taking this seriously."

"What?!"

"I've let you swim around in your little ocean for long enough. It's time I claim it for myself." Allen said with a smirk. "Fearsome warrior! Draw your blade and lead my forces to victory! Destroy your foes until there's nothing left! I ride General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Allen's unit materialized with the Motion Figure System. It was a male warrior with short brown hair, metal armor, and a powerful-looking broadsword in his hands, along with a red cape flowing down his back.

' _So that's a grade 3 Conquest Empire unit.'_ Aurora thought.

"I call Destruction Gunman, Barbados." Allen said. The grade 2 unit filled up the last spot in his front row. It was a male warrior holding a large bazooka over his shoulder.

"If you hope to outclass my Aqua Force is an offensive assault, you're sorely mistaken." Leonidas said. He narrowed his eyes as Allen began chuckling, soon breaking out into a full laughter. "Sorry, I missed the joke."

"You _are_ the joke." Allen said as he grinned to himself. "When I'm done with you, your mighty armada won't even have a swimming pool left to splash around in!" He held his hand out towards his rear guard Rachel. "Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel! Crush his Battle Siren, Melania! Conquer!"

Leonardo gasped as Rachel charged at his rear guard. She thrusted her sword forward, piercing right through the unit and destroying it.

"What just happened?!" Leonardo questioned. He looked down at his board and widened his eyes. The card Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel was on the rear guard circle that his Melania had just been. And unlike his own units, this one was facing towards him. "What's going on?! Why is your unit on my field?!"

"This is the power of Conquest Empire. The skill known as Conquer." Allen explained. "My Rachel has 9000 power. Since your front row rear guard circle directly in front of it had a unit with less power than her, she was able to invade your field. And since your unit was in the way, Rachel took care of her."

"So your units can invade my field?!"

"That's correct. However, there are some conditions and rules." Allen told the Italian team leader. "First, I can only Conquer a front row rear guard circle, and that circle must either be unoccupied, or have a unit with power lower than that of the unit I'm using to Conquer with. In addition, the unit I use to Conquer must have the Conquer skill, as well as be a lower grade than that of my Vanguard at the time. Plus, it can only Conquer the circle in the same column as it. If you have a unit there when I Conquer, it is retired. However, if the circle behind it is empty you can instead move it to that circle instead. In this case, you had Mitros behind Melania so Melania was forced to retire. Lastly, while my unit is Conquering your rear guard circle, it cannot be boosted and while it is treated as my unit, the circle is still considered part of your field."

Everyone watching the fight gasped in shock at this. Even Sachi needed a moment to collect her thoughts. "U-Unbelievable! I've never seen a skill like this folks! Allen's units are actually invading Leonadro's field!"

"I didn't even know that was possible…" Maria gasped in shock.

"Neither did I." Aurora said.

"It's like an army invading another kingdom's land." Dan said, equally shocked. "So this is Conquest Empire."

"If you thought I was done with that, you're sorely mistaken." Allen said.

"Well you won't be Conquering my other rear guard circle. Janka's power is equal to your Barbados. So you can't Conquer it."

"Then I'll just have to get it out of my way! I use Barbados's skill! Since one of my units Conquered one of your rear guard circles, I can counterblast and retire one of your units in the same column as him! Destroy Janka!"

Leonardo gasped in shock as a blast came from Barbados's bazooka, blowing away his rear guard unit.

"And now since you have no unit occupying your other front row circle, Barbados is free to Conquer it." Allen smirked. "Go Barbados! Conquer!"

"And now the Italian champion's other front row circle is being occupied by Allen's unit!" Sachi exclaimed. "Can he survive this?!"

"Barbados attacks the Vanguard!"

"No guard." Leonardo said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(2), Allen(2).]**

"Boosted by Imperial Scout Riley, my Vanguard Alexander attacks!" Allen called out.

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"No arguments here! Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Rachel and critical to my Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Leonardo said. "First card, no trigger. Second one, stand trigger! I give the power to my Vanguard and stand Mitros!"

 **[Damage: Leonardo(4), Allen(2).]**

"Rachel will finish things off for the turn."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Leonardo said, holding up a grade 0 from his hand. "Guard!"

"Turn end." Allen said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Leonardo(4), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Leonardo said. "Master of the Raging Seas! Call forth a storm and blow my opponent away! I ride Supreme Ruler of the Storm, Thavas!"

 **Supreme Ruler of the Storm, Thavas**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Leonardo called out. "Marshal General of Surging Seas, Alexandros!"

 **Marshal General of Surging Seas, Alexandros**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _That kid said that even though his units are on my field, it's still considered my field.'_ Leonardo thought silently. ' _Which means I can call over the units on it.'_

"Thavas's stride skill! I call Battle Siren Adelaide! It gains Resist and the ability to attack from the back row!" Leonardo said. "And I'm calling it over your Barbados!"

Allen smirked. "So you realized it?"

"That's right! As long as it's still technically my field, I can call units over yours!" Leonardo said with a confident grin. "They may help you on your turn, but on my turn they're sitting ducks!"

"Since Barbados was successfully called over, he returns to my side of the field, and his power becomes 0 until the end of the turn." Allen said as his unit moved back to his field.

"Adelaide's skill! When she's called I counterblast and soulblast to give her 2000 power and the ability to restand once after attacking the Vanguard!"

Anthony grinned as he watched this. "Nice! Now he just needs to call over his other unit and he'll have his field back! This Conquest Empire clan isn't all that scary."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Dan said. "I have a feeling there's more to this clan."

Leonardo took another card from his hand and called it to the circle Rachel was at. "I call Dragon Rider, Dino over your Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel!"

As Leonardo did that, Allen chuckled to himself. "You shouldn't underestimate the warriors of Conquest Empire."

"Talk tough all you want, but-" Leonardo was cut off as the Dino he just called was forced off the rear guard and put in the drop zone. In the image of the Motion figure system, it showed Dino leaping at Rachel, but getting sliced in half by the female warrior's blade. "Impossible! Why was my unit retired?!"

"There's a special little thing about my units when they're Conquering." Allen explained. "If you want to call over them, it has to be a unit with a power level equal to or higher than my unit. Otherwise, your unit is retired instead."

"No way?!"

"It's not all bad." Allen said. "In the case of this happening, my unit's power is decreased by the power of your unit's until the end of the turn. Your Dinos had 7000 power, so Rachel's power goes down from 9000 to 2000. You could even call over it with a grade 0." He then smirked. "However, you only have one card in your hand. Are you really willing to throw away your entire hand just to get rid of my units?"

"Even if I'm not, I still have another option." Leonardo said. "I can have Mitros move up at your Rachel."

Allen smirked. "Not bad. I'm impressed you were able to realize that."

"Go Mitros! Make Rachel pay for invading our waters!"

Mitros moved up to the front row, taking out Rachel and forcing her back to Allen's field. The female warrior was now a 0 power, completely helpless.

' _I have to take out his rear guards. If he gets to launch a counterattack next turn, he'll use them to invade my field again and get rid of my units.'_ Leonardo thought to himself. "Mitros attacks Barbados!"

"High Morale Soldier, Simon will guard." Allen said, holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

"Well let's see what Adelaide has to say about it!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

Allen shrugged. "No guard. Barbados is retired."

"Alexandros attacks!" Leonardo declared. "Skill of Kelpie Rider, Mitros! I send it to the soul and call out a grade 3 unit with Thavas in its name from my deck! I call Supreme Ruler of the Storm, Thavas where Mitros was!"

"No guard." Allen said.

"Triple drive. First check, heal trigger. Power to my rear guard Thavas and I recover one damage. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Allen said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(3), Allen(3).]**

"The skill of Alexandros!" Leonardo said as he counterblasted and flipped a card in his G zone face up. "I select two of my rear guards, in this case Thavas and Adelaide. The both become standing and then gain 5000 power for every face up card in my G Zone. I currently have one so that's 5000 to each of them. Now go Thavas! Attack his rear guard Rachel!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard."

"Thavas's Wave 4! I counterblast and restand him! And now he's coming in for another attack, this time at your Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(3), Allen(4).]**

"Adelaide attacks next!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, stand trigger. Power to Alexander."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(3), Allen(5).]**

"Adelaide's skill allows her to restand! And now she'll finish you!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Finish me? Don't make me laugh." Allen said as he threw down a grade 1 from his hand. "Guard."

Leonardo grit his teeth. "Turn end. The Thavas I called with Mitros's skill returns to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Leonardo(5), Allen(2).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Allen said. He chuckled to himself. "It's about time I end this."

"End this? You only have 2 cards in hand!" Leonardo said. "Don't underestimate the Italian champion!"

Allen sighed and shook his head. "To be honest, I was expecting more from you. Sadly, it seems my expectations were too high."

"Impudent little…"

"Bear witness to true despair! Grovel in the dirt like the weakling you are!" Allen called out. "Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The G Unit that appeared on the field was a large warrior. His strength was shown clearly by the two massive swords he was holding, one in each hand.

"Alexander's stride skill! I counterblast and then lower your rear guard Adelaide's power by 5000, while at the same time increasing the power of my Vanguard by 5000 until the end of my opponent's next turn! Of course, since the G Unit leaves at the end of the turn, that power will instead be gone at the end of my turn."

' _Not like it matters. I have a perfect guard in my hand, not to mention a heal trigger.'_ Leonardo thought to himself. ' _I can defend against his attacks no problem. Then I'll finish him on my next turn.'_

"I call Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army." Allen said. "I then activate its skill. I return it to the deck and my Vanguard gains a skill that allows me to draw whenever I Conquer an opponent's rear guard circle until end of turn. Next I call General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander to rear guard." The grade 3 appeared in the same column as Adelaide. Leonardo already knew what was coming. "General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander! Conquer!"

The image of Alexander charged forward. He shoved into Adelaide, making the mermaid let out a cry of pain as she was forced to the back row.

"Thanks to Drill Sergeant, I draw a card. Then with Alexander's skill, whenever he Conquers a rear guard circle, I add 5000 to him until the end of my opponent's next turn and draw.

Aurora gasped at this. "He just got rid of one of his opponent's rear guards and got to draw 2 cards just like that?!"

"Skill of Imperial Scout, Riley. Since my rear guard Conquered, I send him to the soul. I then search my deck for a grade 2 or lower card to call to the same column as the rear guard that Conquered. I superior call Supply Soldier, Collin!" This unit was only a grade 1, with its appearance being that of a soldier carrying a large backpack.

"He called a grade 1? But he can't boost a unit that's Conquering?" Sophia said.

"I don't think power was the reason he called that unit out." Maria told her.

"Next I call Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel to my other column. And since your front row circle is empty there, I'll have her Conquer! I draw a card thanks to Drill Sergeant, and with Collin's skill, I draw yet another card."

"So he called Collin to get another card in hand." Dan realized. "He didn't have much before, but now he's rebuilt both his hand and field."

"I call Unbreakable Shield, Ganon behind Collin." Allen said. If the name didn't imply that it was a sentinel, the large rectangular shield the unit was holding definitely drove the message home. "With a boost from Ganon, Collin attacks!"

 **(7000+6000=13000)**

"I guard." Leonardo said, using a grade 2 from his hand.

"Alexander is up next! And when my unit on my opponent's field attacks, Rachel gains 3000 power!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Generation guard! Blue Wave Armor General, Galfilia! Her skill adds 5000 to the shield!"

 **Blue Wave Armor General, Galfilia**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Rachel swings in next. Another 3000 is added with her skill."

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"No guard." Leonardo said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(4), Allen(5).]**

"Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius attacks!" Allen called out. "Activating Darius's skill! I choose up to two of my units on my opponent's field and stand them! They both gain 5000 power!"

Leonardo's eyes widened. "What?!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

Leonardo looked at his hand. ' _I have a perfect guard, and a grade 3 I can discard. But after that, I only have another grade 3 and a critical trigger. If I guard this one and save the critical trigger for Rachel, I can guard it. I'm safe so long as he doesn't draw a critical trigger.'_

"Perfect guard!" Leonardo called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger." Leonardo said. A smirk came to his face. ' _Yes. I'm safe.'_

"Alexander attacks once again. Rachel's skill adds 3000 power to herself."

Leonardo's eyes widened. ' _No! I forgot about that unit's skill! I won't have enough to guard either one!'_

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Leonardo said, panic beginning to settle in. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Leonardo(5), Allen(5).]**

"And _this_ will finish it." Allen smirked. "Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel attacks the Vanguard. 3000 added with her skill"

 **(9000+12000+5000=26000)**

"No guard…" Leonardo watched as a sixth card fell into his damage zone. The Italian champion fell to his knees. "Impossible… I lost…"

 **[Damage: Leonardo(6), Allen(5).]**

"Heh, I was right. You really are a joke." Allen said as the Motion Figure System turned off and the scenery returned to normal. "Go lie in the mud, you loser."

Aurora growled as she clenched her fists. "That guy… Who does he think he is?! He already won, he doesn't need to rub it in!"

"I don't like him. He's a big jerk." Sophia pouted.

"Agreed." Maria nodded. "But there's no denying the fact that he's strong."

"Conquest Empire… What a dangerous clan." Dan said. "We'll need to be careful if we end up facing it."

Aurora nodded her head in agreement. ' _So that's the group trying to take over Cray. I have to make sure I beat them, no matter what.'_

 **Dan: I still can't believe there's another person with a unique clan in this tournament besides Aurora.**

 **Aurora: I'm more concerned about the other members of Team Apocalypse. Are they as strong as Allen is?**

 **Anthony: Don't worry. I can take that guy down if it comes to it.**

 **Aurora: Well for that to happen, I'll need to win my match. Wish me luck.**

 **Anthony: Good luck. Try not to lose and ruin our goal.**

 **Dan: … You just couldn't leave it at "Good luck", could you?**

 **Next time: Evolved Star**

* * *

 _ **Note: As you've all seen, this chapter introduces the clan Conquest empire, as well as its keyword "Conquer". Similar to the Domination skill of Nubatama, there's a few rules regarding this skill so here's a list of them for your convenience.**_

 _ **1) In order to "Conquer", your unit must have the Conquer skill, be a grade lower than that of what your Vanguard currently is, and have a higher power level than the front row unit on your opponent's field. If there is no unit on your opponent's front row rear guard circle, you can "Conquer" automatically.**_

 _ **2) If your opponent has a unit on their front row that you "Conquer", your opponent may move it to their back row of the same column if that back row circle is open. Otherwise, it is automatically retired.**_

 _ **3) You can only "Conquer" your opponent's front row rear guard circles. You cannot "Conquer" the back row.**_

 _ **4) You cannot "Conquer" a rear guard circle that has a locked unit on it.**_

 _ **5) When you "Conquer" an opponent's rear guard circle, that circle is considered "Conquered" until your opponent successfully calls a unit onto that circle. Your units cannot "Conquer" a circle that is already "Conquered".**_

 _ **6) When on an opponent's "Conquered" rear guard circle, your unit is still treated as your unit, however the circle is treated as belonging to your opponent, so any skills that specify the opponent's field can target those units or circles.**_

 _ **7) Your opponent can call over your unit on a "Conquered" rear guard circle. If the unit being called has equal or greater power than the current power of the unit on it, the call is successful. Otherwise, the called unit is retired while the unit on the circle loses power equal to that of the unit attempted to be called until end of turn. If the call over is successful, you may return your unit to your field if there is an open rear guard circle in the same column. If so, the unit's power becomes 0 until end of turn. The same rules apply in the case of an opponent moving a unit up from the back row.**_

 _ **8) While you are "Conquering" your opponent's rear guard circle, they may attack with units in the back row of that same column. However, they cannot intercept with those units, unless they have a skill stating they can intercept from the back row.**_

 _ **Hope this makes things easier to understand. If you have any other questions regarding how Conquer works, please ask me or Deviljho's Hatred via PM and we will try to answer your question. Depending on some of the questions we get asked, this list may be updated.**_

 _ **Please tell us what you all think of Conquest Empire and the Conquer skill in your reviews. We appreciate your feedback. But for now, onto the Card Gallery. It's a long one this time, as this chapter introduces the Conquest Empire clan.**_

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Imperial Scout, Riley

Grade 0

Power: 5000

Forerunner

 **AUTO RC GB1:** Send this unit to the soul. When your rear guard "Conquers", you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a grade 2 or lower card and call to to RC in the same column as the unit that "Conquered".

* * *

Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army

Grade 0

Power: 4000

Stand Trigger

 **ACT GB1:** Put this unit on top of your deck. Choose your Vanguard and it gets **(CONT: When your rear guard "Conquers", draw a card.)** until the end of the turn. Shuffle your deck.

* * *

High Morale Soldier, Simon

Grade 0

Power: 4000

Critical Trigger

 **AUTO:** Send this card to soul. When your grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "General" in its name attacks you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card and your Vanguard gains +5000 power until the end of the battle.

* * *

Death-scope Sharpshooter

Grade 0

Power: 5000

Critical Trigger

* * *

White Witch of the Imperial Army

Grade 0

Power: 5000

Heal Trigger

* * *

Supply Soldier, Collin

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **AUTO RC 1/Turn GB1:** When your rear guard "Conquers", draw one card. Then at the end of the turn, you may send this unit to soul. If you do, CC1.

* * *

Enslaved Princess, Mira

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **ACT RC GB1:** SB1 & Retire this unit. All of your rear guards on your opponent's field gain +5000 power and Resist until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Imperial Knight, Lucas

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **AUTO:** (Choose a grade 3 in your hand and reveal it) When this unit is placed on RC from hand you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for one card with "General" in its name, reveal it, put it into your hand, shuffle your deck, choose a card from your hand and discard it.

 **CONT (Hand):** When you are paying the cost for STRIDE, this unit gets grade +2.

* * *

Unbreakable Shield, Ganon

Grade 1

Power: 6000

 **CONT:** Sentinel

 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.

 **AUTO RC GB1:** SB1. At then end of your turn, if one or more of your opponent's RC is "Conquered" you may pay the cost. If you do, return this unit to your hand.

* * *

Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **ACT RC: Conquer** _(If your opponent's RC in front of this unit is empty or has a unit with Power less than this unit's Power, this unit can move to that RC.)_

 **AUTO RC GB1:** When one of your units on your opponent's field attacks, this unit gains +3000 power.

* * *

Emergency Rescuer, Klinger

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **ACT RC: Conquer** _(If your opponent's RC in front of this unit is empty or has a unit with Power less than this unit's Power, this unit can move to that RC.)_

 **AUTO RC GB1:** When your unit on your opponent's field is successfully called over, you may return that unit to your hand.

* * *

Destruction Gunman, Barbados

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **ACT RC: Conquer** _(If your opponent's RC in front of this unit is empty or has a unit with Power less than this unit's Power, this unit can move to that RC.)_

 **AUTO RC 1/Turn:** CB1. When your opponent's RC in a column different from this card's column is "Conquered", you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards in the same column as this unit and retire it.

* * *

General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander

Grade 3

Power: 11000

 **ACT RC: Conquer** _(If your opponent's RC in front of this unit is empty or has a unit with Power less than this unit's Power, this unit can move to that RC.)_

 **AUTO VC:** CB1. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponents front row RCs with a unit on it, that unit gets -5000 power until the end of the turn. Then choose one of your units and add +5000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

 **AUTO RC:** When this unit Conquers an opponent's RC, draw a card. Then, this unit gains +5000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius

Stride

Power: 15000+

 **AUTO VC:** CB1 & Take a face down card in your G zone and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two of your units on your opponent's field, stand them and they both gain 5000 power.


	22. Evolved Star

**A/N: Hey readers. You all ready to see some new Star Chaser cards? Well get ready cause here they are!**

 **Ask: Essentially yes, they are. But there's also the fact that it takes away circles from the opponent at the same time.**

"Here we are, cardfighting fans!" Sachi called out. "Our latest match, featuring Team Southern Jungle from Brazil and Team Stratos from Germany is nearing its end!"

Sophia grinned as she launched another attack. "Companion Star-vader, Photon attacks the Vanguard!"

The German leader looked at his hand, completely depleted from Sophia's attacks. "No guard…"

With Photon's attack landing, the sixth card fell into the German player's damage zone. Cheers erupted as the match ended.

"And there you have it!" Sachi announced. "Sophia Perez of Team Southern Jungle has won! They'll be moving onto the next part of the World Tournament!"

"Yes!" Sophia cheered as she jumped in the air for joy. Seeing the little girl so happy brought smiles to much of the audience, while others felt surprised by the skills of someone so young being able to stand on a stage such as this.

With her match over, Sophia ran over to the stands where her teammates were waiting. "Maria! Bruno! Did you see me win?!"

"Of course we did, Sophia." Maria said.

"Yeah." Bruno told her. "I mean we are sitting in the stands after all."

"You did really well." Aurora said. "I was blown away by how good you were."

"Hehehe, thanks Aurora." Sophia smiled.

' _Aurora's not kidding. That Sophia girl has some serious skills.'_ Dan thought to himself. ' _If we're not careful, she could very well beat us too.'_

"We will now move onto the next match!" Sachi said. "Let's see who will be playing next!"

The monitor shuffled through team names as everyone waited in suspense to see who would be up next. Anthony let out a yawn. "Why are we here again? Only the team leaders are fighting in this round, right?"

"Think of it as a chance to examine the other teams. Information like this can be key in the later rounds." Dan told him.

"Yeah, yeah, I just wish I'd get the chance to cardfight." Anthony said. "Or at least have our team fight already. It's already been like what, thirty matches so far."

"Well there's gonna be ninety-six in total today so it could be a long wait." Dan said.

"And there they are!" Sachi announced. "The next two teams that will be fighting!"

Everyone looked up at the monitor. Both Dan and Anthony took notice when they saw their team name up on the monitor.

"It's finally my turn!" Aurora said with a cheer.

"Get ready for a good one folks! We've got Team Cosmic Trio from Japan up against Team Mystery Mask from Thailand!" Sachi called out to the crowd.

Dan turned to his leader. "You ready Aurora?"

"You better believe it." Aurora grinned. She headed down to the field as she waved at her teammates. "Wish me luck."

Aurora hurried down to the field, taking her place. When she took a look at her opponent however, it was not what she was expecting. ' _What the heck?'_

The person standing across from her was a person who seemed to be in their twenties. It was only a rough guess based on their physical build however, since their body was covered by a robe while a mask was seen covering their face.

"A masked cardfighter? Isn't that a bit cliche?" Dan asked.

"Actually, if what I've heard is correct, the mask makes perfect sense." Maria said.

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Just wait. You'll see."

"In this next match, we have leaders Aurora Fujou and The King." Sachi announced. "The King of course is an alias, as his real name stays shrouded in mystery. He has not taken this name lightly though, as he and his teammates Queen and Joker dominated the preliminary tournament in Thailand." She then turned her attention to Aurora. "And then we have Aurora Fujou. She and Team Cosmic Trio are new to the tournament stage, but they still managed to pull of a surprising victory in the Japanese preliminary tournament. She uses a clan premiering in this very tournament, much like the Conquest Empire clan we saw from Allen Demacio in the first match. Get ready to watch her soar through the cosmos with Star Chaser."

' _This is finally it. My first game in the World Tournament.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I can't afford to lose this.'_

"Seems you use a special clan." King spoke. The voice that was heard confirmed he was male. "However, I doubt you've faced a deck like mine before."

"Why don't we find out?" Aurora said.

Both players started the game with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Twinkle Maiden, Virgo!"

 **Twinkle Maiden, Virgo**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Baozi Mask!"

 **Baozi Mask**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

The Motion Figure System responded to the fight beginning, as their scenery changed. The background seemed to favor Aurora as they both found themselves standing in space. Comets and shooting stars could be seen in the background, as were many dazzling stars.

Simultaneously, both starting units materialized. Aurora's unit was that of a young girl with simple purple hair and bright yellow eyes that twinkled like stars. King's was vastly different, showing a small stern white figure with chunks of rock floating around it.

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise as he looked at King's unit. "Huh? What's that unit? I've never heard of it."

"I thought as much." Maria said.

"Is this about what you said earlier?" Anthony asked.

"I heard a rumor about a clan released about six months back." Maria explained. "It's a regional-specific clan released only in Thailand. It's called The Mask Collection."

"The Mask Collection?"

Maria nodded her head. "I thought it was just a rumor. But it looks like it's actually true."

"How exciting!" Sachi announced. "We're about to see a fight between two very unique clans! The Star Chaser clan released specifically for this tournament, and the Thailand exclusive The Mask Collection clan! I don't think we could ask for a better matchup!" Sachi spoke to the crowd excitedly.

' _A regional exclusive clan, huh?'_ Aurora thought. ' _It's true I've never fought it before. But the same is true for him when it comes to Star Chaser. And I've upgraded this deck since the preliminary tournament.'_ A fierce determination burned in her eyes. ' _I've got this.'_

"Here we go. I'll start things off." Aurora said. "I ride Star Beast, Ursa!"

 **Star Beast, Ursa**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"With forerunner, I move Virgo behind the Vanguard." Aurora said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), King(5).]**

"Very well then. I stand and draw." King spoke. "It's time for me to dawn a new mask. I ride Freedom-loving Kangaroo Mask!"

 **Freedom-loving Kangaroo Mask**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Baozi Mask moves back with forerunner." King explained. "And now with a boost from Baozi Mask, Kangaroo Mask will attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), King(0).]**

"I believe that will do for now. Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), King(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"."

 **Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

Aurora's new unit appeared on the battlefield with the Motion Figure System. It was a mermaid with long violet hair, and a deep blue tailfin. It almost looked like the mermaids of Bermuda Triangle, though this one had cybernetic armor and an energy whip, common for the advanced technology that Star Chaser possessed.

"The skill of Twinkle Maiden, Virgo" Aurora explained. "When a grade 2 or higher Star Chaser unit is placed on the Vanguard circle, I can bind her face up. Then I get to look at the top 2 cards of my deck, choose one to bind, then add the other to my hand." Aurora drew the top 2 cards and looked at them. "The card I'll bind is Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"."

The grade 1 unit that Aurora bound showed a young boy. He had short hair that was the same violet color as Aurora's Vanguard, though instead of a tailfin, he had fins on his ears and ankles. A short cybernetic trident was in his hands.

"I'm not done." Aurora said. "Next I call Star Beast, Ursa and Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra." The grade 1 cybernetically enhanced bear was placed behind her Vanguard while Libra took up one of her two empty front row circles. "Now Libra will attack the Vanguard!"

"I guard." King said, holding up a grade 1.

"Boosted by Ursa, Pisces "Mitera" attacks! With Ursa's skill, I bind the top card of my deck and add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Aurora said. She smirked when she saw the yellow icon on the card she got. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Ngh… Damage check. No triggers for either."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), King(2).]**

"I'll call it a turn with that." Aurora said.

"Nice!" Anthony grinned. "She pulled ahead thanks to that trigger!"

"Not to mention she already has three cards in her bind zone." Dan noted. "Aurora's new and improved deck is really something."

"The units are so cool too!" Sophia said excitedly as she watched. "I can't wait to see what Star Chaser can really do!"

"Just watch, Sophia. Trust us, you haven't seen anything yet." Dan smirked.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), King(6).]**

"Stand and draw." King said. "Once again I'll put on a new mask. Ride! Regulator of Makal, Bell Mask!"

 **Regulator of Makal, Bell Mask**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Beloved Pony Mask! And I'll have it attack your Vanguard!"

"I guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a draw trigger in her hand.

"Boosted by Baozi Mask, Bell Mask will attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

With that, a second card fell into Aurora's damage zone, tying the game up.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), King(2).]**

"Turn end." King said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(4), King(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She took a card from her hand and held it up. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike your foes down with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And here it is, folks! Aurora's signature unit! Star of Hope, Hikari!" Sachi announced. "With her signature unit out on the field, you better believe Aurora Fujou has gotten serious!"

Everyone watched in awe as the blonde teenage female unit appeared on the battlefield. She drew her sword and pointed it into the air.

"I'll start things off with an attack from Libra at your Vanguard!"

"As if I'd let that through!" King said as he held up a card from his hand. "Guard!"

"Here comes Hikari with Ursa's boost! And Ursa's skill will allow me to bind a card and add 3000 power!"

 **(11000+7000+3000=21000)**

"I'll let that hit."

"Twin drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." King said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

' _Good thing I swung with Libra first.'_ Aurora thought to herself. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(6), King(6).]**

"Stand and draw." King said. He stomped his foot onto the ground and took a firm stance. "A legend will always arrive in the darkest hour! Champion of the people! I ride! Durian Mask "The Legend"!"

 **Durian Mask "The Legend"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now prepare yourself! Stride Generation!" King called out. "Durian Mask "The Fighter"!"

 **Durian Mask "The Fighter"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Street Performer of Haya, Kangaroo Mask from my hand! It gains a Vote 3 skill! And then I choose my Vanguard and lower its Vote count from 7 to 6!"

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Vote?"

"A champion can only succeed with the support of the people! Watch and I'll show you what I mean!" King spoke. "Boosted by Baozi Mask, Durian Mask "The Fighter" attacks!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

Aurora looked at her two damage. She could afford to take a hit. "No guard."

"Triple drive. First check. A grade 3, no trigger! My Vanguard's skill increases the grade of units in my trigger zone by 1! Because of that, Vote 3 and Vote 4 of Kangaroo Mask has been achieved!"

"What are you talking about? What's this Vote?"

"Vote. A skill that triggers when the total combined grades of all cards drive checked is equal to or exceeds a certain number." King explained. "In this case, I just checked a grade 3. Adding on one grade due to my Vanguard's skill makes it 4. Therefore, all Vote 4 and below skills were activated at this very moment."

' _So he can activate skills based on the grades of his drive checks.'_ Aurora realized. ' _A bit of a risky strategy, but if he can increase the grades of his trigger checks, then he can activate them much easier.'_

"First, the Vote 3 skill that Kangaroo Mask gained from the stride skill. 5000 power is added to Kangaroo Mask. Then it's Vote 4 adds another 5000 power with the ability to draw a card if it hits." King said. "And now my second check. A critical trigger! Normally it would be a grade 0, but my Vanguard's skill makes it a grade 1! Vote 5 of Beloved Pony Mask is achieved! She gains 5000 power and the skill to prevent you from using grade 0s from your hand to guard her attack! Then for the trigger effect, I'll add 5000 to Pony Mask and give my Vanguard the critical!"

' _That's gonna be annoying.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Wait… Didn't he say his stride skill also made his Vanguard's vote number 6? That means…'_

"Third check, grade 1! Vote 6 of Durian Mask "The Fighter" is achieved!" King said. "It gains 8000 power and an extra critical!"

"What?!"

With King's Vanguard attack landing, Aurora took 3 damage. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger." Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. She needed that heal. "Giving another 5000 to Hikari and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), King(2).]**

"It won't save you! Kangaroo Mask attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"I guard!" Aurora said, using a trigger from her hand.

"Well let's see you deal with Beloved Pony Mask's attack! And you can't guard with a grade 0 for this one!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Then I'll just use a grade 2! Aurora said. "Guard!"

"You did well to block that." King said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(4), King(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _That heal trigger really saved me there. I can't let my guard down for a second against this guy.'_

"Here we go! Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Sophia gasped in awe. "Wow! So that's a Star Chaser G Unit!"

"Stride skill! I bind Pride of the Stars, Leo from my deck! Then I call it to rear guard!" Aurora said. The grade 3 that appeared on her empty front row circle was a large humanoid lion with cybernetic armor and a large two-handed sword with a photon blade coming out from the hilt. "Leo's skill activates when he's called from the bind zone! He gains 10000 power! Then he gains another 3000 due to being called off of Hikari's stride skill!"

"Interesting. So that's how her deck works." Maria noted. "She binds units from her deck and then calls them like a second hand."

"Exactly." Dan confirmed. "And she's not done yet."

"At the beginning of my main phase, Libra's skill activates. I bind a card from my deck, in exchange for binding Libra at the end of the turn. Then I activate Draco Nova's skill! I bind a card from my hand, a card from my drop zone, and my rear guard Libra. Then I get to call 2 units out from my bind zone. I choose Libra and Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"." Aurora called out the two grade 2s in the same column that Libra had just been bound from, leaving her with only one open rear guard spot behind Leo. "Draco Nova also gains plus one drive."

"You're calling a grade 2 to the back row?" King asked.

"Yep. Cause Pisces "Mitera" has a pretty nifty skill." Aurora grinned. "Since Star Child, Pisces "Paidi" is in my bind zone, Pisces "Mitera" gains 5000 power and Boost."

"So now she has a unit boosting for 14000. Nice." Anthony grinned.

"Not to mention, since Libra left the field and came back, she'll no longer get bound at the end of the turn." Dan added. "That was an excellent move on her part."

"Next I call Pisces "Paidi" from my hand." Aurora said, filling up her board. "And just like Mitera, Paidi gains a skill if if the other Pisces is in the bind zone. It gains 5000 power and if an attack hits where it attacks or boosts, I can draw a card."

"So they each gain power from the other being in the bind zone." King said.

"That's right. The Pisces constellation is a pair of fish, but there's a bond symbolized by it. The bond of parent and child. These two units bring out the power in each other, and it's a bond you can't break." Aurora said. "Now first, Pisces "Mitera" will give a boost to Libra!"

 **(9000+9000+5000=23000)**

"Generation guard!" King called out. "White Mage, Albino Crow Mask!"

 **White Mage, Albino Crow Mask**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, your Leo loses 10000 power." King explained. "However, it also gains a Vote 4 skill to negate that power loss."

' _Vote 4. So if the total grades of the cards in my drive check are 4 or more, Leo gets its power back.'_ Aurora thought.

"Now then, let's see whether you can get the numbers you need."

"With Ursa's boost, Draco Nova attacks! And Ursa's skill adds 3000 power!" Aurora said.

 **(26000+7000+3000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" King said.

"Alright then. Time for the moment of truth! Quadruple drive!" Aurora said. "First check, grade 2! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Leo! Third check, grade 1!"

"If she draws anything above grade 0, she'll reach Vote 4." Maria said.

Dan tensed up, knowing how important regaining that 10000 power would be here. "Come on Aurora…"

"Final check… grade 3!" Aurora smirked as she looked at the card. "Looks like Leo's power is returning to normal! And he'll use it to attack with a boost from Pisces "Paidi"!"

 **(11000+10000+5000+3000+7000+5000=41000)**

"No guard." King said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), King(4).]**

"Since the attack hit, I draw a card from the skill of Pisces "Paidi"." Aurora said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(7), King(5).]**

"Alright, she managed to tie it up." Anthony said. "Now if she can just survive this turn, she can finish this masked loser off."

"I don't think it'll be that easy." Dan said. "Her opponent still has a big hand. Even if Aurora does survive the turn, King could still have a decent hand to guard with."

"Stand and draw." King said. "Prepare for the ultimate champion of the people! Stride Generation! Legendary Gunman, Durian Mask!"

 **Legendary Gunman, Durian Mask**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! From my hand, I call Diamond Crown Mask behind Kangaroo Mask and give it a Vote 3 skill. Then I give my Vanguard Vote minus 1, bringing it down to 8." King explained. "Next I activate Durian Mask's skill. I counterblast, soul blast, and retire Kangaroo Mask. I then add the top card of my deck to my hand and decrease my Vanguard's Vote by the grade of the unit." King showed the top card of his deck, revealing a grade 2. :This brings it to Vote 6. Finally, I call Beautiful Diamond Crown Mask and Apple Mask SD."

King's field was now completely full with Diamond Crown Mask and Beautiful Diamond Crown Mask in one column, Beloved Pony Mask and Apple Mask SD in the another, and Baozi Mask behind his Vanguard.

"Get ready, wielder of Star Chaser! For you shall now witness Mask Collection's true power!" King said confidently. "With Apple Mask's boost, Beloved Pony Mask attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Libra will intercept." Aurora said.

Maria narrowed her eyes. "That's odd."

"What is it?" Sophia asked.

"The grade 2 he just attacked with has a Vote skill to gain power and prevent grade 0s from guarding it. So why attack with it before the Vanguard?"

"I noticed that too." Dan said. "But he seems pretty confident. He must have a plan."

"Durian Mask attacks with a boost from Baozi Mask!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Not happening! Perfect guard!" Aurora declared.

"Triple drive." King declared. "First check. Grade 2. However, I can use Baozi Mask's skill to send it to the soul and increase the checked card's grade by 1, bringing my Vote count up to 3. Thus, Diamond Crown Mask's Vote gained from the stride skill activates and it gains 5000 power. Then, Beautiful Diamond Crown Mask gains 3000 since another rear guard's Vote skill triggered. And next I activate the Vote 3 skill of Angel Mask Who Watches Over From the Heaven in the drop zone. I soul blast and call him where Baozi Mask was. It gains 4000 power. And now for my second check. Critical trigger. All effects to Beautiful Diamond Crown Mask. Third check…"

' _He's at Vote 3. He lowered his Vanguard's Vote necessity to 6.'_ Aurora thought. ' _He needs to pull a grade 3 with this last trigger check to activate his Vanguard's skill.'_

Everyone watching came to the same conclusion Aurora did as they watched with bated breath. Finally, King turned the card over for his third and final check. "Street Performer of Haya, Kangaroo Mask. It's a grade 2."

Aurora grinned. "So much for your Vote 6 skill. You only got to Vote 5."

To the blonde girl's surprise however, King let out a chuckle. "It certainly does seem that way, doesn't it? However, Kangaroo Mask gains grade plus one while in the trigger zone. Meaning it's treated as a grade 3."

Aurora widened her eyes. "That means…"

"Vote 6 achieved. Since you have four or less damage, Durian Mask deals you one damage automatically."

Aurora widened her eyes as a card moved from the top of her deck to the damage zone. And it didn't help that it wasn't a trigger that she could have used to power up her Vanguard.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), King(4).]**

"That's not all. Beloved Pony's Vote 5 triggers, which will allow my two Crown Masks to gain 3000 power for another Vote skill triggering for a rear guard. In addition, Apple Mask SD has a Vote 6 skill. I move it, Beloved Pony Mask, and Angel Mask into the soul. My Vanguard stands with drive minus one. My Crown Masks also gain another 3000 each from Apple Mask's Vote triggering."

Aurora gasped as she heard this. "You're restanding your Vanguard?!"

"Indeed. And it's coming at you for a second attack."

Aurora quickly looked at her hand. ' _He's only got two drive checks. It'll be tough, but I have to stop this.'_

"I guard!" Aurora said, calling out a grade 0 and two grade 1s, making for a total of 20000 shield.

"That's only gonna bring her Vanguard up to 31000." Sophia said. "So if King gets even one trigger…"

"Then he'll break through." Dan said. "We just have to pray that doesn't happen."

"Drive check. First check, no trigger. Second check…" Silence filled the stadium as everyone awaited the card. "No trigger."

Aurora breathed a sigh of relief, as did Dan and Anthony. King still had one attack left however. "Boosted by Diamond Crown Mask, Beautiful Diamond Crown Mask attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+9000+7000+5000+6000=41000)**

"Generation guard!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Warphole Papillion's skill, I soul blast two cards and bind the attacking rear guard!"

King gasped as his unit was sucked into a portal. With his last attack finished, there wasn't much else he could do. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(1), King(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Alright. Time to end this." She threw down a grade 3 from her hand into the drop zone to pay the stride cost. "Generation Zone release! Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 15000+**

"Hikari's stride skill! I bind Cosmos Storm, Aquarius from my deck! Then, I call Star of Hope Hikari from the bind zone! Adding 3000 power!" Aurora explained. "Let's get thing started right away, shall we? Pisces "Paidi" will boost an attack for Leo!"

 **(11000+7000+5000=23000)**

' _She'll draw a card if this attack hit.'_ King thought. ' _But she only has one card in her hand right now. Even with her triple drive, that'll only make five cards in hand at the end of her turn with this draw. I can break through that next turn easily. It's more important I guard the next two attacks.'_

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), King(5).]**

"With Pisces's skill, I draw." Aurora said. "Hikari is up next with a boost from Pisces "Mitera"!"

 **(11000+3000+9000+5000=28000)**

King quickly held up two critical triggers from his hand. "I guard!"

"With Ursa's boost, here comes Meteor Shower Dragon!" Aurora called out. "You know how this goes by now, right? The top card of my deck is bound and Ursa gains 3000 power!"

 **(26000+7000+3000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" King called out, holding up the sentinel from his hand.

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to my Vanguard and I draw a card. Third check, no trigger."

' _So she got a draw trigger to add another card. No matter, it still shouldn't be enough. And she has no more cards to attack with.'_

"Why the relaxed expression? You didn't think I was done, did you?" Aurora said with a smirk. "Activating Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon's skill! Generation Break 3! I counterblast and bind all my rear guards! Then I can call up to five rear guards from my bind zone to rear guard!"

"What?!"

"I call Cosmos Storm, Aquarius, both versions of Pisces, and two copies Pride of the Stars, Leo! They each gain 5000 power! Then since I called five units, my Vanguard stands back up with drive minus 2!"

Aurora now had her field completely refreshed and ready to attack. One of her columns contained Leo in front of Pisces "Mitera". Another one had the second Leo in front of Pisces "Paidi". Her last rear guard, Aquarius, was behind her restood Vanguard.

"Wow!" Sophia said in amazement. "She's so cool!"

Over in another section of the spectators, Rose and her team watched with interest. ' _This girl. She's better than I thought.'_ Rose thought to herself.

"Here we go! Leo attacks with a boost from Pisces "Paidi"!"

 **(11000+10000+5000+7000+5000+5000=43000)**

King held his head low. "No guard…"

The image of the Motion figure System showed Leo's sword slashing through King's Vanguard. A sixth card fell into his damage zone, not giving him the heal he wanted.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), King(6).]**

"It's all over!" Sachi declared. "With an overwhelming display of power! Aurora Fujou defeats The King! This means Team Cosmic Trio will be moving onto day 2!"

' _That was a tough one.'_ Aurora said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. ' _If all the fighters here are like this, then I'm really gonna have my work cut out for me.'_

"We will now move onto the next match!" Sachi announced. "Let's find out who will be fighting next!"

As the cheers in the crowd were still going on, one group of three watched from the shadows of the entrance to the stands. The American team, Team Apocalypse. Allen looked down at the field with an unamused expression. With him were his two teammates. One was a red haired male. He wore a brown jacket and blue shorts. The other was a girl that seemed to be the same age as Allen. She wore a pink shirt and had black hair tied up in a long ponytail.

"So what do you think?" the red haired member asked. "The Star Chaser girl I mean. She's the only one with a unique clan like yours, right Allen?"

"It's of no concern." Allen told his teammate. "She's not strong enough to beat me. You just focus on winning your own fights Keith."

Keith shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, whatever. As long as I get paid, I really don't care either way."

The girl of the team leaned against the side wall. She looked over at her leader. "Allen… don't you think you were a bit too harsh on that one guy in your fight?"

"He was weak." Allen said. "A loser like him deserves nothing but the humiliation he got. That's the way the world works Amy." He grinned as he looked at his deck. "And with these cards, I'll never be weak. I'll stand at the pinnacle of strength. The entire cardfighting world will bow down at my feet."

Amy lowered her gaze and stared at the ground. "Yes Allen…"

Allen chuckled to himself. "All we need to do is keep winning. And then everyone will know just how strong I am."

 **Aurora: There sure are a lot of different types of people here.**

 **Dan: Well it is a WORLD tournament. What did you expect?**

 **Aurora: I know but it's still a bit crazy. We've met rich people like William and Elizabeth, famous beauties like Rose**

 **Anthony: Let's not forget jerks like that Allen guy.**

 **Sophia: He's a big meanie! I won't lose to him!**

 **Aurora: That Conquest Empire clan he uses though… It's troubling…**

 **Next time: The Second Round! Cardfight Scramble!**

* * *

 **Card Gallery:**

Twinkle Maiden, Virgo

Grade 0

Power 5000

Forerunner

 **AUTO RC:** Bind this unit face up. When a grade 2 or higher unit is place on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top two cards of your deck. Choose one card among them and you may place it in your bind zone. Put the remaining card in your hand. Shuffle your deck.

 **ACT GB1 [Bind zone]:** Send this unit to your deck. Choose one of your units and it gets +5000 power and **(AUTO: When this unit's attack hits a Vanguard, CC1/SC1.)** until end of turn. Shuffle your deck.

* * *

Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **CONT RC GB1:** During your turn, if you have a card named "Star Shower, Pisces "Mitera"" in your bind zone, this unit gains +5000 power and **(AUTO 1/Turn: When an attack where this unit attacked or boosted hits a Vanguard, draw one card.)**

* * *

Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **CONT RC GB1:** During your turn, if you have a card named "Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"" in your bind zone, this unit gains +5000 power and Boost.

* * *

Pride of the Stars, Leo

Grade 3

Power: 11000

 **AUTO GB1:** When this unit is called to RC from the bind zone, this unit gains +10000 power.


	23. Cardfight Scramble

**A/N: Hey readers, it's Deviljho's Hatred. Glad to see you're all enjoying the World tournament so far. Get ready for an awesome fight this chapter, featuring my favorite member of Cosmic Trio.**

Ask: We didn't really plan it that way, but coincidentally enough, yes they are.

Several fights took place one after another as the first day of the World Tournament progressed. Some were nail biters, while others were over in what seemed like an instant. But eventually, the cardfights for the first round ended.

"And there you have it!" Sachi announced. "After the first round, 97 teams remain in the World Tournament! With things like this, we can only imagine how many will be eliminated in round 2!"

Sophia giggled to herself. "I'm so happy we made it."

"It's because of you, Sophia. You got your team the win they needed." Aurora told her.

"Thanks Aurora." Sophia said. "I'm happy you guys made it too."

"It's not just us. A lot of the big teams made it in." Dan said. "William's team made it in, as did Rose's. Plus there's that other team from Japan, Team Sightless Vision."

"And of course Team Apocalypse." Anthony added. "That American team."

The mention of Team Apocalypse had everyone slightly on edge. Their leader Allen was a powerful fighter, who was ruthless with his clan Conquest Empire. There was little doubt they'd be some of the top contenders in the tournament.

"That's all for today folks. We hope to see you tomorrow for round 2." Sachi said.

With that, the day's festivities were at an end. Teams began dispersing, most headed back to the hotel.

"We should probably head back too." Aurora suggested. "It's been a long day."

"Agreed." Maria nodded. "With 97 cardfights one after another, round 1 took the entire day to finish."

"Then let's go eat!" Sophia suggested with a grin.

"Well, someone seems chipper." The sound of the voice caused everyone to turn and see William and his teammates walk up to them. "I'm glad to see you're all still in the tournament."

"Heh, like we'd lose this early." Anthony smirked. "Get ready fancy pants, cause we're gonna take first place. You can have second if you want it that badly."

"How rude!" Elizabeth glared. "You should learn to watch your mouth, kid!"

"I'll be sure to remind him of that." Aurora said as she smacked her teammate in the back of the head.

"Ow!"

William let out a chuckle. "Enthusiasm is good to have. But you should never underestimate your opponent." He looked towards Aurora. "I must say, your match was quite exciting. I saw a recording of your game in the finals at the Japanese preliminaries, but you're much better than you were then."

"Oh, stop it." Aurora giggled with a blush on her face.

"By the way, I don't believe I've introduced you to my other teammate." William said as he gestured to the brown haired male with him. "This is Thomas Ainsworth. Like me and Elizabeth, he comes from a high-class noble family."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Thomas said with a small polite bow.

"Likewise."

"Well then, we should probably get going." William said. He and his team walked away with the blonde leader waving goodbye. "Good luck in the second round tomorrow."

Anthony stretched his arms out. "I guess we should call it a day too."

"Yeah." Aurora nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Yukari looked down at the stadium field from her private room. After the fights from today, half of the competitors for the World Tournament were out of the running. There were several cardfighters that displayed a strong performance, much better than what she had seen from the preliminary rounds.

But there was still one thing that concerned her greatly. Conquest Empire.

' _They're trying to intimidate us. To show that even our best won't be able to beat them.'_ Yukari thought. ' _The annoying fact is, if they win that'll be true. Their power is overwhelming.'_

Soon a knock was heard at the door. "Excuse us, Ms. Tatsunagi." The door opened and the trio of Premium Beauty walked in.

"Good job on your performance today, girls." Yukari said. "Make sure to rest up for tomorrow's as well."

"Of course ma'am." Jasmine said with a bow. "So how has progress been going? Have we found any worthy candidates?"

"A few." Yukari told her. "But only time will tell if they are truly ready."

"That Aurora girl did pretty well." Mai mentioned. "She's gotten a lot better. I wonder if those two boys with her have improved at all."

"They better have if they hope to win here." Keiko said.

"I'm sure they have." Jasmine told them. "I'm curious though as to whether they've mastered those cards I gave them."

"We'll see tomorrow." Keiko said. "All the participants will be tested greatly in the second round."

"Indeed they will." Yukari agreed. ' _Now the only question is, will Aurora Fujou be up to the task.'_

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

"Hello cardfighting fans!" Sachi declared. "Are you ready for day 2 of the Vanguard World Tournament?!"

The response from the crowd was almost deafening. Everyone was eagerly awaiting what was next after the exciting fights from yesterday. Standing out on the field, the ninety seven teams were all gathered together. Every single one of them were fired up to win.

"We've got lots of teams that showed their dominance in the first round." Sachi said. "In the very first game, we saw Allen Demacio of Team Apocalypse crush the Italian champion with the overwhelming power of his Conquest Empire clan. And he's not the only one with a special clan. We saw Aurora Fujou of Team Cosmic Trio use her incredible Star Chasers to grab a victory over the leader of Team Mystery Mask."

Lights shined on both Team Apocalypse and Team Cosmic Trio. For Aurora and her team, it was a little embarrassing being singled out like this, but they managed to keep their cool. In Team Apocalypse's case, none of them seemed to care in the slightest. Allen had the same confident smirk he always wore.

"There were also plenty of other teams that stuck out in the first round." Sachi said. "William Lewis dominated his opponent, earning a victory for Team Round Table. We also saw the unparalleled beauty of Rose Orchards as her win earned Team Beautiful Thorn a spot here." The next team shown was Sophia's team. "Brazil's team, Team Southern Jungle features the youngest fighter in this tournament, Sophia Perez. Don't let looks deceive you though, this little girl has shown she has what it takes to throw down with the best of them. And lets not forget the winners of the Wild Card Round. Despite coming in through that, Team Sightless Vision made it to round two with Marcus Cersy's display of skill in round one. They are not to be underestimated folks. Now then, what do you all say we get things started?"

The crowd roared in agreement. The next thing everyone knew, the lights dimmed, before a spotlight was shining on the podium. The stage rose up from below, showing off the idol trio, Premium Beauty.

"Hey everyone! Are you having fun so far in the World Tournament?!" Keiko asked.

"Well get ready, cause round 2 is going to be brutal!" Mai added.

"You might want to sit down for this, cause after this round only 4 teams will be remaining!" Jasmine finished.

Gasps filled both the crowd and the participants as they heard this. Everyone had been put into a stunned silence.

"Four?!" Aurora gasped. "There's still ninety seven teams and they're going to be cutting it down to four?!"

"Please pay close attention as we explain the second round." Jasmine said. "We call it, Cardfight Scramble!" On the monitor, pictures of three different buildings were shown. "Teams will be split up, each member going to one of these locations. From there it'll be one cardfight after the next."

"Cardfighters will each be assigned to a room." Keiko explained. "While in that room, they will face off against randomized opponents from among the other contestants, who will be appearing as virtual images from their own room. Their main goal will be to win, win, and win some more."

"Cardfighters will earn points based on their victories." Mai told them. "Winning against a regular member of a team will earn a player one point. Winning against a team's leader will earn three points."

"The second round will last for three days. At the end of that time, the scores will be tallied up and the four teams with the highest amount of points will move on to the semi-finals!" Jasmine finished.

"Now that all the boring stuff is out of the way, are you ready for some action, people?!" Mai asked. The response she got was a loud cheer of excitement from the crowd.

With that, Sachi took over. "Thanks again to the lovely Premium Beauty. Now then, will all team members each go to their assigned buildings? We have staff to help direct you to them, so feel free to ask them for assistance."

Aurora and her teammates each looked at each other. "Well, looks like we'll be splitting up for now." Aurora said.

"Make sure you guys don't lose." Anthony told them.

"Same to you." Dan nodded. "Alright, let's go out there and win this!"

The three of them all high fived together before going their separate ways. A fierce determination burned within each of them. It drove them to win, no matter what.

* * *

After a bit of navigating, Aurora found herself at her assigned building. It didn't take long before she found the room assigned to her as well. It was a bit spacious, about the size of her bedroom at the hotel. There wasn't much inside, other than a terminal for her to place her cards on and a virtual reality helmet.

' _This sure looks high tech.'_ Aurora thought to herself as she walked up. She touched the terminal, and the machine lit up.

"Please place your deck on the terminal." an electronic voice spoke to her.

Aurora did as she was told and took out her deck, placing it on the board. A light lit up and the cards were brought into the terminal. "Deck scan complete. Please put on your headset."

Aurora wasn't sure what to make of this, but she did as she was told and put the helmet on. As she turned it on, everything around her went white. When she could finally see again, she was surprised by what she saw.

"Where am I?" Aurora asked.

The blonde girl was standing in a long field. It seemed to stretch on for miles in every direction. As she looked around, she noticed a thin sheet of light appear in front of her with her deck on it. The sheet showed all the spaces of a fighting mat for Vanguard.

Before she could ask anything else, another figure materialized across from her. The person seemed equally confused by this as her. But when their eyes met, they both knew what was going on.

"So I take it you're my first opponent?" the player asked.

"Seems so." Aurora responded. "Get ready to lose."

"You wish."

Both of them placed their starting Vanguard down on the table. With a shout, they turned them over and started the game.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

* * *

Anthony looked at his surroundings. Being transported to a field of grass out of nowhere was frankly not what he was expecting. But he could only assume this was part of the tournament.

"Ok so what am I supposed to do now?" Anthony asked himself.

The teen soon got his answer as another figure began to materialize across from him. As the person became clearer, he recognized it as Sophia's teammate Bruno.

Bruno seemed to recognize Anthony as well as they locked eyes. "You're a member of Cosmic Trio, right? We met yesterday if I recall."

"Yup, that's me." Anthony said. "I'll apologize in advance cause you seem like a nice guy. But I'm gonna have to beat you to help my team get the points we need."

"Is that so?" Bruno asked. "It's funny. I was about to say the same thing to you."

"Heh, I like you. This should be fun." Anthony said.

A thin sheet of light appeared in front of each of them, showing a fight field as well as their deck. They each placed their starting Vanguard face down and quickly began the game.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Amber Dragon, Dawn!"

 **Amber Dragon, Dawn**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the game began, both of their starting Vanguards materialized on the field. The two tiny dragons stood ready to fight, as did the two players.

Bruno started the cardfight off simple as he began his turn. "I ride Amber Dragon, Daylight!"

 **Amber Dragon, Daylight**

 **Grade 1, Power: 6000**

"Skill of Amber Dragon, Dawn. When Daylight rides on top of it, I search my deck for one card named Amber Dragon, Dusk and add it to my hand." He revealed the grade 2 and put it into his hand. "In addition, as long as I have Dawn in my soul, Amber Dragon, Daylight gains 2000 power at all times making him 8000 power."

"Ride chain, huh? First Zeal now this." Anthony said out loud. "I like it."

Bruno laughed as he ended his turn. "Trust me when I say you're gonna be in for one ride you won't forget. Over to you."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Bruno(6).]**

"Draw! I ride Smash Boxer Dragon!"

 **Smash Boxer Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Hardrod Dracokid moves back behind my vanguard with forerunner! And with it's boost I'll attack the vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=11000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, critical trigger. Power to the vanguard, not that it matters much."

 **[Damage: Anthony(0), Bruno(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony(6), Bruno(6).]**

"Stand and draw!" Without even looking at his hand Bruno quickly grabbed the card they both knew he was going to ride. "I ride Amber Dragon, Dusk!"

 **Amber Dragon, Dusk**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With Dusk's skill, as long as Daylight is in the soul I get 1000 extra power at all times bringing me up to 10000." Bruno looked to his hand and threw down two cards to the left rear guard column. "I call Lava Arm Dragon and Dragon Dancer, Marcel!"

Seeing that Dragon Dancer brought up some bad memories from that snarky idol girl. Hopefully someone he wouldn't have to fight against anytime soon.

Bruno tapped at his vanguard to get his opponent's attention. "Normally if I didn't have an Amber Dragon, Dusk or Eclipse as my vanguard, Lava Arm would lose 5000 power. But as you can see that's not the case here. Now my vanguard attacks! With its skill, add 2000 power to the attack!"

 **(9000+1000+2000=12000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check, draw trigger! Power to Lava Arm and I draw one card."

Anthony checked a damage and smiled. "Looks like I got a draw trigger of my own. Power to the vanguard and I draw one."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Bruno(1).]**

Bruno turned sideways his left hand units for the second attack. "I'm not done yet! Now with Marcel's boost, Lava Arm Dragon comes charging in gaining 2000 power when he attacks!"

 **(10000+2000+7000+5000+24000)**

This was certainly something heavy to guard against in the early game. While he had little to no skills he could activate before striding, his opponent had a deck that not only had GB units but old ones that still held up. And if Zeal was anything to go off of, this Bruno guy most likely had something up his sleeve. But even a trigger check, he'd have to use at least two cards to block this attack. "No guard! Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Bruno(1).]**

"Turn end, try to deal with that!"

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony(7), Bruno(6).]**

"Oh I think you'll find I'll do just fine! Stand and draw!" He may not have those big numbers in the early game but when the opponent committed something to the field, Anthony would always make sure they regretted it. "Ride Martial Arts Dragon!"

 **Martial Arts Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With its skill I counter blast and soul blast to retire and bind Lava Arm Dragon!"

Bruno frowned at his unit being taken out. Losing a big hitter hurt but he knew he could bounce back from this no problem. "That the best you got?"

"Man, I really like your attitude." Anthony laughed. "Real refreshing but I'm not even close to done! I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura and then activate Hardrod Dracokid's skill. Normally you would bind a card from your drop zone face up. But since you don't have any units to bind I instead countercharge and give a unit with the Thunderstrike ability 3000 power. To which my vanguard will take it to make sure you're guarding. No hiding behind that pesky base power now."

' _A way to get past my defense while still keeping up power wise. This guy's more clever than he looks.'_

Anthony decided it was about time to move in for the assault. "Chatura, get in there! With its skill gain 3000 power!"

 **(8000+3000=11000)**

Bruno threw down his draw trigger from the last turn to block the hit. "Guard!"

"Martial Arts Dragon attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Bruno(2).]**

Satisfied at the back and forth Anthony nodded to his opponent. "Turn end. You're up."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony(7), Bruno(5).]**

"Stand and draw!" Bruno raised one card above his hand and held it high. "Burning bright even as the sun is blacked out! Your wings shall burn hotter than any flame on the planet! I ride, Amber Dragon, Eclipse!"

 **Amber Dragon, Eclipse**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Anthony narrowed his eyes at the power of the unit. Just like in their fight with Star Gate Sentai, this unit was different than the original, even though this one had the same name as the original Amber Dragon grade 3. He had to keep his guard up around it.

"I then call an Amber Dragon, Dusk in front of Dragon Dancer, Marcel. With her boost, Dusk comes in at the vanguard! With it's skill Dusk gains 2000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Don't think so! Guard!" Throwing down a critical trigger, the attack was blocked.

"Now Eclipse takes aim at Chatura!"

"Huh?" This confused Anthony for a moment but then saw what he was going for. By lessening his rear guards he'd force him to call more from hand. And this way he would have less to work with in terms of counter blasts. "Well… No guard."

Bruno's drive check revealed no triggers to speak of so his opponent sent Chatura to the drop zone once the attack was finished. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony (6), Bruno (6)]**

' _This guy is more clever than he leads on.'_ Anthony thought while starting his turn. ' _Too bad for him, I'm a completely new player myself!'_ He looked down to his favorite grade 3 and smirked. ' _Let's show everyone watching what we can do Vanquisher!'_

"The power of the skies is in your hands! Descend upon this battlefield and blow away your foes with your wrathful lightning! I ride Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I activate the stride skill of "SPARKING" to bind a card from your drop zone face up. And since I strode into a G unit with the thunderstrike ability, choose one of your units and bind them face up!"

Bruno looked to his field and chose the Dragon Dancer to be bound. This was the difference between Kagero and Narukami. Binding units as opposed to retiring them and being done with it.

"Now I call Plea Lightning, Helena! Thunderstrike 3 of Helena, when placed if I have a Vanquisher vanguard I can counter blast to draw a card and give my unit 2000 power! Then behind Helena I call Dragon Dancer, Fatine. Her thunderstrike 2 lets me soul blast to draw a card! Then I call Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel!"

His field looked downright imposing to the other player with the numerous units staring down his lone vanguard. All of them looked ready to tear into him at any moment.

"But that's not all, skill of Hardrod to bind another card from your drop. And then the skill of "VBUSTER"!" Anthony flipped over a copy of his G unit and took out a card from his soul. "I bind the last card in your drop zone and since I have more rearguards than you do, three of my units gain 3000 power. I choose Grizel, Helena and Fatine to gain it!" He then smiled and gave a tap to Grizel. "And now Grizel's thunderstrike 5 is active which gives her 9000 power at all times during my turn."

Even with the changes he made to the deck, he was responding much better with it. Keeping in advantage while still dishing out power as he loved.

"Now boosted by Fatine, Helena is coming at the vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000+6000+3000+3000=22000)**

"No guard, damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Bruno(3).]**

"Now for "VBUSTER"'s attack! Charge in!"

 **(26000)**

"I think not!" Bruno called out in defiance. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Anthony called out. "First check, nothing. Second check, heal trigger! I don't heal but I'll give the power to Grizel. Last check, no trigger." Even with no true offensive boost, he was satisfied to take at least a perfect guard out of his opponent's hand for later. "Now finally Grizel comes to attack the vanguard!"

 **(9000+9000+3000+5000=26000)**

Bruno shook his head as a no guard, letting the attack through. Like before there wasn't a trigger to be had with the damage check.

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Bruno(4).]**

Anthony returned his G Unit to where it belonged. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony (9), Bruno (4)]**

"Stand and draw!" Bruno looked to his hand and picked one card from it. "At the beginning of my ride phase, Amber Dragon, Eclipse let's me send one one Amber Dragon into my soul to draw a card and retire a unit on your field. I'll throw Daylight into the soul and draw. Retire Helena."

Anthony sent the unit to the drop zone. He didn't mind losing it seeing as how the card had done its job.

"Now Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Accend Grave Dragon!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Accend Grave Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power:15000+**

"Activating the stride skill of Eclipse. By counterblasting, I choose one of my units and it continuously gains 2000 power for every open rear guard circle you have. Since my vanguard is the only unit on field, the power boost goes to it. Then if the number of differently named Amber Dragons in my soul is three or more, I can retire one unit on your field! I choose to retire Grizel!"

Another unit was lost to the ways of Kagero but at least he could get the last laugh. "When Grizel is targeted for a skill or an attack, the opponent must bind a card from their drop. Grizel never goes down by herself."

Bruno gave a smile to Anthony. "That's nice, too bad it won't count for much in the long run."

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself. Trust me when I say it's gonna count in spades."

"If you say so." Bruno relented with a shrug. "All I know is that your field is gonna be empty soon enough. I activate the skill of my vanguard." He paid a counter blast and flipped a G zone face up. "My vanguard gains a skill if its blazing. I call Lava Arm Dragon and Amber Dragon, Dusk and Daylight behind it! And now my vanguard is blazing, time to get that last rear guard out of there soon. First Lava Arm comes in at your vanguard, gaining 2000 power when it attacks!"

 **(10000+2000=12000)**

"Guard!" A simple draw trigger blocked the feeble attack.

"Now for Accend Grave's attack on the vanguard!" Bruno then turned his vanguard for its attack. "Accend Grave's blaze, I retire Dragon Dancer, Fatine and then draw a card! And now that you only have Hardrod Dracokid, I gain a total of 8000 power due to Eclipse's stride skill!"

 **(26000+8000=34000)**

"No guard!"

"Ha, triple drive then! First, draw trigger! I draw one card and give power to Dusk. Second check, critical trigger! Critical to my vanguard and power again to Dusk. Final check, nothing."

Anthony clicked his tongue in annoyance at seeing the game being brought to even terms on damage. That extra draw trigger also helped Bruno rebuild a bit of his hand. But he wasn't going to lose his cool over this, triggers were just a part of the game after all. "Damage check, first no trigger. Second, stand trigger! I don't stand anything but power goes to my vanguard!"

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Bruno(4).]**

"Now for Dusk's attack! Gain 2000 when it attacks, get in there!"

 **(9000+2000+6000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma!" Throwing down a heal trigger, Anthony blocked the last attack with the g guard.

 **Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Bruno placed his G unit back and shrugged at his opponent. "Given how our two clans work, our boards are just gonna keep on getting nuked time and again. It's like two dogs chasing their tails around, who's gonna fall from exhaustion first?"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony (7), Bruno (7)]**

"Hehehe… Good comparison bud. But trust me when I say this dog has a lot more energy to spare than you do. Stand and draw! "SPARKING"'s thunderstrike 4, I countercharge and you bind a card from your drop. Now Stride Generation! Once again, "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The same thunder dragon as before descended upon the battlefield, fully ready to rain down it's wrath upon its foes.

"Stride skill, bind Lava Arm and a card from your drop!" With that, Bruno's drop zone was once again emptied meaning it was Hardrod's time to shine. "Hardrod's skill, I rest it to countercharge and give my vanguard 3000 power since you don't have any cards in bind. I then call Martial Arts Dragon and another Grizel along with two Dragon Dancer Viannes behind them. Now for "VBUSTER"'s skill again, retire and bind Amber Dragon, Dusk! And since my dancers saw the retire, both of them are shuffled into the deck and I counter charge and draw a card for each. Then give 3000 power to all three units in my front row."

With his hand refreshed with new cards, Anthony was set on doing as much damage as possible. "Then call two Smash Boxer Dragons behind my rear guards! Now for "VBUSTER"'s Generation Break 3! Since you're past thunderstrike 7 my front row gains an additional 5000 power along with my vanguard gaining a drive and a crit!"

If anything solidified the fact that Bruno needed to guard the vanguard attack, it was that extra crit as his damage. They were evenly matched but one mistake could end this here. "Bring it on! I'm ready for whatever you can dish out!"

"We'll see about that buddy! Martial Arts come in attacking with Smash Boxer's boost, gaining 3000 power thanks to its thunderstrike 2! When Smash Boxer boosts a unit with the thunderstrike ability, both itself and the unit it's boosting cannot be affected by your card effects!"

 **(9000+7000+3000+3000+5000=27000)**

"No guard!" It was better to take a hit early on so he could have more cards to defend with for the bigger attacks. "Damage check, heal trigger! Recovering one and power to the vanguard!"

"Not good enough! Smash Boxer's skill lets me put it into the soul to draw a card and counter charge! It's time for my vanguard's attack!"

 **(26000+3000+3000+5000=37000)**

"There's no way that's getting through, perfect guard!"

With his attack nullified, there was nothing left to do but perform his quad drive. "Quadurple drive check! First, nothing. Second, nothing, third, draw trigger! Power to Grizel and I draw! Final check-" Turning over the last card it wasn't a trigger but something that was still good to have in hand. "-no trigger."

With that attack blocked, all that was left was Grizel's strike. "Now for Grizel's attack boosted by Smash Boxer! Her thunderstrike 5 gives her an additional 9000 power!"

 **(9000+9000+7000+3000+5000+5000=38000)**

"No critical, no problem, I don't guard!" With his last damage check revealing nothing there was nothing left for Anthony to do except one thing.

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Bruno(5).]**

"Skill of Smash Boxer to counter charge and draw. I end my turn."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony (10), Bruno (5)]**

"Stand and draw!" Bruno chuckled while looking at his hand before staring at Anthony. "I'll admit, you've been a real good opponent. But for my friend's sake at winning this thing I gotta end this here."

"Sorry to say that ain't happening, not as long as my teammates are in this to win!"

"Then it gets decided here! Eclipse's skill lets me put Daylight from my hand into soul to draw a card and retire your Martial Arts Dragon!" After Anthony retired the unit, Bruno discarded a grade 3 from his hand to stride. "Generation Zone release! With flames that outshine even the sun itself, come and burn the visage of your power onto my foes! Stride Generation! Amber Dragon, Solar Flare!"

 **Amber Dragon, Solar Flare**

 **Grade 4, Power 15000+**

"Eclipse's stride skill grants him the continuous skill of gaining 2000 power for each of your open rear guard circles for a total of 8000 at current. But since I have three differently named Amber Dragons in my soul you also retire Grizel!"

"SInce Grizel is being targeted for a skill, that means you bind a card from your drop zone."

Bruno laughed at the statement. "It doesn't matter anymore, because the bind zone won't mean anything after this turn is done! Now, call!" He emptied his entire hand to call in a full field. "My last Lava Arm Dragon and Amber Dragon, Midnight to the front row and Dragon Dancer, Marcel, Dragon Partner, Monica and Escort Dragon Attendant, Reas to the back!"

' _He's real confident that he'll be able to end it this turn. I have to be prepared for the worst.'_

"Now it's time for my vanguard's skill!" Bruno counterblasted a card and flipped up a copy of his stride unit face up in the G Zone. "Solar Flare's Generation Break 3! For every differently named Amber Dragon in my soul, I get to retire one unit on your side of the field! While you only have Hardrod Dracokid, this retire is going to make all the difference."

Anthony raised his brow at the statement after retiring his starter. "How so?"

"Because of the additional effect of my Vanguard's skill! If you have no rear guards, my entire front row gains 10000 power while my vanguard gains a critical!"

' _Damn, this isn't good!'_

Bruno began his assault on Anthony proper by starting with his grade 3's attack. "Boosted by Dragon Partner, Monica, Amber Dragon, Midnight attacks the vanguard! With Monica's skill, when boosting a Flame Dragon, she gains an additional 3000 power!"

 **(11000+10000+7000+3000=31000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Bruno(5).]**

"Next up, Amber Dragon Solar Flare attacks with a boost from Reas!"

 **(26000+10000+6000=42000)**

"Perfect guard!" Anthony said, holding up the sentinel in his hand.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lava Arm! Third check, critical trigger. Once again, both effects go to Lava Arm!" Bruno said. "With Reas's skill, at the end of the battle, I soul blast and return her to my hand since my Vanguard is blazing."

"With my perfect guard's thunderstrike 4, I draw a card when she leaves the guardian circle!" Anthony said while drawing a card. ' _I've still got nine cards in my hand. With the strength of his next attack, there's no way he'll be able to break through. He knows that.'_ He thought. ' _And yet he's still going on. Not giving up for a moment.'_ A smirk came to the teen. ' _This guy's my kind of cardfighter. He's got some serious spirit.'_

"Lava Arm Dragon attacks with a boost from Marcel! Marcel's blaze adds 2000 power, while Lava Arm's skill adds another 2000 on top of that!"

 **(10000+2000+10000+2000=24000)**

Anthony held up two critical triggers from his hand. "Guard."

Bruno let out a sigh. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Anthony (7), Bruno (4).]**

"Stand and draw!" Anthony looked to his opponent and showed a genuine smile of enjoyment. "You know, I don't fight a lot of people who would go deep in on a turn like you did. For that you have my respect. So don't take it personally when I go all in to meet that same ballsy play with one of my own!"

"Bring it on! Win or lose I'm not giving up until the very end!"

"Then let's go!" Anthony looked at the copy of Vanquisher in his hand and nodded. ' _Let's show 'em together!'_ He discarded the card and grabbed a G unit, holding it high.

"The almighty ruler of the sky comes down with the force of the tempest! His might shall tear down even the most steeled bastions in his wake! Come forth and rain the battlefield in your glow! Stride Generation! Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad!"

 **Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Bruno's eyes widened at the sight of the new G unit. It's scales had a mixture of striking vermillion and shining gold that highlighted by the obsidian armor it had on its chest. In its hands were two blades that channeled fierce lightning. With giant wings that had see-through webbing which allowed one to see the literal lightning pumping through it. The very roar of the dragon sent cracks into the earth, splitting it down the middle. "I've never seen that one before!"

Anthony smiled, although he didn't like the idea that the smug idol girl who gave him this card was probably watching. He was more than ready to show off its power to the world. "I call a Martial Arts Dragon to the right, a Chatura to the left and behind them two Mighty Bolt Dragoons! Now for Ball-Hadad's thunderstrike 5 skill!" Anthony paid a counter blast while flipping a copy of Baal-Hada face up. "For every card in my G-zone that's face up plus one, you choose cards in your field and or your drop to bind face up! Since I have a total of six G units face up that means seven cards are getting bound!"

Bruno looked to his near empty drop zone. There was no way he had enough to leave his field intact. So he bound the four cards in his field and the two that were remaining in the drop.

"And that's not all! Since a card was bound from your drop zone, my front row gains 5000 power until the end of the turn. And since a card was bound from the field, I draw a card." After drawing his card, Anthony gave a tap to his vanguard. "And now for the Generation Break 4 skill of Baal-Hadad, everytime a card is bound, I can choose up to three units in my front row and give them 3000 power for each of them! So 3000 times six is a total of 18000!"

"That's insane!"

"It's the almighty! And now you get to experience it in full force! Chatura boosted by Mighty Bolt, go in and attack and add 3000 power with your skill!"

 **(8000+3000+5000+7000+18000=41000)**

Bruno quickly grabbed his perfect guard and threw it down. "Perfect guard!"

"Baal-Hadad, show him the power of the almighty! Attack the vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+18000=49000)**

"It's not over yet, I perfect guard once more!" Bruno yelled, throwing down the last of his defense on the line for this attack.

"Triple drive! First check, nothing. Second check, nothing. Final check…" Anthony smiled as he held up the trigger. "Critical trigger. All effects go to Martial Arts Dragon!"

' _Guess that's it then.'_ Bruno thought with a sigh. ' _Oh well, if I'm gonna go out I'm glad it was to someone like him.'_

"One last strike! Martial Arts with your boosted power, end it!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+5000+7000+18000=48000)**

"No guard." Bruno relented as the dragon came to finish him off. "Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Bruno(6).]**

The other teen let out a sigh as he retrieved his deck from the stand. "Man, you're really tough."

"I gotta be if I'm aiming for the top. But that was a good fight for sure." Anthony held out his fist to Bruno and offered a winning smile. "Let's fight again sometime, eh?"

Bruno was happy to return the gesture and fistbumped the fellow passionate cardfighter. "You know it."

After their fists bumped, Bruno disappeared from the virtual plain leaving Anthony alone. He looked to his deck and smiled as he began moving forward to the next cardfight. ' _Aurora, Dan, you two better not be slacking! Because I'm gonna have the most wins between us by the end of the day!'_

 **Anthony: Aw yeah! I'm off on a roll! There's nobody that's gonna stop me!**

 **Aurora: Well at least you're in high spirits. Let's hope you can keep up the winning streak.**

 **Anthony: Leave it to me. When we win this tournament, be sure to praise my greatness.**

 **Dan: Well looks like we can't afford to fall behind. Seems it's my turn next.**

 **Next time: Song of the Circus**

 **Card Gallery:**

Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad  
Grade 4  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC GB2 1/TURN:** [CB1 and take a unit in the G zone with the same name and turn it face up] (Thunderstrike 5) Your opponent takes units on their RC and/or their drop zone up to the number of cards face up in your G zone +1 and binds them face up. If a card was bound from your opponent's side of the field, choose three of your units and give them +5000 until the end of the turn. If a card in the drop zone was bound, draw a card.  
 **AUTO VC GB4:** When an opponent's card is bound face up, choose three units in your front row and give them +3000 until the end of the turn.

* * *

Amber Dragon, Eclipse  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** At the beginning of your main phase, choose up to one card in your hand with "Amber Dragon" in its name and send it to the soul. If you sent one or more cards, draw a card and retire one of your opponent's rear guards.  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units and it gains **(CONT VC/RC: This unit gains +2000 power for each of your opponent's open RCs.)** until end of turn. Then, if the number of differently named cards with "Amber Dragon" in their name in your soul is three or more, retire one of your opponent's rear guards.

* * *

Amber Dragon, Solar Flare  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC GB3 1/Turn:** CB1 & Take a facedown card with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. For each card with a different name in your soul and with "Amber Dragon" in their names, retire one of your opponent's rear guards. Then, if your opponent has no rear guards, this unit gains +10000 power and +1 critical.


	24. Song of the Circus

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for a brand new chapter hope you all like it. Also, with this coming week being my last week of break, I have a special surprise coming up for all of you. It isn't for this chapter, but stay on the lookout for next chapter and you'll find out what it is.**

Cheers in the main stadium were almost deafening as people watched the multitude of cardfights going on. Several screens were showing some of the highlighting fights currently going on.

"Incredible! It's a cardfight extravaganza out there!" Sachi announced. "Fighters are going at it one after another and racking up points for their team! Several teams are close in the running for the top four spots! It's far too soon to say which team has the advantage on the first day! But by the end of day 3, only four teams will be left to fight it out in the semi-finals! Who will make it there?!" The monitor showed one fight in particular going on. "It looks like Team Comic Trio has gotten themselves three more points as Dan Kisha defeats Nathan Storm, leader of the Canadian team, Team Hunters."

Nathan held his head low. "Darn it. I lost."

Dan showed a victorious smirk as the game ended. "Alright. Another win for Team Cosmic Trio."

It didn't seem that the teen would have much time to relax however, as he got a warning about his next match starting almost as soon as Nathan vanished from the virtual field.

"No rest for the weary, huh?" Dan said. "Alright, who's next?"

His question was soon answered as Dan's next opponent materialized across from him. It was a female with short blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. She wore a pretty white dress, only adding to her beauty.

"So you're my next opponent?" she asked. "I hope your ready. Because I'm going to extinguish you with my radiant beauty."

"Is that so?" Dan asked. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't plan on losing."

"Hmm… it's rather rare for a guy to not show any hesitation with fighting me." the girl said. "You might be worth my time after all. What's your name?"

"Dan Kisha of Team Cosmic Trio." Dan answered. "And yourself?"

The girl smirked back at him. "Iris LeBlanc. I'm a member of France's Team Beautiful Thorn."

' _So she's on the same team as Rose Orchards.'_ Dan realized. ' _I can't underestimate her. She's bound to be strong if a player like Rose recruited her to the team.'_

Both players got ready as they drew their opening hands and set their starting Vanguard onto the field. Simultaneously, they started the cardfight with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Desire Jewel Knight, Heloise!"

 **Desire Jewel Knight, Heloise**

 **Grade: 0, Power: 5000**

"Happiness Collector!"

 **Happiness Collector**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"And now we have a fight between members of Team Cosmic Trio and Team Beautiful Thorn!" Sachi told the crowd. "Dan Kisha has shown some changes since the preliminary tournament as his starting Vanguard has changed. What will this fighter show us with his new deck?"

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Here goes! I ride Cutie Paratrooper!"

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Happiness Collector slides back with forerunner." Dan said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Iris(5).]**

"Very well then. It's my turn." Iris said. "I ride Jewel Knight, Prizmy."

 **Jewel Knight, Prizmy**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Heloise moves back with forerunner." Iris explained. "Boosted by Heloise, Prizmy attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Dan said. Iris's drive check failed to reveal a trigger, and Dan's damage check yielded the same result.

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Iris(0).]**

"That will end my turn." Iris said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(5), Iris(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "I ride Flying Peryton!"

 **Flying Peryton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Happiness Collector lends her support. Go Flying Peryton!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Iris shrugged.

"Alright then. Drive check." Dan turned over the top card of his deck and smirked at what he saw. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Iris(2).]**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(6), Iris(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Iris said. "I ride Pure Wind Jewel Knight, Kymbelinus."

 **Pure Wind Jewel Knight, Kymbelinus**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Now you'll see that giving me two damage wasn't such a smart idea." Iris smirked. "I call Heat Wind Jewel Knight, Cymbeline and Jewel Knight, Swordmy. Then I counterblast with Swordmy's skill to superior call Calling Jewel Knight, Christine from my deck."

Dan's eyes widened. ' _She's got four rear guards out already?!'_

"I'm not done yet." Iris said. "With Christine's counterblast, I reveal a grade 3 in my hand. Then I search for a grade 3 Jewel Knight and superior call it." Iris revealed the necessary card in her hand before searching through her deck. "Superior call, Pure Heart Jewel Knight, Ashlei!"

Dan could hardly believe his eyes. In one column, Iris had Swordmy and Cymbeline. In another, Christine and Ashlei. And behind her Vanguard, she still had Heloise. ' _She's only at grade 2, yet she has a full field?! Not to mention one of those rear guards is a grade 3!'_

"You should never take me or the female fighters of my team lightly." Iris smirked. "Because even the cutests little kittens can have sharp claws." With her field filled out, she began her assault. "Boosted by Cymbeline, Swordmy attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, quickly using the critical trigger he had gotten earlier.

"Boosted by Heloise, Kymbelinus attacks!" Iris called out. "With Heloise's skill, since I have four or more Jewel Knight rear guards, 3000 power is added!"

 **(9000+5000+3000=17000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Iris(2).]**

"Ashlei is up next with a boost from Christine!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

Dan used up yet another trigger with 10000 shield from his hand to defend himself. "Guard!"

"At the end of my turn, the Ashlei that was called out with Christine returns to my hand. Then I discard a card from my hand." Iris said as she brought the rear guard back to her hand before throwing one of her cards into the drop zone. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(4), Iris(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _That was one fierce attack last turn. If her other turns are gonna be even worse than this, I can't afford for this fight to drag out too long.'_ He held out a card from his hand and prepared to begin his turn. "The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signaling for the show to begin! Time for the star of the Pale Moon Circus to make his appearance! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Harri's skill. I look at the top two cards of the deck, send one to the soul, and put the other on the bottom of the deck." Dan explained. "Next I call Darkside Princess and Face Magician, Lappin."

' _Interesting. Seems he's ready to kick things up a notch too.'_ Iris thought.

"Lappin attacks! With her skill, I soul charge. The card I added doesn't have magia, so only 2000 is added."

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Swordmy will intercept."

"Well then Harri's up next, with a boost from Happiness Collector!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Iris said.

"Twin drive." Dan said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Iris(3).]**

"Darkside will finish up the act! Activating her skill to add 5000 to her power!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Iris said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Iris(4).]**

"Because I used her skill, Darkside Princess moves to the soul at the end of the battle." Dan said. "That does it for my turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(4), Iris(5).]**

"Then it's my time to shine. Stand and draw." Iris said. "Brilliant swordswoman. With your radiant light, banish all darkness from this world! Ride! Warm Hearted Jewel Knight, Elaine!"

 **Warm Hearted Jewel Knight, Elaine**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The unit that appeared on the field was a female warrior with long emerald colored hair and a red jewel on her forehead. She rode on a majestic unicorn.

"I'm not done yet. Stride Generation! Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei!"

 **Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill!" Iris called out. "I search my deck for a Jewel Knight and call it to rear guard! I call another copy of Elaine! And since I have at least three Jewel Knight rear guards, 5000 is added to my Vanguard!"

' _Royal Paladin specializes in superior calling from the deck. No doubt she's going to fill up her board with units called from the deck.'_ Dan thought.

"I call Fellowship Jewel Knight, Tracie from my hand." Iris said. "My rear guard Elaine will attack first!"

 **(11000)**

Dan narrowed his eyes, noticing that she didn't use the Christine behind Elaine to boost. ' _Her Vanguard will probably call a unit to replace Elaine later. In that case, better guard what I can for now.'_

"I guard!" Dan said, holding up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Tracie lines up your Vanguard in her sights and attacks!" Iris called out, once again not using a boost. "Tracie's skill adds 3000 power since I have at least three other Jewel Knight rear guards!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Intercept with Lappin." Dan said.

Iris smirked to herself. ' _He's got good instincts. But will they be enough to stop this?'_ She swung in with her Vanguard next. "Ashlei will attack with Heloine's boost! With Heloine's skill, 3000 is added! And next I use Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei's skill! I counterblast and call 2 Jewel Knights from my deck to rear guard! I call a pair of Pure Wind Jewel Knight, Kymbelinuses! Then, since I have five or more Jewel Knight rear guards, I countercharge!"

 **(26000+5000+5000+3000=39000)**

' _She refilled her front row with two new units.'_ Dan thought. ' _Even if I guard this attack, she can still give any trigger effects she gets to her rear guards.'_ "No guard."

"Triple drive." Iris said. "First check, heal trigger. Power to the Kymbelinus on the left and I recover one. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Power to the Kymbelinus on the right and critical to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Dan said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. I stand Happiness and add the power to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Iris(3).]**

"Don't think I'm done yet! My Jewel Knights can still shine!" Iris said. "Boosted by Christine, my first Kymbelinus attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"Generation guard!" Dan called out. "Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, I look at the top 3 cards of the deck, send one to the soul, and put the rest on the bottom of my deck in any order." Dan explained.

"Well then, my other Kymbelinus will attack with Cymbeline's boost!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Iris(3).]**

"I think that'll do for now." Iris said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(2), Iris(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _She's seriously good. She pushed me to five damage so quickly. But I can still win this. I rebuilt my deck to help me with situations like this.'_ He looked at his G Zone. ' _I can do this. Thanks to the card I got from Jasmine.'_

"Here goes! Stride Generation!" Dan called out. "Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

Dan's new G Unit appeared on the battlefield. It was a girl with curly pink hair and a top hat on. Her dress was an elegant combination of white and violet. Golden musical notes covered the end of her dress.

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Flying Peryton from the soul!" Dan said. "Happiness Collector's skill! When a unit is called from the soul, I can send her to the soul to draw and soul charge! Then with Peryton's magia, I soul charge and call Happiness Collector behind it! Next I call Face Magician, Lappin from my hand! I counterblast using her skill to call Masquerade Bunny behind her! Happiness Collector's skill trigger again, allowing me to draw and soul charge! Then I call Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty from my hand behind Peryton!"

Back at the main stadium, Jasmine smirked as she watched Dan's fight. ' _Very good. Seems he's already managed to master that card.'_

"I attack with Flying Peryton, boosted by Betty!" Dan called out.

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Iris said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Iris(4).]**

"I counterblast with Betty's skill to send Peryton to the soul. Then I call Peryton back out. Using its magia, I soul charge. I choose not to call anything out however."

Iris narrowed her eyes. ' _What's he planning?'_

"Peryton attacks the Kymbelinus on the right!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Iris said, using a grade 1 from her hand.

"Lappin is up next, boosted by Masquerade Bunny." Dan said. "With Lappin's skill, I soul charge." He grinned when he saw it was another copy of Betty. "It doesn't have magia so only 2000 is added."

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

Iris used a trigger this time to block the attack. "Guard!"

"And now that the side actors have had their turn, the leading lady will put on a show to remember!" Dan said. "Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica attacks! With her skill, all my rear guards are sent to the soul and she gains 3000 power for each one sent to the soul this way, for an added bonus of 12000! In addition, since four or more rear guards were sent to the soul with this skill, she gains plus one drive!"

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

' _So he sent all his rear guards to the soul just for a power boost and to add an extra drive? He must want extra cards in his hand really badly.'_ Iris thought. ' _There's only one choice for me here. If I can block this attack, it'll be my turn and I can finish him.'_

"Perfect guard!" Iris called out.

"Alright then. Quadruple drive!" Dan said. "First check, heal trigger. Power to Lyrica and I recover one damage. Second check" Dan grinned when he saw the card. "Cutie Paratrooper. Lyrica's skill activates."

"What?!"

"You didn't think Lyrica's skill was just a power boost, did you?" Dan smirked. "Whenever I drive check a grade 1 or higher card, I can soul blast and flip a card in my G Zone with the magia skill face up. In exchange, I get to draw a card, soul charge, and call a magia unit out from the soul to rear guard."

Iris's eyes widened as Dan paid the cost, flipping a copy of Dragon Masquerade, Harri face up. "So the real point of that skill earlier wasn't to increase the power! It was to give you extra drive checks to have more opportunities to use it's other skill!"

"You got it." Dan said. "Of course, it's all up to the luck of the draw as to whether I get the cards I want in the drive check. But what kind of circus would this be without a little bit of the unknown thrown into the mix? Now then, onto the skill! I draw, soul charge, and call Flying Peryton out to rear guard! Then with it's magia, I soul charge and call Happiness Collector to rear guard."

Iris gasped when she saw Happiness Collector appear yet again. ' _That unit…'_

"I'm not done yet. Let's not forget, there's still two drive checks left." Dan said. "Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Peryton. Final check" Dan revealed the last card, Masked Magician, Harri. "Once again, Lyrica's skill triggers." He once again paid the cost, flipping another copy of Dragon Masquerade, Harri face up. "I draw, soul charge, and call Cutie Paratrooper to my other empty column. Then I use Happiness Collector's skill to send her to the soul to draw and soul charge since a card was called from the soul. After that, I use Cutie's magia to call Crescent Moon Juggler in front of it. Adding 5000 power. Then with Crescent Moon Juggler's skill, I counter blast and soul blast. Then I get to soul charge and call out Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty behind Flying Peryton. Both her and Crescent Moon gain 2000 power."

' _This is bad.'_ Iris thought. ' _It's bad enough he called out all those units, but now he also has a total of nine cards in his hand.'_

"Here we go! Crescent Moon Juggler attacks with a boost from Cutie!"

 **(9000+5000+2000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Iris said. "Damage check, critical trigger. I give all effects to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Iris(5).]**

"Well then how about an attack from Peryton, boosted by Betty!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+2000=23000)**

"Generation guard!" Iris said as she discarded a heal trigger. "Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon! With it's skill, 5000 is added to the shield since I have a grade 2 rear guard!"

 **Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Betty's skill, I send Peryton back to the soul and call him back out. Then I use its magia to call out another Betty." Dan said. "So here comes another attack!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Intercept with the Kymbelinus on the left!" Iris said.

"The same skill once again! This time I call out Cutie Paratrooper over Betty and then use her magia to call out Darkside Princess! And now they'll deliver the final blow!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"I don't think so! I intercept with my other Kymbelinus! Then with his soul blast, I add another 10000 to the shield!"

' _Damn. Really thought I could finish her off there.'_ Dan thought. "Turn end. All my rear guards other than Cutie return to the soul."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(9), Iris(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Iris said. ' _I barely made it through that by the skin of my teeth. I have to finish him off this turn or it's over.'_

"Elaine's Generation Break 2! As long as I have three or more Jewel Knight rear guards, I can stride simply by paying one soul blast and returning a Jewel Knight rear guard to my hand!" Iris explained as she returned Cymbline to her hand. "Stride Generation! Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei!"

 **Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Pure Heart Jewel Knight, Ashlei from my deck to rear guard! Then, 5000 power is added to my Vanguard since I have at least three Jewel Knight rear guards!" Iris called out. "Next I call Jewel Knight, Swordmy, and Cymbline from my hand!"

' _She won't have much left after this turn.'_ Dan thought. ' _I just need to survive this turn, then I can finish her off.'_

"Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei's skill! Generation Break 3!" Iris explained. "If I have four or more rear guards with Jewel Knight in their name, she gains plus one critical. And if I have five or more, she gains plus one drive!"

' _That's gonna be annoying.'_

"Swordmy is up first, with a boost from Cymbline!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

' _I can afford one damage. Better take it now in case it's a trigger.'_ Dan thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Iris(5).]**

"My rear guard Ashlei is up next with Christine's boost!" Iris said.

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, using a trigger from his hand.

"Heloise boosts! Go Ashlei!" Iris called out. "With Ashlei's skill, I call two Jewel Knights from my deck! I call Swordmy and Christine!" The two units appeared on the field, calling themselves over the copies of themselves that were at rest. "Since I have five or more Jewel Knight rear guards at this moment, I countercharge. Then I use Swordmy and Christine's skills!" Iris paid a counterblast for each of them, using the last of her face up damage cards. "First, Swordmy will call out Jewel Knight Cymbline behind it! Then, for Christine's skill, I reveal a grade 3 in my hand and superior call Warm Hearted Jewel Knight, Elaine from my deck in front of it!"

' _Great, so now she's got two columns of standing units again. And she's got four drive checks on top of that.'_

"With Cymbline's skill, I rest it and give 10000 power to Swordmy." Iris explained. "But first, you have to deal with my critical Vanguard Ashlei and her 39000 power!"

 **(26000+5000+5000+3000=39000)**

"Then it's a good thing I've got this! Perfect guard with Lovely Companion!" Dan declared.

"Quadruple drive." Iris said. "First check, critical trigger! All effects to my rear guard Elaine! Second check, another critical trigger! All effects to Swordmy! Third check, no trigger. Final check, critical trigger! All effects to Swordmy!"

' _Three critical triggers?! Give me a break!'_ Dan thought.

"Swordmy is up first! She's coming straight for your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+10000+10000=29000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up two critical triggers from his hand.

"Elaine will finish you with a boost from Christine!"

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

"Generation guard!" Dan called out. "Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With his skill, since I have four different grades in the soul, he gains 15000 shield!" Dan explained.

Iris grit her teeth, cursing her luck for not being able to finish her opponent off. "Turn end. Elaine returns to my hand."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(3), Iris(6).]**

"Then it's time for me to end this." Dan said. "Stride Generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"With Harri's stride skill, I soul blast and call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul! Then I use her magia to soul charge and call Face Magician Lappin from the soul! Adding 5000 power!" Dan explained. "Next I call Masked Magician, Harri in front of my other Cutie.

' _He's got four rear guards out.'_ Iris noticed. ' _And his Vanguard's skill will give him at least another two attacks.'_

"Let's not forget Masquerade Master's skill." Dan smirked. "For every Harri face up in my G Zone, my magia rear guards gain 3000 power."

"But you don't have any-" Iris widened her eyes as she realized it. "The cards you flipped over last turn…"

"That's right." Dan said. "Thanks to Lyrica's skill, there's now two face up copies of Dragon Masquerade, Harri in my G Zone. So that's 6000 to all magia rear guards I have out." With his formation set up, Dan began his assault. "My rear guard Harri is up first with a boost from Cutie."

 **(11000+6000+7000+6000=30000)**

Iris looked at her hand. ' _I can barely guard these first three attacks. After that, I'll be completely defenseless. That means my only hope is for a trigger.'_ She took a deep breath as she made a gutsy move. "No guard."

Peryton flew across the field and crashed into Elaine. Iris looked at her deck as she slowly reached her hand out towards it, praying for a miracle. "Damage check…" With a deep breath, she turned the card over. She frowned at the card she saw. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Iris(6).]**

Iris let out a sigh of defeat. "It seems I lost." She looked over at Dan. "You fought well. But if we meet again in the next round, I'll be the one who's victorious."

"I look forward to it." Dan said.

Iris disappeared from the virtual scenery where Dan was, most likely being teleported away to her next opponent. Dan breathed a sigh of relief that he had been able to win. ' _Alright, that's another point for us. And I even beat a member of Rose's team.'_ He looked up at the clear virtual sky. ' _I hope Anthony and Aurora are having as much luck as I am with their fights.'_

* * *

"Go Leo! Attack the Vanguard!" Aurora called out.

The blonde girl's unit leaped across the battlefield, slashing at the opponent's Vanguard. A sixth card fell into the player's damage zone, securing Aurora the win.

"No… I can't can't believe I lost…" the player said as they were teleported away.

"Alright, that's another win for Team Cosmic Trio!" Aurora grinned in satisfaction. She was on a roll, with all of her games so far today ending in her victory. If her teammates were doing as well as her, there was little doubt in her mind that they would be one of the top teams by the end of the day.

A sudden warning message snapped the girl out of her thoughts. It notified her that her next cardfight would be her last one of the day.

' _One more fight, huh?'_ Aurora thought as she read the message before it disappeared. "Alright then, bring it on. Who's my next opponent?"

"That would be me." a voice spoke. Aurora watched as a new player materialized before her. A female cardfighter with long flowing red hair and bright blue eyes. A smirk came to the girl's lips as she stared at Aurora. "It seems we finally get to play, Aurora Fujou."

Aurora tensed up, knowing this fight was going to be far harder than any of her previous ones. "Rose Orchards…"

 **Rose: Sorry Aurora, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to defeat you. My team and I are in this tournament to win after all.**

 **Aurora: Cosmic Trio isn't a bunch of pushovers either. I won't lose to you.**

 **Rose: So ferocious! You're like a bright blooming flower, filled with energy. However, you should know that roses aren't just beautiful. They're dangerous too.**

 **Dan: Come on Aurora, you can do this!**

 **Anthony: Yeah, get us this win!**

 **Next time: Every Rose Has its Thorns**

 **Card Gallery:**

Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, send all your rear guards to the soul. This unit gains +3000 power for each unit sent. Then, if four or more cards were sent, this unit gains +1 drive.  
 **Magia AUTO VC:** SB1 Take a facedown card in your G Zone that has magia, and flip it face up. When your drive check reveals a grade 1 or greater unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card, SC1, and call up to one unit with magia from your soul to RC. The called unit returns to soul at the end of the turn.

* * *

Warm Hearted Jewel Knight, Elaine  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC GB2:** If you have three or more rear guards with "Jewel Knight" in their name, this unit gains **(CONT VC: You can pay [SB1 & Return one rear guard with "Jewel Knight in its name to your hand] as the cost to STRIDE into a G Unit with "Jewel Knight" in its name.)**.  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit with "Jewel Knight" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with "Jewel Knight" in its name, call it to RC. Then, if the number of rear guards you have with "Jewel Knight" in their name is three or more, your Vanguard gains +5000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **CONT VC GB1:** If you have four or more rear guards with Jewel Knight in their name, all your rear guards gain Resist.

* * *

Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to two cards with "Jewel Knight" in their name, call them to separate RCs. Then, if you have five or more rear guards with Jewel Knight in their name, CC1.  
 **CONT GB3:** If you have four or more rear guards with "Jewel Knight in their name, this unit gains +1 crit. If you have five or more rear guards with "Jewel Knight" in their name, this unit gains +1 drive.


	25. Every Rose Has Its Thorns

**A/N: Hey readers. Remember when I said I had a surprise for you all? Well here it is. Early chapter! But wait, there's more.**

 **So I usually tend to try and have a few chapters written ahead of the game for some of my fics for weeks I don't have much time to write. But I've gone a little overboard with this one. So since I have an asinine amount of chapters already written, this will be a special week. For the next five days, I'll be releasing a new chapter for this story daily. Today is Day 1, so I hope you enjoy it.**

Aurora and Rose stood across from each other, the breeze of the virtual field they were in blowing by them. Both girls showed a fierce burning determination in their eyes. It was clear that neither of them had any intention of losing this next fight.

"I must say, I've been looking forward to this." Rose said. "Ever since I saw the Star Chaser deck in the first round, I've been curious about fighting it myself. It seems lady luck is smiling on me today."

"Let's see if you still think that after I beat you." Aurora smirked. "I've been wanting to fight you for myself too for a bit."

"Such confidence." Rose smirked back. "Let's see how long it lasts."

Aurora readied herself for the cardfight she was about to have. ' _No doubt Rose is going to be the toughest player I've faced so far in this tournament. Even still, I have to win. I have to make it to the next round so I can get one step closer to finding out the truth about my mother.'_

Back in the main stadium, the main focus was on Aurora and Rose. "What an exciting way to end Day 1 of the second round! Rose Orchards, the French queen of Vanguard and one of the top fighters in the Euro League versus Aurora Fujou, wielder of the mysterious Star Chaser clan. Both of these fighters have gone undefeated so far today. Which one will keep their streak going?"

The monitor showed both players start the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Twinkle Maiden, Virgo!"

 **Twinkle Maiden, Virgo**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Calluna Musketeer, Elma!"

 **Calluna Musketeer, Elma**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _I thought so. Her usual Musketeer deck.'_ Aurora thought. ' _She's known for her fierce onslaught of attacks with those cards. I can't afford to let my guard down for a moment.'_

"I'll kick things off for us." Aurora said. "I ride Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"!"

 **Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Virgo moves back with forerunner." Aurora said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Rose(5).]**

"I suppose it's my turn then." Rose said. "I ride Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca."

 **Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Elma moves back with forerunner." Rose explained. "Next I call Budding Musketeer, Amelia."

The unit that appeared in Rose's front row was a young female Musketeer with a hat that had a soft pink colored bud on top of it. The crossguard of her sword also had a bud on it. She had short red hair and bright green eyes, with a white and red uniform befitting that of a Musketeer.

"Amelia will attack first!"

Aurora quickly held up a unit from her hand with 5000 shield. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Elma, Rebecca takes aim!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Rose said. "No trigger."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "No trigger for me either."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Rose(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(4), Rose(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Galaxy Sabre, Gemini!"

 **Galaxy Sabre, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Using Virgo's skill, I bind her and look at the top two cards of my deck." Aurora explained. She examined the cards and quickly decided what to do. "I bind Pisces "Mitera" and add the other card to my hand. Next I call Star Beast, Ursa behind Gemini. With Ursa's boost, Gemini swings in! Ursa's skill allows me to bind the top card of my deck and add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard." Rose said.

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Rose said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Not that it matters, but I'll give both effets to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Rose(2).]**

"I'll end my turn there." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Rose(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said as she started her turn. "I ride Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila."

 **Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I think it's time I show you just what you're up against, Aurora." Rose said with a smirk. "I call Prunus Serrulata Musketeer, Tessa. Then I move Amelia back and call Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia in front of her. With Sylvia's skill, whenever she enters the field I look at the top card of my deck. If that card is a Musketeer, I call it to the rear guard."

' _But all the cards in her deck are Musketeers. Meaning it's only a matter of which one.'_ Aurora thought to herself.

Rose looked at the top card of her deck and grinned. "This card will do. I call Marigold Musketeer, Rachele behind Tessa."

' _She's already got a full field, just like that.'_

"Also, Tessa has a nice little skill that I'm sure you'll love." Rose said. "Whenever I call a Musketeer to rear guard, as long as I have three or more other Musketeer units, she gains 2000 power. So calling Sylvia and now Rachele means she's got a 4000 power bonus. Next, with Amelia's skill, once per turn when a Musketeer is called from the deck, I can look at the top four cards of the deck and add one Musketeer among them to my hand."

' _She's even replenishing her hand. It's not just offense, she's also got a solid defense. It's scary how good she is. But I can't let that distract me.'_

"Tessa attacks with a boost from Rachele!"

 **(9000+4000+4000=17000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said as she quickly held up a critical trigger.

"Boosted by Elma, Favila will strike!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check. Stand trigger. I give all effects to Tessa."

Aurora widened her eyes when she saw the trigger. ' _Damnit. Of all the rotten timing.'_

"Now go on. You still have a damage check to do before I can continue." Rose reminded her.

"Rgh… damage check." Aurora said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Rose(2).]**

"Tessa, go in for another attack!" Rose commanded.

 **(9000+4000+5000=18000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Rose(2).]**

"Sylvia is up next with a boost from Amelia!"

 **(7000+7000=14000)**

' _I can't afford any more damage this early on.'_ Aurora thought. She quickly used another card with a 10000 shield from her hand. "Guard!"

"I think I'll let you off the hook with that." Rose said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(3), Rose(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike down your foes with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Next I call Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra!" Aurora declared. "Go Libra! Attack her Vanguard!"

"Sylvia intercepts." Rose said.

"It's up to you then, Hikari! Attack with a boost from Ursa!" Aurora called out. "3000 is added with Ursa's skill!"

 **(11000+7000+3000=21000)**

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "No need to guard this one."

"Let's see if you feel that way after my twin drive!" Aurora said. "First check, draw trigger! Power to Libra and I draw! Second check, stand trigger! All effects to Libra!"

"Damage check." Rose said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Rose(3).]**

"Libra is up next!"

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"I've let you get enough damage through for now. Guard!" Rose said, using a stand trigger and a grade 1 from her hand, for a collective 15000 shield.

Aurora grit her teeth. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(5), Rose(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Warrior as graceful as a flower, let your beautiful slashes mesmerize those that look upon you. Ride! Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta!"

 **Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm far from done. Stride Generation!" Rose called out. "Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I look at the top four cards of the deck and call up to one Musketeer among them to rear guard!" Rose said as the top four cards of her deck came up and were revealed to her. "Calling Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila."

The grade 2 appeared in the empty circle left behind by Sylvia, once again giving Rose a full field of units. "Amelia's skill allows me to check the top four cards of the deck and add one to my hand. Then with Tessa's skill, she gains 2000 power. Next I use Virginal Cecelia's skill." Rose counter blasted and flipped up a copy of her G Unit. "I retire Amelia and Rachele. Then I can look at the top seven cards of the deck and call Musketeer units up to the number of units I just retired, in this case two." Rose examined the cards as a smirk came to her face. "Calling Gardenia Musketeer, Alain and another Budding Musketeer, Amelia. They each gain 3000 power for every face up Musketeer in my G Zone. Then, Tessa gains another 4000, while giving a 4000 point boost to the two Musketeers I just called since there is now a face up Musketeer in my G Zone."

From the main stadium, Sachi spoke out in excitement to the crowd. "Incredible! This is the kind of explosive play you can expect from Rose Orchards and her Musketeer deck!"

"I'm not done, Aurora." Rose said. "Another Musketeer was called simultaneously with Amelia, meaning Amelia's skill triggers, allowing me to add another card to my hand. And then Favila's skill activates. I give both her and Tessa and extra 6000 power and Resist."

Aurora widened her eyes as she looked at the heal trigger in her hand. ' _Darn. I was hoping to get rid of that unit with Warphole Papillon.'_

"Also since Alain was called by the effect of a Musketeer, I countercharge." Rose explained. "Now then, I think it's time for the assault to begin. Favila attacks with a boost from Amelia!"

 **(9000+6000+7000+4000+3000=29000)**

' _Tessa is going to be way too powerful for me to stop.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Meaning I'll have to try and stop this one for now.'_

"Generation guard!" Aurora called out. "Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With her skill, she gains 10000 shield since there's at least 2 cards in my bind zone." Aurora explained.

"Very well then. Now I'll have my Vanguard attack." Rose declared. "Using Elma's skill. I counterblast and send her to the bottom of my deck. Then I look at the top four cards of the deck and call a Musketeer among them to rear guard." The four cards came to Rose, and she quickly saw the card she needed. "Calling White Clover Musketeer, Mia Reeta! She gains 4000 from Elma's skill, then Tessa gives her 4000 while giving herself 2000!"

' _Give me a break.'_ Aurora thought. ' _How many Musketeers is she gonna call? First thing's first, I have to stop her Vanguard.'_

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out. "You're not getting past Orion!"

"Good thing I don't need her to. Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Tessa. Third check, no trigger." Rose's Vanguard had been blocked, but she was far from done. "Mia Reeta attacks!"

 **(11000+4000+4000=19000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a trigger.

"Not bad. But can you handle Tessa's attack, boosted by Alain?"

 **(9000+8000+6000+4000+3000+4000=34000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Rose(3).]**

"Turn end." Rose said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(2), Rose(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _I can't survive another onslaught like that. I have to finish her this turn no matter what.'_

"Here goes! Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Pride of the stars, Leo from my deck and call him to rear guard! He gains 3000 power from Hikari's skill, then another 10000 from his own skill!" Aurora explained. "Next I use Libra's skill! I bind Pisces "Mitera" from the deck. In exchange, Libra gets bound at the end of the turn."

"I hope you've got more in store than that for me, Aurora." Rose said.

"You better believe I do!" Aurora said. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova's skill! I bind my rear guard Libra, a card from my hand, and a card from my drop zone! Then I call out two units from the bind zone and Draco Nova gains plus one drive! Come! Two Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"s! Since there's a face up Pisces "Paidi" in the bind zone, they each gain 5000 power and Boost!" The two mermaid units appeared in the back rows of Aurora's two side columns. Leo was in front of one, but the other front row circle had an empty space in front of it. Aurora filled it up with the last card in her hand. "Call! Planet Smasher, Scopius!"

' _She called her full hand. She really does plan to end it here.'_ Rose realized.

' _I have to end it here. Rose has three damage, so it won't be easy.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But even still, I know I can do this!'_

"Draco Nova's Generation Break 3!" Aurora said. "My Vanguard and all the units called from my bind zone this turn gain 3000 power for each card in my bind zone. There's six cards in there right now so that's a 18000 boost."

' _So everything other than her Scorpius and Ursa will go up by 18000 power. This could be tricky.'_ Rose realized.

"Boosted by Pisces "Mitera", Leo swings in!"

 **(11000+10000+18000+9000+5000+18000=71000)**

"No guard." Rose said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Rose(4).]**

"Boosted by Ursa, my Vanguard attacks! Ursa's skill will bump up Draco Nova's power by another 3000 by binding the top card of my deck! Then, since another card entered the bind zone, Draco Nova's skill goes from a 18000 boost to a 21000 boost!"

 **(26000+21000+7000+3000=57000)**

"Perfect guard!" Rose said, quickly holding up the sentinel.

"Quadruple drive!"

Rose looked at the board and the state of her hand. ' _Her Scorpius wasn't called from the bind zone, so it doesn't gain power from her Vanguard's skill. That brings her standing column to a total of 44000. My hand can guard for 35000 shield, and Tessa's intercept can bring that up to 40000. With Rozeeta's 11000 power, she'll need to draw two triggers with at least one of them being critical for her to break through.'_  
A sweat went down the French champion's forehead. ' _This is going to be close. It's all up to the triggers.'_

"First check, critical trigger. All effects to Scorpius. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final check..."

Both Rose and Aurora held their breath as the blonde teen prepared to check the top card of her deck. The outcome was all going to come down to this. A single card.

Finally, Aurora turned the card over. "No trigger."

Rose let out an inner sigh of relief. She was safe.

"Boosted by Pisces "Mitera", Scorpius attacks! With Scorpius's soul blast, I call Gemini from the bind zone! He gains 2000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+9000+5000+18000=47000)**

Rose quickly threw down the three triggers and the grade 2 in her hand, as well as moving her rear guard Tessa to the guardian circle. "Guard! Intercept!"

Aurora cursed her luck. ' _Damnit, I was so close to getting Scorpius's attack through.'_ "Gemini attacks your rear guard Mia Reeta!"

 **(9000+2000+18000=29000)**

' _Taking out my rear guard and limiting my counterblasts. She hasn't given up.'_ Rose thought. "No guard. Mia Reeta is retired."

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Rose(1).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Rose said. A satisfied smile came to her face. "I have to say Aurora, you did much better than I was expecting. Very impressive." the look in her eyes quickly turned to a serious expression. "But this is the end of the line! Using Rozeeta's skill, I can counterblast and send two normal Musketeers from the drop zone to the bottom of the deck as the cost to stride! Generation Zone, release! Flower of pure beauty! Now is the time to sprout up and bloom into a new future! Stride Generation! Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Look at the top four cards and call a Musketeer to rear guard! I call Alain! Using his skill, I counter charge! Then I use Amelia's skill to add another Musketeer to my hand from the top four cards of the deck! Next I call Rozeeta from my hand, as well as Rachele!"

' _Five rear guards.'_ Aurora noticed. ' _So her next move will probably be…'_

"Virginal Cecelia's skill! I retire all five of my Musketeer rear guards!" Rose explained. "Looking at the top seven cards of the deck and calling up to the same amount as retired!" From the top seven cards, Rose called out five units at once. "Prunus Serrula Musketeer, Tessa! Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila! Artemisia Musketeer, Kiara! Blue Rose Musketeer, Ernst! And finally, Baby-blue-eyes Musketeer, May Len! I call!"

Aurora widened her eyes as Rose's board was suddenly refreshed with five new rear guards. Ernst was put behind the Vanguard. Her left column consisted of Tessa and May Len. Her right column had Favila and Kiara.

"There are now three face up Musketeers in my G Zone, meaning they all gain 9000 power!" Rose said. "In addition, Tessa's skill gives them all 4000, while giving a total of 8000 to herself! And finally, Favila's skill gives herself and Tessa and extra 6000 power, as well as Resist!"

' _Her units have so much power.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I… I won't be able to defend this.'_

"Favila attacks first, with a boost from Kiara!"

 **(9000+9000+6000+4000+6000+9000+4000=47000)**

"No guard." Aurora said bitterly. "Damage check." As she turned the card over, an emerald light was seen in the corner, giving Aurora hope. "Heal trigger!"

Rose's eyes widened. ' _No way…'_

"5000 power to my Vanguard. I recover one damage." Aurora said. As much as she wanted to jump for joy right now, the sudden realization hit her. Even with the heal trigger, she couldn't block both of the two attacks coming her way next. Meaning she would need a second to even have a chance.

"Boosted by Ernst, Virginal Cecilia attacks!"

 **(26000+4000+9000+4000=43000)**

Aurora let out a sigh. "No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. I don't heal, but I will give the power to Tessa."

"Damage check…" Aurora held her breath, praying for the miracle she needed. But as she turned the card over, she found out that no such luck existed. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(6), Rose(5).]**

Aurora held her head low. ' _I lost…'_

"That was a good fight, Aurora." Rose said with a satisfied smile. "I hope we get the chance to fight again."

And with that, Rose disappeared from the virtual plain. A sign read "Cardfights for Day 1 Have Ended. Please Disconnect Your Headset." telling Aurora that she could leave. With a disappointed sigh, she took off the headset and found herself back in the room she had entered in earlier.

' _Rose really was strong.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _And there's players just as strong as her here, if not stronger.'_ She clenched her fists in frustration. ' _I need to get stronger. I can't lose here.'_

* * *

"Alright cardfighters! The fights for Day 1 have come to a close!" Sachi announced. All of the different teams were gathered on the field of the main stadium. "Let's take a look to see who's in the lead so far."

On the main monitor, a screen popped up, showing the teams, scrolling up from last place. Sighs of disappointment came from around some of the teams, seeing how far they were behind. Finally, the screen came up to the Top 10. Aurora and her teammates were glad to see they were in the high standings.

"Alright, we're in sixth." Dan said. "And the other teams aren't too far ahead."

Aurora looked at her teammates. "How'd the two of you do?"

Dan let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. "I lost a couple of games. I beat the rest no problem, but there were a few games I couldn't do much."

"I lost a few games myself." Anthony admitted. "But my deck's working a lot better for me now. What about you, Aurora?"

Aurora frowned. "I lost my last game. Rose Orchards beat me."

"Rose huh? Well we knew she'd be a tough player." Dan said.

"Doesn't matter. We just have to do our best tomorrow!" Anthony grinned. "We'll aim to win every game tomorrow and shoot straight up to first place!"

Aurora smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah. Let's do it you guys."

Sachi addressed the crowd. "Well as you can all see here, this is still anyone's tournament to win. Teams are neck and neck with each other. Currently in first place is Team Apocalypse from America!" The spotlight shined on the three American players. The leader of the team Allen has a confident smirk on his face. "Right behind them is Team Round Table from England, lead by William Lewis!"

There was no surprise to anyone there that William's team was in the top rankings. William was one of the best fighters in the Euro League after all.

Looking at the monitor, Aurora noticed a lot of the teams they knew were in the top 10 standings. Rose's Team Beautiful Thorn was in fourth at the moment. Sophia and Team Southern Jungle were right behind her own team in seventh place, and right behind them was Team Sightless Vision in eighth. She noticed some of the members of the teams in the crowd, giving them waves of hello to congratulate on staying in the game.

"Just remember, this is only Day 1 of 3 for the second round." Sachi told everyone. "There's no telling what will happen these next two days. Teams in the bottom spots could suddenly surge and make it to the top 4. You'll just have to wait and see what happens."

' _She's right about one thing. Those standings are gonna change by the end of Day 3.'_ Aurora silently thought to herself. ' _Cause Team Cosmic Trio is making it to the top 4 no matter what.'_

 **Dan: Phew, that was a rough day of cardfighting.**

 **Anthony: Don't go wimping out on us now, Dan. We've still got two more days of this.**

 **Dan: You're right. I've gotta stay focused.**

 **Aurora: Let's do this guys! We need to show those other teams who's boss!**

 **Next time: The Shining Knight of Royalty**

 **Card Gallery:**

Budding Musketeer, Amelia  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC 1/Turn:** When your unit with "Musketeer" in its name is called to RC from the deck, look at the top four cards of your deck. Choose up to one card with "Musketeer" in its name among them, add it to your hand, then put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order.


	26. Shining Knight of Royalty

**A/N: Day 2 of our 5 day special. Enjoy everybody.**

"Ladies and gentlemen! Cardfighting fans around the world! Are you ready?!" Sachi called out through her mic. "Day 2 of the second round of the Vanguard World Tournament is currently underway! And boy have we seen some crazy cardfights already!" Cheers came from the crowd as people looked at the monitors to see the fights going on. "Players are currently battling it out for points to add to their team's score! Only four teams can make it to the next round, and that fact seems to be apparent to everyone as they battle their heart out! Let's take a look at some of the front runners now."

The monitor changed and showed Aurora just finishing up a cardfight. "Aurora Fujou has just managed to earn her team another point. Her only loss yesterday as to Rose Orchards and she seems fired up to make up for that lost opportunity. She may be a first timer to the big leagues, but she's proven she can hold her own. The same holds true for the other members of Team Cosmic Trio, Dan Kisha and Anthony Ferges. Both are on a hot streak today, gathering points left and right."

The next fight it showed was one currently going on between Rose and another player. "Rose Orchards is a high ranking fighter in the Euro League. She and Team Beautiful Thorn are showing that these girls aren't just here for looks. Underestimate them and you'll be in for a world of hurt."

A quick screen change brought up Sophia. "We also have the youngest player in this tournament, Sophia Perez. Don't let looks deceive you, this little girl has shown that she can fight with the best of them. She's earned a significant number of points for Team Southern Jungle."

After that, it showed Allen winning yet another fight. "And of course we can't forget the leader of the team currently in first place. Allen Demacio and his Conquest Empire clan are a force to be reckoned with. He's showing no mercy in his fights as he brings Team Apocalypse's points up further and further."

Cheers from the crowd were going nuts as people fully enjoyed the fights going on. The next player featured was William as it showed him dealing the finishing blow to his opponent.

"He's so strong…" his opponent muttered in defeat as he disappeared from the virtual plain William was on, moving to his next fight.

William fixed his hair as he waited for his next opponent to show up. He didn't have to wait long however, as a new figure appeared before him. A blonde girl in her teens with violet eyes. Sarah Radcliffe of Team Sightless Vision.

Sarah widened her eyes as she recognized her opponent. "You're William Lewis…"

"So you've heard of me? I'm flattered." William said with a warm smile. "Hang on. Haven't I seen you somewhere before? Where was it…" William thought to himself for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Ah right! You're a member of the team that won the Wild Card Tournament!"

Sarah nodded her head in confirmation. "That's right. My name is Sarah Radcliffe."

"I saw your fight in the finals. Very impressive." William told her. "But let's see if it's enough to beat me."

"Oh this is bound to be a good one folks!" Sachi said with excitement. "We've got two players in teams from the current top 10 standings. William Lewis and Sarah Radcliffe. William is a top standing fighter in the Euro League, taking first place twice in it. He's lead Team Round Table far in this tournament. Sarah on the other hand is a member of Team Sightless Vision. Despite only getting in through the Wild Card Round, this team has shown that they've got the skills to pay the bills. How will this fight turn out?"

Sarah took a deep breath. ' _Keep your cool Sarah. You can't afford to be nervous here, even if he's one of the Euro League's best fighters. Remember, your fighting for Kimiko. He's just another obstacle. You can do this.'_

William drew his opening hand and looked over at Sarah. "You ready?"

Sarah did the same and nodded her head. "Yeah. Let's do this."

Simultaneously, both players flipped their starting Vanguards over. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Neon Messiah!"

 **Neon Messiah**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first." Sarah said. "I ride Destiny Dealer!"

 **Destiny Dealer**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Moving Neon Messiah back with forerunner." Sarah said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: William(5), Sarah(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." William said. "Ride! Blaster-friend, Barcgal!"

 **Blaster-friend, Barcgal**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Wingal Brave moves back thanks to forerunner." William explained. He thought to himself. ' _She's a Link Joker user. Meaning I can't afford to call out too many rear guards for her to lock. However, based on what I saw in her other fight she can't lock my units before getting to grade 3. So I'll work with that in mind for now.'_

"Calling Wingal Youth." William said. "Wingal Youth attacks your Vanguard!"

"Guard!" Sarah said as she quickly defended herself with a 5000 shield unit.

"Boosted by Wingal Brave, my Vanguard will attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Very well then. Drive check." William said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." Sarah said.

 **[Damage: William(0), Sarah(1).]**

"Since an attack boosted by Wingal Brave hit, it's skill activates." William explained. "It moves to the soul and I search my deck for a card with Blaster in its name and add it to my hand." William looked through his deck and added the card he wanted, showing it to Sarah. "Adding Blaster Blade to my hand. And with that, I'll end my turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: William(6), Sarah(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "I ride Arrester Messiah."

 **Arrester Messiah**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Arrester Messiah attacks with a boost from Neon Messiah!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." William said. He turned the top two cards over. "No triggers for me it seems."

 **[Damage: William(2), Sarah(1).]**

"Turn end." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: William(6), Sarah(5).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Ride! Star Hope Trumpeter!"

 **Star Hope Trumpeter**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I move Wingal Youth back and call Swordsman of Light, Blaster Rapier Laura in front of it." William said. He showed a knowing grin. "Laura has Resist, meaning you can't touch her with your locks."

' _So he's trying to keep me from locking his rear guards. That just means I'll need to focus more on boosting my offense rather than hindering his.'_

"Star Hope Trumpeter will attack." William said.

Sarah held up the critical trigger she had gotten last turn. "Guard!"

"Drive check." William said. "Heal trigger. Power to Laura and I recover one damage. And now Laura will attack with a boost from Wingal Youth."

 **(7000+5000+7000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(1), Sarah(2).]**

"Since the attack hit, Wingal Youth's skill activates." William explained. "I look at the top seven cards of the deck and add a card with Blaster Blade in its name among them to my hand." William grabbed a copy of Blaster Blade Exceed and revealed it. "Since I added a card to my hand this way, Wingal Youth goes to the soul."

' _So now his only rear guard is one with Resist. He really knows what he's doing.'_

"I'll end my turn with that." William said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: William(7), Sarah(4).]**

"Alright then. Stand and draw." Sarah said. "With your holy light, wash away all darkness from this world! I ride Alter Ego Neo Messiah!"

 **Alter Ego Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Next I call Myga Messiah." Sarah said. "My Vanguard will start things off, with a boost from Neon Messiah!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." William said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Myga and I recover one."

"Damage check." William said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Sarah(1).]**

"Myga is up next! And it's coming straight for your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Sorry, but I'll have to guard that one." William said, holding up a trigger from his hand with 10000 shield.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(6), Sarah(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." William said as he began his turn. "Righteous warrior of legend! Bring hope to this battlefield and banish all darkness! Ride! Blaster Blade Exceed!"

 **Blaster Blade Exceed**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Blaster blade Exceed's skill! Counterblast!" William said. "Myga Messiah is retired!"

Sarah gasped as her grade 2 unit was wiped off the field and sent straight to the drop zone. "No way!"

"I'm far from done! Stride Generation!" William called out. "Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I counterblast and add a copy of Blaster Blade Exceed to my hand!" William said. "Next I call another Laura behind the Laura already out on the field!"

Sarah grit her teeth. ' _Another Resist rear guard.'_

"Gancelot attacks first!" William said. "Gancelot Peace Saver's skill! I countercharge and gain plus one drive!"

"No guard." Sarah said.

"Very well then. Quadruple drive. First check, critical trigger. Critical to Gancelot and power to Laura. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final check, another critical trigger. Once again, I give the critical to my Vanguard and the power to Laura!"

"Ngh, damage check." Sarah said, cursing her opponent's luck at pulling a double critical. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: William(2), Sarah(4).]**

"A double Laura attack is coming your way!"

 **(7000+10000+7000=24000)**

"Generation guard!" Sarah called out. "Death Star-vader, Demon Maxwell!"

 **Death Star-vader, Demon Maxwell**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, I lock Neon Messiah! Adding 5000 to the shield!"

"I believe that will end my turn then." William said. "Your move, Sarah Radcliffe."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(8), Sarah(4).]**

"Alright then. Stand and draw." Sarah said as she began her turn. "Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmision to rear guard!" Sarah said. "Unfortunately, I can't lock either of your rear guards since they both have Resist. But no matter!" Grabbing another two cards from her hand, Sarah quickly called them out to her field. "I call Dunamis Messiah and Ideal Ego Messiah!"

' _She's setting up her formation the same as always.'_ William observed. ' _She was saving those units in her hand for this moment. Clever.'_

"Lady Fencer's skill increases her power by 2000 whenever she's called or unlocked." Sarah explained. "Boosted by Dunamis Messiah, Lady Fencer attacks! Using her skill, I counterblast to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000**

' _She used this same attack pattern before. She'll attack with all her rear guards and lock them, then attack with her Vanguard and unlock them all at once.'_ William thought. ' _It was a good thing I got rid of her Myga Messiah when I did.'_

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Sarah(4).]**

"Lady Fencer locks herself due to using her skill." Sarah explained. "However, I can use Dunamis Messiah's skill to unlock her. Then I add 4000 power to Ideal Ego Messiah and lock Dunamis. Now Ideal Ego will attack!"

 **(11000+4000=15000)**

"I guard!" William said, holding up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Ideal Ego's skill. I soul blast and lock it after it attacks and look at the top three cards of the deck. Then I call one of them as a locked card. Calling Sacrifice Messiah as locked."

' _Darn. It would have to be that unit wouldn't it?'_

"Lady Fencer's coming in! Using her skill to add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: William(4), Sarah(4).]**

"Here goes! Integral Messiah attacks! Integral's skill!" Sarah declared as she counterblasted and flipped a copy of Flageolet Messiah face up in her G Zone. "I unlock all of my locked cards! Then, since three or more were unlocked, I draw a card, soul charge, and add 10000 power! Also, since Neon Messiah was unlocked, I can send him to the soul to add Ideal Ego Messiah from my deck to my hand!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"No chance! I guard with Maiden of Divine Spring, Lien!" William said. "By paying a soul blast, she nullifies your attack!"

' _I figured he'd have a sentinel with that big hand of his.'_ Sarah thought. "Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lady Fencer! Third check, no trigger." Even though the attack from her Vanguard was guarded, she was far from finished. "Boosted by Sacrifice Messiah, Ideal Ego attacks!

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

William held up a grade 2 from his hand. "Guard."

"Lady Fencer attacks next! Using her skill to add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000+7000=28000)**

"Sorry but I can't afford to let that attacks through. Generation guard!" William called out. "Little Great Sage, Maron!"

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Lady Fencer locks herself, but I unlock her with Dunamis Messiah's skill." Sarah explained. "She'll take the 4000 power from Dunamis, and then I use Sacrifice Messiah's skill to countercharge and add 3000 to Lady Fencer."

"Sadly you lost the critical effect from the trigger. And this is your last attack, meaning you can't finish me off." William said.

"Then I'll just take you down next turn! And I'll attack your front row Blaster Rapier, Laura to do it!"

' _Limiting my options. She's not half bad.'_ William thought. ' _Unfortunately for her, this game is already mine.'_

"Lady Fencer attacks Blaster Rapier, Laura!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+4000=18000)**

"No guard." William said as he sent his rear guard to the drop zone.

"Turn end." Sarah said. "All my rear guards are unlocked. Then, I soul blast with Alter Ego Neo Messiah's skill to draw two cards."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(5), Sarah(8).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. He looked at the state of the game. ' _She's got 8 cards in her hand. A solid defense. However, I know at least two of them are grade 3s. One from her triple drive and the other from the card she got off of Neon Messiah. She probably has a perfect guard too, and maybe even a heal trigger. Regardless, I will break through!'_

"Generation Zone release!" William called out. "Sword of destiny! Slice through this battlefield and carve out my future! Stride Generation! Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver!"

 **Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I add Blaster Blade to my hand!" William explained. Then I call Favorite Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew and two copies of Floral Paladin, Flogal!"

"So you're finally going on an all out attack, are you?" Sarah said. "Are you truly so confident that you can break through my defense?"

"Why don't we find out." William told her. "I call Aspire Painter. With its skill, I countercharge. Then I call Blaster Blade over it."

Sarah tensed up. ' _He really thinks he can do it. What's he planning?'_ Sarah shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _No! I can't be intimidated here! I have to win! For Kimiko!'_

"Skill of Alfred Holy Saver." William explained. "I target my rear guard Blaster Blade and add 3000 power. Then, Blaster Blade gains the ability to twin drive on its first attack of the turn."

Sarah's eyes widened. "You can twin drive with a rear guard?!"

"That's right!" William said. "But first up will be Llew's attack boosted by Flogal! And with Llew's skill, it gains 3000 power and a skill since it's being boosted by Floral Paladin, Flogal!"

 **(9000+3000+4000=16000)**

"Guard!" Sarah said, quickly holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"With the skill Llew gained, I send him to the soul and superior call Blaster Blade from the deck! It then gains 3000 power!" William explained. "And now it'll attack!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Once again, I guard!" Sarah said, using a grade 1 from her hand.

"Well then I'll just have to have Alfred charge in with a boost from Flogal!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Alright then. Triple drive!" William called out. "First check, critical trigger! All effects to my standing Blaster Blade! Second check, no trigger! Third check, draw trigger! Power to Blaster Blade once again, and I draw!"

Sarah looked at her hand. ' _It's alright. I can still block it.'_

"Here goes! Blaster Blade attacks with a boost from Blaster Rapier, Laura!"

 **(9000+3000+10000+7000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath!"

 **Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Cosmo Wreath's skill! Lock one of your back row rear guards! Then, it gains 5000 shield!"

William looked down at his field. "Very well then. Lock the Flogal behind Alfred."

"I'm not done yet! I also guard with this!" Sarah said, using a critical trigger from her hand. "Now even if you draw two trigger, you won't be able to break through my guard."

"Twin drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. ' _I did it. I managed to survive.'_

"Miss Radcliffe, there's something you might want to know." William said. "You managed to lock one of my Flogals, but I still have another out. And it has a very interesting skill."

Sarah felt her body tense up. "What is it?"

"After a battle that Blaster Blade attacks, I can counterblast and send Floral Paladin, Flogal back to the deck." William explained. "I then get to restand Blaster Blade."

Sarah's eyes widened. "Restand it?!"

"That's right, and now I'll have it attack once more! Go Blaster Blade!" William called out. "Finish her!"

 **(9000+3000+10000=22000)**

Sarah looked at the cards in her hand. ' _I only have two cards in my hand. Ideal Ego Messiah and Arrester Messiah. That's only a 5000 shield. Even with Lady Fencer's intercept, it won't be enough.'_

"No… guard…" Sarah said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card… no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Sarah(6).]**

' _I lost… I wasn't strong enough…'_ Sarah thought to herself.

"That was a good cardfight, Sarah Radcliffe." William said. "You're far stronger than most of the fighters I've seen in this tournament."

Despite being sad about her loss, Sarah managed a small smile. "Thanks. It was an honor to fight you. Hopefully we can fight again later."

"I look forward to it."

With that, william was teleported away leaving Sarah all by herself until her next opponent was decided. She slapped her hands against her cheeks. ' _No feeling sorry for myself. The only thing I can do is keep fighting and do everything I can to make it to the next round.'_ She looked up at the virtual sky. ' _Let's do our best, Marcus, Daiki. Kimiko's counting on us.'_ She thought about the fight she had just had. ' _William Lewis. He was a seriously strong fighter. We need to be prepared to fight him again later.'_

 **Elizabeth: So how are you faring so far, William?**

 **William: I'm doing well. As long as we keep winning, we should be making it to the semi finals without any issue.**

 **Aurora: Rose Orchards. William Lewis. There's so many strong fighters here. We'll need to be at the top of our game if we're gonna win.**

 **Sophia: Oh boy! I think it's my turn next!**

 **Aurora: Hey, isn't her opponent from Team Apocalypse? Careful Sophia. This could be a tough fight.**

 **Next Time: Cursed Dragon of the Void**


	27. Cursed Dragon of the Void

**A/N: Day 3 readers. I know a lot of you have been looking forward to seeing this particular character in action, so here you go. Enjoy.**

The second round of the Vanguard World Tournament had been a huge success so far. Exciting fights were happening one after another, and the audience was loving was clear just how desperate some of the teams were to get the points they needed and make it to the next round.

"Hello all you people! Are you having fun so far?!" Mai asked as she and Premium Beauty stood out on stage. "Day 2 is still in its early stages so don't you worry! There's still plenty of action left!"

"For now, let's take a look at some of the players." Jasmine said. "One fighter that's been earning a large number of points is Sophia Perez, leader of Team Southern Jungle."

The main monitor switched to an image of Sophia, who was just finishing up her latest fight. A sixth damage fell into her opponent's damage zone, clenching her victory.

"Alright! I won!" Sophia cheered as she jumped up and down with joy. "This is so much fun!"

"Aw man. How could I lose to a little girl?" her opponent sulked before getting teleported away.

Sophia giggled to herself. "I hope Maria and Bruno are doing well too. This tournament has been so exciting. I can't wait to see who I fight next."

The little girl's prayers were soon answered as her next opponent appeared before her. It was a girl with black hair tied up in a long ponytail. She wore a cute pink shirt and white shorts.

"Hi! So are you my next opponent?" Sophia asked.

"Seems so." the girl said. "Hang on… aren't you that Sophia girl? From Team Southern Jungle?"

"Yup, that's me!" Sophia grinned. "What's your name?"

"It's Amy." she said. "Amy Runeheart of Team Apocalypse."

The mention of Team Apocalypse caught Sophia's attention. "Wait, you're on that team with that Allen guy? From America?" The nod from Amy caused Sophia to pout. "Your leader's a big meanie, you know that!"

"Big… meanie…?" Amy questioned.

"Yeah! He was super mean to his opponent in the first round!" Sophia said. "That's not what Vanguard's about! It's supposed to be about having fun!"

"... Fun huh?" Amy said. "You're right, Sophia. Vanguard is supposed to be fun." She looked out into the distance. "But… Allen doesn't seem to see it that way."

Sophia tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Amy said with a shake of her head. She drew her opening hand, the cards floating in front of her. "Let's start the fight. Are you ready?"

Sophia did the same as she drew her hand. "Mhm."

Together, the two girls started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Black Curse, Muriel!"

 **Black Curse, Muriel**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Involution Star-vader, Carbon!"

 **Involution Star-vader, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first." Sophia said. "I ride Twin-bladed Star-vader, Binary Star!"

 **Twin-bladed Star-vader, Binary Star**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"I move Carbon back with forerunner." Sophia explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Amy(5).]**

"My turn then." Amy said. "Stand and draw. I ride Kind Care, Sartael."

 **Kind Care, Sartael**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Muriel moves back with forerunner." Amy explained. ' _This girl's a Link Joker player. I'll need to call my units carefully.'_

"Boosted by Muriel, Sartael attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Sophia said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Amy(0).]**

"Turn end." Amy said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(5), Amy(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton!"

 **Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Clearout Star-vader, Buromin." Sophia said. "Buromin attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, using a grade 1 from her hand.

"Krypton's going to attack next with Carbon's boost!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Sophia said. "Draw trigger! Power to my Vanguard and I draw."

"Damage check. No trigger." Amy said.

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Amy(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(6), Amy(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "I ride Black Relief, Aratoron."

 **Black Relief, Aratoron**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Nurse of Broken Heart." Amy said. "Broken Heart attacks!"

"Guard!" Sophia said, holding up the draw trigger she got last turn.

"You may have stopped that one, but let's see you do the same to my Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Sophia said.

"Drive check." The golden icon she saw a welcome sign for Amy. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Just like that, two cards fell into Sophia's damage zone, with neither of them being triggers.

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Amy(1).]**

"Turn end." Amy said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(5), Amy(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Sophia said. A happy grin was on her face, having everything she needed to unleash her deck's full power. "I'd like to introduce you to my special friend. I ride Star-vader, Infinite Zero Dragon!"

 **Star-vader, Infinite Zero Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I move Buromin back and call Star-vader, Globuladia." Sophia said. "With Globuladia's skill, since I have a grade 3 Vanguard with Star-vader in its name, you have to call a card from your drop zone as locked."

Amy grit her teeth. It seemed guarding Sophia's earlier attack had been a mistake. She called the copy of Layla she had in the drop zone behind Broken Heart.

"Globuladia gains 2000 power thanks to his skill." Sophia said. "Next I use Carbon's skill. Since you have a locked card, I send it to the soul and call Eclipse Star-vader, Charcoal to rear guard. And now Infinite Zero can attack with Charcoal's boost!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"No guard." Amy said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, yay it's a heal trigger!" Sophia said with a bright smile. "Power to Globuladia and I recover one!"

"Damage check." Amy said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Amy(2).]**

"Go Globuladia! Attack the Vanguard!" Sophia cheered.

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Amy said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Amy(3).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said. "At the end of the turn, I can use Buromin's skill since you have a locked card. I retire Buromin and search my deck for a card with Infinite in its name to ride as rest." Sophia sent her rear guard to the drop zone and searched for the card she was looking for. "Get ready, cause this is the new form of my Infinite Zero! I break ride! Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox!"

 **Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Sophia's new dragon looked like a newer and more powerful form of Infinite Zero Dragon. Two rings were behind it, forming the symbol for infinity. The talons it had were a dark and ominous red color.

Amy widened her eyes as she saw this. "But you can't use a break ride skill! You have to be at four or more damage to do that!"

"Not when I have Charcoal out." Sophia giggled. "Charcoal allows me to use limit break and break ride skills regardless of how much damage I have. So now with Infinite Zero Dragon's break ride skill, I lock Nurse of Broken Heart and Black Curse, Muriel. My Vanguard also gains 10000 power, but that doesn't really matter at this point."

Just like that, Amy had three locked rear guards out on her field. ' _She's crippled my formation this quickly. Amazing.'_

"Well, that's it for me." Sophia said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(4), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. ' _This is gonna be tough, but I have to attack her now before she has the chance to take full control of this game!'_

"Spread your wings and take flight on this battlefield! Rescue those trapped in despair! Ride! Black Shock, Gavrail Prim!"

 **Black Shock, Gavrail Prim**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Here goes! Stride Generation! Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden!"

 **Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I put a card from my hand into the damage zone and add another card in the damage zone to my hand!" Amy explained as she put Black Talent, Layla in her damage zone and grabbed Battle Cupid Nociel from the damage zone to add to her hand. "Then I heal a damage and perform a rescue check."

"Rescue check?" Sophia asked.

"Think of it like a damage check during my turn." Amy explained. "Of course, I'll be healing the same amount whenever I do it. But since a damage check is being performed, I have a chance to get a trigger. Watch. Rescue check." Amy grinned when she saw the card. "Critical trigger. All effects to my Vanguard."

Sophia widened her eyes. ' _Wow. So she has a bunch of chances to get triggers.'_

"Next I call Nutrient Angel." Amy said. "Using her skill, I counterblast. Then I can choose two face down cards on my field or my damage zone and flip them face up. I unlock Nurse of Broken Heart and Black Curse, Muriel."

"Sorry, but that won't work for you." Sophia said. "My Infinite Zero Paradox has a skill I can use once per turn. When my opponent's rear guard is unlocked, I can soul blast to relock that unit and draw." The little girl paid the cost and drew her card. "Looks like Broken Heart is getting locked again."

Amy gasped as her grade 2 unit was flipped over yet again, keeping her at one less front row attacker to use. "No way…"

"What do you think of my Repeat Lock technique?" Sophia giggled. "Pretty good, isn't it?"

Amy tensed up. ' _This girl isn't the leader of one of the top teams for nothing. She's good. But I can't lose here. Allen is counting on me.'_

"Don't think that'll stop me. I still have another column to use." Amy said. "I call another Broken Heart, and Black Talent, Layla from my hand. And since a card has been sent from the damage zone to the drop zone this turn, Layla gains 6000 power. Next up, I use Gavrail Eden's skill." Amy paid the cost with a soul blast and flipping a copy of her G Unit face up. "Recovering one damage. Then, rescue check. No trigger."

Sophia grinned. "You won't be able to get a trigger every time."

"True, but I don't need to." Amy replied with a smirk. "Broken Heart's skill. Whenever a card is put into my damage zone, both Broken Heart and my Vanguard gain 2000 power."

Sophia gasped as she heard this. ' _But with her rescue skills, she'll be able to do it over and over again!'_

"Activating Muriel's skill. Counterblast and send her to the soul. Then, I put the top card of my deck into the damage zone and add a face up card in the damage zone to my hand. Broken Heart's skill triggers once again, giving herself and Gavrail 2000 power." Finally done with her skill combos, Amy went on the offensive. "Broken Heart attacks with a boost from Layla."

 **(9000+4000+7000+6000=26000)**

' _She left the spot behind her Vanguard open. She's afraid of me locking her whole field.'_ Sophia thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Amy(3).]**

"Gavrail Eden is up next." Amy said.

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Activating the skill of Ezezel in the damage zone. When my unit with the Rescue skill attacks, I can call this card to rear guard and put the top card of my deck face down into my damage zone. Then I recover a card and perform a Rescue check." Amy used the skill, moving the cards accordingly and calling the grade 2 unit over Broken Heart, ending with a damage check. "No trigger. Hoever, Gavrail Eden also has another skill. I have one face up card in my G Zone so I can call that many cards from the damage zone. Calling Kind Heart, Sartael over Layla. For every card called, a card from the top of my deck goes to the damage zone face down. And since a card was put in my damage zone, I can use Sartael's skill to send it to the deck, as well as a normal and trigger unit from my drop zone."

' _So now she has another fresh unit to attack with. On top of that, there's one less rear guard for me to lock.'_ Sophia realized. Quickly she threw up a sentinel from her hand. "Perfect guard!"

"Fine then. Triple drive." Amy said. "First check, stand trigger. There's no rear guards to stand, but Ezezel will take the power. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Ezezel and I recover one."

"Damage check." Sophia said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Amy(3).]**

"Next up is Ezezel."

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, using a critical trigger from her hand.

"That's it for my turn. All my locked rear guards unlock." Amy said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(2), Amy(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said as she started her turn. "Stride Generation! Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon!"

 **Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Sophia's G Unit was a much scarier looking version of Infinite Zero. Most of its once white body was pitch black. Its usual wings were gone and instead two red orbs hovered by its shoulders with two wings of dark energy sprouting from them. Along its arms and legs were several black rings.

"Stride skill. I select two circles, one in the front row and one in the back row, and lock all cards on those circles." Sophia explained. "Lock Broken Heart and the Layla behind it."

' _I figured she'd be locking my units again.'_ Amy thought.

"The skill of Infinite Nebula Dragon." Sophia said. She counterblasted and flipped a copy of her G Unit face up. "For every face up Infinite Nebula Dragon in the G Zone, I lock one of my opponent's rear guards. Lock Ezezel."

' _Well so much for that unit.'_

"There's more. Since you have three or more locked cards, I can countercharge and soul charge." Sophia added. "Next I call Twin-bladed Star-vader, Binary Star behind Globuladia. While you have a locked card on your field, Binary Star's base power rises to 8000."

Sophia got ready to go in for the attack. ' _I'm fighting for everyone at the orphanage. I need to win for them. Let's do this Infinite Zero.'_

"Boosted by Binary Star, Globuladia attacks! Binary Star's skill allows me to soul blast and add 10000 power since you have at least two locked cards!"

 **(9000+7000+1000+10000=27000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Amy(4).]**

"At the end of the battle that I use his skill, Binary Star goes to the soul and I counter charge." Sophia explained. "Boosted by Charcoal, I attack with my Vanguard!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger." Sophia said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(4), Amy(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. ' _She doesn't have much offensive power. I'll try and whittle her down a bit this turn and finish her next turn.'_

"Stride Generation!" Amy called out. "Holy Seraph, Raphael!"

 **Holy Seraph, Raphael**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Exchange a card in my hand with one in the damage zone. Then heal a damage and performa rescue check." Amy said. "No trigger. However, I can use Raphael's skill. I flip a copy of Raphael face up in my G Zone and heal one damage."

Sophia's eyes widened. "You can heal a damage just like that?!"

"That's right." Amy said. "And now I'll attack with Raphael!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard!" Sophia called out. "Genesis Beast, Desthergen!"

 **Genesis Beast, Desthergen**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With it's skill, since there are two or more locked cards, I soul blast and draw." Sophia said. She then threw down a critical trigger from her hand. "I also guard with this! As well as intercept with Globuladia!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger." Amy let out a sigh. She figured getting the three triggers she'd need to break through was wishful thinking. "Turn end. All my rear guards unlock."

"With Infinite Zero Paradox's skill, I Repeat Lock your Broken Heart and draw." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sophia(4), Amy(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said.

' _It's fine. She can't do much this turn anyway. She'll lock my units, but I still only have three damage. Plus, with the copy of Nutrient Angel I have in my hand I can unlock two units next turn.'_ Amy thought to herself. ' _I can do this.'_

"Stride Generation!" Sophia called out. "Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon!"

 **Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Using stride skill, I lock your Ezezel and Layla." Sophia said. "Next I call Globuladia! With his skill, you have to call a card from your drop zone as locked. Then, he gains 2000 power, and another 3000 since you have two or more locked cards."

Amy hated giving Sophia more cards that were locked, but she had little choice. She called a card behind her Vanguard as locked.

"Using Infinite Nebula Dragon's skill!" Sophia declared.

"What? Why?" Amy asked. "I don't have any rear guards to lock. Do you want the soul charge that badly?"

"There's more to it than that." Sophia explained. "Like I said, if you have three or more rear guards that are locked, I get to counter charge and soul charge. But in addition to that, if you have four or more locked rear guards, my Vanguard gains 10000 power and plus one drive."

Amy gasped. ' _That's why she used Globuladia! To get a fourth locked card on my field!'_

"Next I call Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton." Sophia said. "Also my Vanguard has a continuous skill. Generation Break 3. All my Star-vader rear guards gain 3000 power for each of your locked rear guards."

' _3000 for each?! But that's 12000!'_

"I attack with Globuladia!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+12000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Black Seraph, Eleleth!"

 **Black Seraph, Eleleth**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, 5000 is added to the shield for each face up damage I have." Amy explained.

"Charcoal boosts! Go get 'em Infinite Nebula!"

 **(26000+10000+7000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive. First check, draw trigger. Power to Krypton and I draw. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Krypton. Final check, no trigger." Sophia said. "Krypton is up next!"

 **(9000+12000+10000=31000)**

"No guard." Amy said. Two cards fell into her damage zone. Both were not triggers.

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Amy(5).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Sophia(7), Amy(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Amy said. "Stride Generation! Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden!"

 **Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _I've burned through most of my defensive cards. I have to end this here.'_ Amy thought. "Stride skill! Exchange a card from my hand with one in the damage zone! Then rescue check! No trigger!" Taking a card from her hand, Amy called it out to the field. "Calling Nutrient Angel. With its skill, I unlock Broken Heart and Ezezel."

"My Vanguard's skill with Repeat Lock your Broken Heart!" Sophia called out. "I also get to draw."

Amy smirked. "I figured you'd do that." She revealed another card in her hand. "Calling one more Nutrient Angel.

"What?!"

"Using her skill to unlock Broken Heart and Layla behind her." Amy said. "Layla's skill will give herself 6000 power. Next I call Black Call, Nakir behind Ezezel."

' _She's coming at me with everything she's got.'_ Sophia realised.

"Using Eden's skill. Rescue check. Stand trigger. All effects to Ezezel. Then, Broken Heart gives herself and Gavrail 2000 power." Amy said. "Broken Heart attacks with a boost from Layla!"

 **(9000+2000+7000+6000=24000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Amy(5).]**

"Ezezel is up next with a boost from Nakir!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, using a card from her hand with 10000 shield.

"Eden attacks! With her skill, I call four units! Broken Heart! Gavrail Prim! Battle Cupid, Nociel! Surgery Angel!" Amy called out. "Then the same number of cards go to the damage zone from the deck face down. That's four, so 8000 power from Broken Heart!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive then. First check, heal trigger. Power to my rear guard Gavrail and I heal one. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Once again, all effects to the rear guard Gavrail." Amy said. "Broken Heart attacks with a boost from Surgery Angel!"

 **(9000+8000+4000=21000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, using another trigger.

"Finish this Gavrail!"

 **(11000+10000+6000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Genesis Beast, Destiny Guardian!"

 **Genesis Beast, Destiny Guardian**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Amy let out a sigh of disappointment. "Turn end." she looked over at her opponent "I gotta say, you're really strong. Very impressive."

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Sophia(4), Amy(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "You know, there's something I don't understand."

"Hm? What's that? Amy asked.

"You seem like a nice person. You haven't been mean this entire fight." Sophia said. "So why are you on the same team as that jerk Allen."

"That's… difficult to explain." Amy said. "Allen… Well he's my friend."

"But why would you be friends with such a meanie?"

Amy shook her head. "It's not something you would understand. Let's continue with the fight."

Sophia couldn't understand what she meant, but decided to keep going. "Alright then! I'm gonna give it my all! Generation Zone release! Your world is shrouded in darkness, but there is still a light of hope! Reach out a grab it! Stride Generation! Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon!"

 **Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lock Broken Heart and Surgery Angel!" Sophia called out. "Next I call Charcoal behind Globuladia and Destiny Dealer behind Krypton! Using Infinite Nebula's skill, I lock your other three rear guards! Then I get to countercharge and soul charge, as well as give my Vanguard 10000 power and plus one drive!"

' _And with five rear guards locked, her Vanguard's continuous skill will add 15000 to all her rear guards.'_ Amy thought.

"Globuladia attacks!"

 **(9000+15000+7000+15000=46000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Amy(5).]**

"Attacking with Infinite Nebula, boosted by Charcoal!"

 **(26000+10000+7000+15000=58000)**

Amy let out a sigh. "No guard."

Sophia's dragon blasted Gavrail with a breath attack, hitting it and dealing the sixth damage needed to win the game.

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Amy(6).]**

"Yay!" Sophia cheered with a jump for joy. "I won!"

"It seems I lost." Amy said. She looked over at her opponent. "That was a good game Sophia. Good luck in getting to the next round."

"Mhm. The same to you." Sophia said. "Also, if you're really friends with Allen, you should tell him to stop being such a jerk. If you're friends, he'll listen to you. I know it."

After those words, Sophia was teleported away from Amy's field. The black haired teen let out a sigh. ' _If only it were that easy. Allen… he's like a completely different person now.'_

* * *

"Crush them! Go, Alexander! Attack!" Allen called out.

Allen's unit swung his sword at the opponent's Vanguard, dealing the sixth damage and finishing the game.

Allen's opponent fell to his knees. His entire body trembled with fear. "He's… so strong…"

"Pathetic. What's a weakling like you even doing here anyway?" Allen asked with a harsh laugh. "Go back to the amateur leagues where you belong, loser."

His opponent was teleported away, leaving Allen all by himself for the moment. Ever since this second round had started, he had gone undefeated. It was only natural that his team would be in first place.

' _Heh, the players here are nothing compared to the level I've reached.'_ Allen thought. He smirked as he looked at his deck. ' _With the power of Conquest Empire… I'm invincible.'_

 **Aurora: Wow, the competition here is amazing. Everytime I think I've seen it all, there's a new thing that surprises me.**

 **Anthony: Yeah, but we gotta keep pressing on! We can't afford to fall behind.**

 **Dan: Seems we're all doing well. I wonder how the other teams are doing.**

 **Aurora: We can't worry too much about them. For now, all we can do is wish them luck and do our best to make it to the next round.**

 **Next time: Purgatorial Fire**

 **Card Gallery:**

Star Vader, Infinite Zero Paradox  
Grade: 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** CB1. When this unit is placed on VC or when your G Unit with Star Vader in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a circle in your opponent's front row and back row, other than VC and lock all cards on those circles. If a circle you chose already has a locked unit, that unit cannot be unlocked during the end of your opponent's next turn.  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** SB1 When your opponent's rear guard is unlocked, you may pay the cost. If you do, lock that unit and draw a card.

* * *

Death Star Vader, Infinite Zero Nebula  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT 1/Turn:** CB1 Take a face down card in your G Zone and turn it face up. If you have a heart card with "Infinite" in its name, choose up to one of your opponent's RCs for every face up "Death Star Vader, Infinite Zero Nebula" in your G Zone and lock all card on those circles. Then, if the number of locked rear guards your opponent has is 3 or more, CC1 & SC1. Then, if the number of you opponent's locked rear guards is 4 or more, this unit gains 10000 power and +1 drive.  
 **AUTO GB3:** All of your Star Vader rear guards gain 3000 power for each of your opponent's locked units.

* * *

Twin-bladed Star Vader, Binary Star  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT VC/RC:** If there is a locked card on your opponent's field, this unit gains +1000 power and Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** SB1 When this unit boosts, if you have a Vanguard with "Star Vader" in its name and there are two or more locked cards on your opponent's field, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains +10000 power, and at the end of the battle send this card to the soul and CC1.

* * *

Ruined World Star Vader, Krypton  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT VC/RC:** If there is a locked card on your opponent's field, this unit gains +1000 power and Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1 When this unit attacks, if you have a Vanguard with "Star Vader" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and lock it. Then, this unit gains +3000 power for every one of your opponent's locked cards until the end of the battle.

* * *

Star Vader, Shadow Butterfly  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is discarded for the cost to STRIDE into a unit with "Infinite" in its name, choose up to one of your opponent's locked cards. That card cannot be unlocked during your opponent's next end phase.  
 **CONT [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this unit gets grade +2.


	28. Purgatorial Fire

**A/N: Day 4. Get ready readers, cause here it is.**

As fights went on for Day 2 of the second round, cheers from the main stadium seemed deafening. Fans watching both in the stadium and around the world on tv were seeing one exciting cardfight after another.

"Well folks, we are halfway into Day 2 of the second round and I think we can all agree things are as lively as ever!" Sachi announced. "With only four spots available to make it to the next round, teams are scrambling to earn as many points as possible. Let's take a look at the leaderboard."

The main monitor changed, showing the standings of the top ten teams currently and their point totals. Team Apocalypse still had their lead of first place. However, Team Round Table was not far behind, the two teams both showing a significant lead over the others. Team Beautiful Thorn had moved up to third place, but still only held it just barely. Fourth place was anyone's game as Teams Cosmic Trio and Southern Jungle were practically neck and neck in fifth and sixth place, both closing the gap between them and fourth place. The teams behind them weren't too far away either.

"Well as things stand, Team Apocalypse and Team Round Table will easily earn their spots in the top 4 if they keep up the amazing performance we've seen from them. But who else will make it in? Only time will tell." Sachi told the crowd. Suddenly a notification caught her attention. "Oh, and speaking of those teams, it looks like this next game should be an interesting one."

The main screen changed, showing Thomas Ainsworth standing in the virtual field. He wasn't there for long however as his next opponent soon showed up. It was a red haired teen with a brown jacket and blue shorts on.

"Heh, well isn't this a treat? I get to fight against a member of Team Round Table so early." the teen chuckled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Thomas said. "I'm Thomas Ainsworth. And you?"

"Keith Ashton." the teen replied. "Member of Team Apocalypse."

"Oh? The first place team huh?" Thomas said. "I've been curious on just how strong you are. Now's my chance to find out."

Keith smirked at his opponent. "Try not to waste my time with this fight."

"You sure seem confident. But how long will that last I wonder?" Thomas questioned.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Young Lion Liberator, Romanus!"

 **Young Lion Liberator, Romanus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier, Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll kick things off for us." Keith said. "Ride! Lizard General, Conroe!"

 **Lizard General, Conroe**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Thomas(5), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Thomas said. "I ride Easgal Liberator!"

 **Easgal Liberator**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Romanus moves back with forerunner." Thomas said. "And now with Romanus's boost, I'll have Easgal Liberator attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Thomas(0), Keith(1).]**

"That's all for me." Thomas said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Thomas(6), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "Ride! Glow Heater Dragon!"

 **Glow Heater Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"The skill of Glow Heater." Keith explained. "I reveal Dragonic Overlord "The Destiny" from my hand. Since the revealed card is an Overlord, it doesn't lose any power."

' _10000 power. That's going to make attacking tough next turn.'_ Thomas thought.

"I'm not done yet. Next I call Emperor Dragon Knight, Nehalem to rear guard." Keith said. "Nehalem attacks!"

 **(9000)**

Thomas quickly held up a card from his hand with 5000 shield. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Conroe, Glow Heater Dragon attacks!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Keith said. "Critical trigger. All effects to my Vanguard."

"Darn." Thomas said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Thomas(2), Keith(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Thomas(5), Keith(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Thomas said. "I ride Taciturn Liberator, Brennius!"

 **Taciturn Liberator, Brennius**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Oath Liberator, Aglovale." Thomas said. "With Aglovale's counterblast, I look at the top three cards of the deck." The three cards floated up from the deck and came to his sight. "Superior call, Liberator of Hope, Epona!"

Keith let out a chuckle. "I hope you've got more in store for me than that skimpy formation."

"Let's see how skimpy you think it is after this. Boosted by Epona, Aglovale attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check." Keith smirked when he saw the card that appeared. "Well would you look at that. A draw trigger. I guess I'll go ahead and give the power to my Vanguard, and then draw."

 **[Damage: Thomas(2), Keith(2).]**

' _Darn. My Vanguard's attack won't break through without a trigger now.'_ Thomas thought. "With Romanus's boost, Brennius attacks Nehalem."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Keith said with a shrug. Thomas's drive check scored him a critical trigger, but since the attack was aimed at a rear guard there was no damage dealt.

"Turn end." Thomas said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Thomas(5), Keith(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Keith said. "Please tell me that the team that's second place in the rankings can do better than this. Cause frankly, I'm bored so far."

Thomas clenched his fist. ' _This kid's got an attitude problem, just like that leader of his.'_

"Dragon of forbidden power, set this battlefield ablaze! Let fire burn until there's nothing left! Ride! Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"!"

 **Dragonic Overlord "The Destiny"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of "The Destiny". Soul blast." Keith explained. "Reitre Aglovale."

Thomas hated seeing a rear guard go. But considering his opponent was a Kagero user, he figured he'd be seeing that a lot this game.

"Activating Conroe's skill. I counterblast and retire Conroe and then add a grade 1 or lower card from my deck to my hand." Keith said as he revealed a copy of Doom Bringer High Flame and added it to his hand. "Next I call Gattling Claw Dragon. Using it's skill, I counterblast and send it to the soul. In exchange, I retire Romanus." With that, yet another rear guard on Thomas's board left the field. "Now I call Doom Bringer High Flame. And with its boost, Dragonic Overlord "The Destiny" will attack!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

Thomas hated it but he couldn't waste his hand too early. "No guard."

"Twin drive." Keith said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Overlord and I recover one."

"Damage check." Thomas said. "Draw trigger." Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Thomas(3), Keith(1).]**

"I'll call it a turn with that." Keith said. "Now come on. Try and entertain me a little at least."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Thomas(6), Keith(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Thomas said. ' _He's not on the highest ranking team for nothing. This kid's got skill. I'll need to be careful.'_

"You can burn this battlefield with your red flames all you want. But allow me to show you my flames. The flames of hope that burn within my deck." Thomas said as he held out a card from his hand. "Righteous warrior of the azure flames! Burn down all evil in your path! Cast judgement upon your enemies! Ride! Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure!"

 **Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done. Stride Generation!" Thomas called out. "Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno!"

 **Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill!" Thomas said as he paid the cost of a counterblast. "I look at the top four cards of the deck, call up to two Liberators, and put the rest on the bottom of my deck in any order." As he said this, the top four cards came up and hovered in front of him. "Calling Taciturn Liberator, Brennius and Ajargal Liberator. They both gain 3000 power." Just like that, Thomas's front row was filled up with two grade 2s at his Vanguard's side. "Brennius gains 2000 power and the ability to countercharge when its attack lands since a card was called from the deck. And with Ajargal's skill, I can counterblast and soul blast to look at the top three cards and call up to 2 Liberators to rear guard among them. Calling Liberator, Board Andalusian and Ascendant Liberator, Barbtruc. With Barbtruc's skill, I send it to the bottom of my deck to look at the top four cards and add a card with Bluish Flame in its name to my hand. Adding Bluish Flame Liberator, Prominence Core to my hand."

"Are you done?" Keith asked.

"Far from it. Since two more cards were called from the deck, Brennius's skill activates 2 more times, for a total of three. Then, since a Liberator was called from the deck, Board Andalusian gains 7000 power. In addition, Prominence Inferno has a skill of its own. Whenever a Liberator is called from the deck, 3000 power is added to the rear guards in my front row. There have been four called so far this turn, so my front row gains 12000 power."

That managed to slightly grab Keith's attention. ' _With a Gold Paladin deck, that skill could power up his front row considerably each turn. I'll have to play with that in mind.'_

"And now for the other skill of Prominence Inferno." Thomas said as he flipped over a copy of his G Unit. "I retire Epona. Then I look at the top 7 cards of the deck and call any Liberators among them to rear guard up to the number of face up cards with Liberator in their name in my G Zone, which is one right now." The top seven cards appeared and Thomas quickly found the one he wanted. "Superior call, Easgal Liberator. Since another card was called from the deck, both Brennius and Prominence Inferno activate their skills once again."

Looking at the board, Thomas had a strong formation set up. On his right column were Brennius and Board Andalusian, while his left had Ajargal and Easgal.

"Boosted by Broad Andalusian, Brennius attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+8000+15000+7000+7000=49000)**

"Sorry but I'm afraid I can't let you countercharge so easily." Keith said as he held up a sentinel. "Perfect guard!"

"Well in that case, Prominence Inferno will attack next!"

"No guard."

"Fine by me. Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! Power to Ajargal Liberator and critical to the Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Ajargal and I recover one."

"Damage check." Keith said. "No trigger for either of them."

 **[Damage: Thomas(2), Keith(3).]**

"And now Ajargal Liberator will attack with a boost from Easgal Liberator!"

 **(9000+3000+15000+10000+7000=44000)**

"Generation guard! Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffon!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Denial Griffon's skill, I counterblast and retire the attacking unit." Keith smirked.

"Turn end." Thomas said, disappointed how easily his two strongest attacks were blocked.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Thomas(9), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said as he began his turn. "I've gotta say, I was really expecting more from someone of your status. Frankly, this fight's been pretty boring so far. But hey, a job's a job."

"Job?" Thomas questioned.

"That's right." Keith said. "See I'm not on Team Apocalypse cause I'm all buddy buddy with my teammates. I'm what you'd call… a cardfighter for hire."

"So you're a mercenary cardfighter then." Thomas realized.

"Yeah, that's got a nice ring to it." Keith said with a smirk. "People hire me for all different kinds of gigs. Sometimes it's to be on a team. Other times it's to play for them in big stakes matches. End of the day, they get their glory and I get my money. Simple as that."

"So you entered this tournament _only_ because of the cash prize?" Thomas asked. "Don't you even care about the championship itself?"

"Why would I?" Keith shrugged. "The deal I have is quite simple. I help the team win, and I get all the prize money for myself. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me."

"Well I find it despicable." Thomas glared. "All kinds of cardfighters join together to come here in the hopes of them all walking away as champions. But people like you don't even care about that. You're mocking this tournament itself."

"Oh spare me the morality lecture." Keith said with a roll of his eyes. "Do you honestly believe that no one in this tournament besides me cares about that cash prize?"

"That's different. True the money is nice, but every single one of us is here first and foremost because we're cardfighters. We've dedicated a lot to Vanguard and we want to show the world our skills. People like you that think of this tournament only as an easy paycheck don't deserve to be here."

"Yeah, so? I frankly don't care what anyone else's reason for entering is. They could have their life on the line, and it wouldn't matter one bit to me. They have their reasons and I have mine. Simple as that."

"So let me ask you something. Do you even enjoy Vanguard?"

"Do I _enjoy_ it?" Keith asked. "Why would you even bother asking such a pointless question? I already told you, all Vanguard is to me is a way to make cash."

"If that's truly how you feel, then you have no right to call yourself a cardfighter." Thomas said.

"Yeah, whatever. Once I win, I'll be getting a big payload. Not to mention that my reputation will go up, making more big shots want to hire me." Keith said. "So there you go. I guess I am after glory in a sense, hahaha!"

"You'll never win." Thomas said. "Not against me, or against my teammates."

"Oh really? Let's see how that theory holds up." Keith said. "Skill of "The Destiny" I soul blast and retire Brennius! And then I use High Flame's skill! I retire it, and in exchange I can stride into an Overlord without paying the cost!"

Thomas widened his eyes. "What?!"

"Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "The Purge"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "The Purge"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire Broad Andalusian! Then I get to check the top 7 cards of my deck for a unit with Overlord in its name and add it to my hand." Keith explained. "Adding Dragonic Overlord "The End" to my hand. Next, I use the skill of "The Purge"." Keith flipped over a card in his G Zone. "I send an Overlord in my hand to the soul and deal my opponent one damage so long as they currently have four or less damage."

' _He can deal a damage without even attacking?!'_ Thomas turned the top card of the deck over. "Damage check. Critical trigger. All effects to-"

"It won't work." Keith smirked. "This damage nullifies all trigger effects. So that trigger of your is useless."

 **[Damage: Thomas(3), Keith(3).]**

"I've still got more! Calling Glow Heater Dragon, Doom Bringer High Flame, and Burning Horn Evolute!" The three rear guards quickly appeared on the field, with Burning Horn and Doom Bringer in one column and Glow Heater in the other. "With Evolute's skill, I soul blast and reveal an Overlord in my hand to retire a unit in the same column as itself. Retire Ajargal Liberator. Also, Glow Heater and Evolute both have a skill that increases their power by 2000 for every card in my opponent's damage zone."

Thomas grit his teeth. As if the power boosts weren't bad enough, he only had one rear guard left on his field. It was far from an ideal situation for him.

"Glow Heater will attack first!"

 **(10000+6000=16000)**

' _It's more important that I block his next two attacks in case of a critical.'_ Thomas thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Thomas(4), Keith(3).]**

"Overlord "The Purge" is up next!" Keith said. "And with his Generation Break 3, his drive check is equal to however many cards in my opponent's damage zone! So with four damage, I get four drive checks!"

"Well then I'll just have to stop this attack! Perfect guard!" Thomas called out.

"Fine with me! Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Burning Horn Evolute. Third check, no trigger. Final check, draw trigger. Power to Burning Horn Evolute and I draw." Keith said, grinning at having pulled two triggers. "Boosted by High Flame, Evolute attacks!"

 **(9000+8000+10000+7000=34000)**

"Generation guard!" Thomas shouted. "True Liberator of Healing, Ellise!"

 **True Liberator of Healing, Ellise**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Ellise's skill, I counterblast and flip a G Guardian face up. Then I get to look at the top two cards of the deck and call one of them to the guardian circle." Thomas explained. "Physical Force Liberator, Zorron! I also guard with the Epona in my hand! And since that successfully guards the attack, the Zorron I called with Ellise's skill moves to the rear guard." the grade 1 unit went to Thomas's field, sitting on the back row of his left column.

"Turn end." Keith said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Thomas(5), Keith(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Thomas said. "At the beginning of my ride phase, with Percival Azure's skill, I can put one of my rear guards on the bottom of my deck and call a Liberator among the top two cards of the deck. I send Guinevere to the bottom of the deck." Thomas looked at the top two cards and found what he was looking for. "Calling Taciturn Liberator, Brennius!"

Keith sighed. "Call as many units as you like. It won't change anything."

' _I can't lose to a fighter like this. My pride as an Ainsworth and as a cardfighter won't allow it!'_ Thomas thought to himself/

"Generation Zone, release!" Thomas declared. "Flames of hope that span across centuries, gather here and lend me the power of your undying light! Stride Generation! Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno!"

 **Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I won't be using the stride skill." Thomas said. "However, I will use Prominence Inferno's skill. I retire Easgal Liberator and check the top 7 cards. Since I have five cards face up this time, I can call up to five units among them." Taking a look at the seven cards he had access to, Thomas found four units to call out and fill up his board. "Call! Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure! Liberator, Board Andalusian! Liberator, Improve Falcon! Bluish Flame Liberator, Prominence Core! That's four units so both Brennius and Prominence Inferno have their skills activate four times, while Andalusian gains 7000! Also, since I called at least 2 units, you can't guard my Vanguard's attack with a grade 1 or higher card from your hand!"

With Thomas's field, he had Percival in front of Improve Falcon and Andalusian behind his Vanguard. In his remaining column, the grade 3 Prominence Core was behind his Brennius.

"I bet you're wondering why I called a grade 3 to the back row, aren't you?" Thomas asked. "It was to do this! Prominence Inferno's Generation Break 3! Since I have four or more rear guards, I can retire a rear guard Liberator to gain a critical. And if that rear guard has Bluish Flame in its name, Prominence Inferno gains 10000 power. So I'll retire Prominence Core to give 10000 power and a critical to my Vanguard! And finally I'll call Guinevere behind Brennius."

' _He's planning to end it this turn.'_ Keith realized. ' _Let's see if he can actually pull it off though.'_

"Percival attacks with a boost from Improve Falcon!"

 **(11000+12000+6000=29000)**

' _And with that, this game is mine.'_ Keith thought with a smirk. He held up a card from his hand. "I guard with Dragonic Overlord "The Destiny"."

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "But that's a grade 3. It doesn't have any shield so what's the point?"

"You'll see." Keith said. "Now then, I wasn't able to successfully guard your atack so I'll take a damage. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Thomas(4), Keith(4).]**

' _What's he planning?'_ Thomas wondered. "Prominence Inferno attacks your Vanguard with a boost from Andalusian!"

 **(26000+10000+7000+7000=50000)**

"Generation guard!" Keith called out. "Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Defeat Flare Dragon!

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Defeat Flare Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Defeat Flare Dragon! I counterblast and send two Overlords from my drop zone to the deck, and retire all rear guards in my opponent's back row!"

"What?!" Thomas gasped. He watched as all three of his units in the back row were sent from the field to the drop zone.

"And with the loss of your back row, your Vanguard loses its 14000 booster, lowering its power to 36000." Keith added. He then used up two critical triggers from his hand, and moved his rear guard Burning Horn Evolute to the guardian circle. "I also guard and intercept with these."

' _I'll need three triggers to pass at this rate.'_ Thomas calculated. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Brennius. Third check, no trigger."

"Too bad. You really could have used some more power after losing your back row." Keith said with a chuckle.

"Brennius attacks!"

 **(9000+12000+8000+10000=39000)**

"Perfect guard."

"Ngh… Turn end." Thomas said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Thomas(6), Keith(5).]**

"I suppose it's time I end this then." Keith said. "Skill of "The Destiny". Retire Brennius." He smirked at seeing the grade 2 disappear in flames. "Generation Zone release! The flames of the apocalypse are eternal! Watch as they bathe every era in an eternal sea of fire! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "The Purge"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "The Purge"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire your rear guard Percival and then check the top seven cards of the deck for an Overlord." Keith said. "Adding "The X" to my hand. Then I call Emperor Dragon Knight, Nehalem, as well as a pair of Lizard General, Conroe units." Nehalem filled up his empty front row circle, while the two Conroe units were put in the back row behind his two front row rear guards. "Finally, I use the skill of "The Purge". I send "The X" to the soul and deal you a damage."

 **[Damage: Thomas(5), Keith(4).]**

"Now then, let's get this over with. Glow Heater attacks with a boost from Conroe."

 **(10000+10000+7000=27000)**

"Guard!" Thomas said, quickly holding up two critical triggers.

"Dragonic Overlord "The Purge" is coming in next." Keith said. "When it attacks, Nehalem gains 5000 power."

Thomas responded by throwing out a sentinel. "Perfect guard!"

"As I'm sure you remember, "The Purge" has a skill that makes my drive checks the same as your damage. So this time I get five." Keith said. "Quintuple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Nehalem. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, critical trigger. All effects to Nehalem. Final check, heal trigger. I don't heal but I'll give the power to Nehalem once again."

Thomas looked at his hand. ' _I don't… I don't have enough to stop this one.'_

"Nehalem attacks with a boost from Conroe!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+15000+7000=38000)**

Thomas held his head low. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Thomas(6), Keith(4).]**

"Heh. What was that you said before again? That I'd never win against you or your teammates? Well I've already proven that you can't beat me. As for your teammates, I can only hope they put up a better fight than you did." Keith said as he watched Thomas get teleported away. "In the end though, it won't matter. I'll make sure I win and get that cash."

* * *

"Crush them, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!" Elizabeth called out.

The black dragon swung its blade down on the opponent's Vanguard. With it, the sixth card fell into her opponent's damage zone.

"No way… She's so strong…" her opponent said as he was teleported away.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she was once again left alone. "Maybe next time you'll take a cardfight seriously instead of trying to flirt with me."

Never being one to lose easily, Elizabeth had been on a rampage in the second round. She was proving her right to fight in the World Tournament. And the unfortunate players she had as her opponents were all left utterly defeated at the end.

"Let's hope my next opponent is actually able to give me a challenge." Elizabeth said with a sigh.

Before long, Elizabeth's next opponent had been decided. The player began to manifest on the same field as the Scarlet teen. She widened her eyes when she recognized who it was.

"Well, well. Who would have thought we'd fight here like this?" Rose said with a grin.

"Rose." Elizabeth muttered. A grin came to her own lips. "This is perfect actually. I was afraid William might steal away my chance at revenge against you for the last Euro League."

"Can't let William have all the fun, now can we?" Rose asked. "Let's do this, Elizabeth. Show me how much you've improved since our last fight."

 **Elizabeth: You may have beaten me in the past, but this time will be different.**

 **Rose: Oh Elizabeth, you're always so full of passion. It really makes fighting you exciting.**

 **Elizabeth: Let's see if you're still so cheerful after I wipe the floor with you.**

 **Rose: This should be a treat. Show me what you can do.**

 **Next time: Cardfight Catfight**

 **Card Gallery:**

Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1. When your G Unit with "Bluish Flame" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top 4 cards of your deck, search for up to 2 cards with Liberator in their names and call them to separate RC, add 3000 power to them, and put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order.  
 **AUTO VC:** At the beginning of your ride phase, you may choose up to one RC with a card on it and put it on the bottom of your deck. If you put one or more cards on the bottom of your deck, look at the top 2 cards of your deck, choose up to one card among them and call it to a RC. Then shuffle your deck.

* * *

Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT 1/Turn:** Take a face down card with the same name as this unit from your G Zone and turn it face up, and choose one of your rear guards and retire it. If you have a heart card with "Liberator" in its name, look at the top 7 cards of your deck, choose cards up to the number of face up cards in your G zone with "Liberator" in their name and call those cards to separate RC. If you called 2 or more, this unit gains **(CONT: When this unit attacks, your opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater cards from their hand to GC)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO VC:** When a unit with "Liberator" in its name is called to RC from the deck, your front row rear guards gain 3000 power.  
 **ACT GB3 1/Turn:** CB1 and choose one of your rear guards with "Liberator" in its name and retire it. If you have 4 or more rear guards with Liberator in their name, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains +1 critical. If the card you retired had "Bluish Flame" in its name, this unit gains 10000 power.


	29. Cardfight Catfight

**A/N: Finally we've reached Day 5 of the 5 day special. Hope you've enjoyed the frequent chapters all week. Time for the final one for the week.**

" _And here we are at the final match of the Vanguard Euro League!" the announcer called out to the crowd in the large stadium in London. "I hope you're ready cause this match is sure to be an exciting one! William Lewis versus Rose Orchards!"_

 _As the deafening roar of the crowd echoed throughout the stadium, Elizabeth watched by the shadows. How badly she had wanted that to be her down there. But in the end, it wasn't meant to be this time. She had lost both to William and Rose during the current Euro League season. Even if she had made the finals somehow, she knew deep down that she wouldn't have won in the end._

 _Not winning the Euro League was bad enough for her as a cardfighter. But it hadn't done much to help with her standing in the Scarlet family either. She had always been an outsider in the eyes of most of them. She worked hard all her life to try and make them proud of her. Especially with Vanguard, she always pushed herself to get better. But in the end, if it wasn't victory then it was worthless. And that was made brutally clear to her whenever she failed to win the League._

' _They're both so strong.' Elizabeth thought to herself. 'How? How can I be as strong as them?'_

 _Time passed as the fight went on. Before long, a winner was decided as the crowd cheered with excitement._

" _And there you have it! The winner of the Vanguard Euro League is William Lewis of England!"_

 _William took a bow as fans cheered his name. It was his first time winning the Euro League, but he had always managed to get high standings in it._

 _As the awards ceremony occured, Elizabeth walked away. A fierce desire burned within her._

' _I won't lose. Not to William. Not to Rose. Not to anyone.'_

* * *

"So Elizabeth, I see you're as fierce as ever." Rose said. "Dear William couldn't have earned all the points that have your team in second place by himself."

"Like I told you before, I'm not the same as I was last time we faced off." Elizabeth said. "And I'll prove it to you in this cardfight."

Both players set drew their starting hands. Rose showed a smirk on her face. "I'm curious to see this secret weapon you mentioned before. Let's see what it is."

Together, the two girls started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Pedigree Knight, Tigresse!"

 **Pedigree Knight, Tigresse**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"Calluna Musketeer, Elma!"

 **Calluna Musketeer, Elma**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first. Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "I ride Blue Espada Dragon!"

 **Blue Espada Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Tigresse moves back with forerunner." Elizabeth explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Rose(5).]**

"It's my turn then." Rose said. "I ride Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne."

 **Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Elma moves back with forerunner." Rose said. "Now I'll attack with Daphne, boosted by Elma."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Rose said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), Rose(0).]**

"That's my turn." Rose said. "Your turn, Elizabeth."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Rose(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "I ride Morion Spear Dragon!"

 **Morion Spear Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Darkpride Dragon." Elizabeth said, calling the grade 2 unit out. "Darkpride attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Rose said, holding up a grade 1.

"Boosted by Tigresse, Morion Spear attacks!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. Rose said. "No triggers here."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), Rose(2).]**

"Turn end. Over to you." Elizabeth told her.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Rose(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Well Elizabeth dear, I can't go letting you get too far ahead of me. I ride Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila!"

 **Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Tessa and Rebecca." Rose said, calling Tessa to her front row and Rebecca to the back row of her other column. "Rebecca's skill. I counterblast and look at the top four cards of the deck. Superior call, Budding Musketeer, Amelia. I'll have her and Rebecca switch places. In addition, Tessa's skill will increase her own power by 2000 since a Musketeer was called from the deck."

' _She never was one to wait for the attack.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _Then again, so am I.'_

"Tessa will attack!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard!" Elizabeth said, holding up a card with 5000 shield.

"Boosted by Elma, Favila swings in!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Rose(2).]**

"Rebecca attacks next, boosted by Amelia!"

 **(7000+7000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Rose(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Elizabeth(4), Rose(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. ' _I'm lucky she didn't pull a critical or a stand there. I could have been in trouble if she did. I need to get this game back in my favor.'_

"Dark dragon that stands at the pinnacle of strength! Annihilate all who dare make light of your power! Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Activating the skill of Tigresse." Elizabeth said as she retired the grade 0 unit. "Look at the top seven cards of the deck. Adding Claret Sword Dragon Revolt to my hand. Then since my Vanguard has Claret Sword Dragon in its name, I draw a card. Then I call Knight of Brawn, Grosne."

With the grade 2 appearing on the field, Elizabeth now had a full formation in her front row. She neglected to call anything else out however. ' _With her Musketeer deck, she'll unleash a barrage of attacks next turn onwards. I have to conserve my hand.'_

"Grosne attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Sylvia will block that one!" Rose said, showing the grade 2 in her hand.

"Claret Sword is up next!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Elizabeth said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Darkpride and critical to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Rose said. "First check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I stand Tessa. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Rose(4).]**

"Darkpride attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Rose(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "You never change Elizabeth. You're still as fierce as ever in your cardfights. You really should learn to tone it down a bit though. How are you ever going to find a man in your life with that attitude?"

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth glared.

"Oops, did I hit a sore spot? My apologies." Rose giggled. "Now then, we'd best continue the cardfight." She took a card from her hand and held it out. "Warrior as graceful as a flower, let your beautiful slashes mesmerize those that look upon you. Ride! Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta!"

 **Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now for the next part! Stride Generation! Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Elizabeth smirked. "Virginal Cecilia huh? A fitting unit for you, with the name Virginal after all. I can think of another word like it that describes you, despite your comments about me having boy troubles."

Rose found it hard to keep up her grin after hearing that. Anyone looking closely could tell that the French girl had no intentions of letting that comment slide. "Oh is that so? Well then, maybe it's time I show you how ferocious I can be."

"Bring it on."

"With pleasure! Stride skill! I look at the top four cards of the deck and call Mia Reeta behind Tessa! With Amelia's skill, I look at the top four cards of the deck and add one of them to my hand, and then Tessa's skill will give herself 2000 power!" Rose called out. "Virginal Cecilia's skill! I retire Amelia, Mia Reeta, and Rebecca! Then I look at the top seven cards and call Musketeers up to the number that I retired! Calling Amelia, Favila, and May Len!"

With Rose's formation, she had May Len behind Tessa, as well as Favila and Amelia in her other side column, as well as her Elma behind Cecilia.

"The units I called gain 3000 power since I have one Musketeer face up in the G Zone. then, Tessa's skill will give them each 4000 while amping herself up by another 6000. And with Favila's skill, I'll give herself and Tessa and extra 6000 power and Resist. Lastly, Amelia's skill will let me add one of the top four cards to my hand." Rose explained. "And now I'll kick things off with an attack from Favila, boosted by Amelia!"

 **(9000+6000+4000+3000+7000+4000+3000=36000)**

"No guard." Rose said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), Rose(4).]**

"Now it's time for Cecilia to attack!" Rose said. "With Elma's skill, I send her to the bottom of the deck and check the top four cards for a Musketeer to call! I choose Tessa! She gains 4000 power, and then my other Tessa's skill will activate once again to give the other Tessa 4000 and herself 2000!"

' _Well that's just great.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _But right now, I need to deal with the Vanguard attack.'_

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Giving the power to the Tessa on the left and I heal. Third check, stand trigger. Power to the Tessa on the left again, and I stand Amelia! Boosted by Amelia, Tessa attacks!"

 **(9000+4000+4000+7000+4000+3000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Plotmaker's Ritual 3, 10000 is added to the shield." Elizabeth explained.

"Not bad. But let's see what my other Tessa has to say, along with May Len's boost!"

 **(9000+10000+10000+5000+4000+3000=41000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), Rose(3).]**

"Turn end." Rose said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Elizabeth(3), Rose(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Let's go! Stride Generation! Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed!"

 **Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire Darkpride Dragon and call Black-winged Swordbreaker from the deck! Then she gains the skill to be treated as two units when retiring for the cost of one of my skills!" Elizabeth explained. "Then I use Swordbreaker's soul blast to draw a card. After that, I can use Darkpride's skill since it was retired. I search my deck for Darkquartz Dragon and call it to rear guard, then countercharge. Darkquartz's skill gives itself and my Vanguard 3000 power! Also, Grosne's skill adds 3000 to himself every time a grade 1 or less card is called out, so that's 6000 so far."

' _She's steadily building up that formation of hers.'_ Rose thought.

"I call another Darkpride Dragon." Elizabeth said. "And now I use Aurageyser Doomed's skill. I retire Darkpride and Black-winged Swordbreaker. Then I reveal the top two cards of the deck and for each grade 1 or less among them I can retire an opponent's rear guard. Then I can add the revealed cards to my hand." Elizabeth took a look at the first card. "Morion Spear Dragon. While in the deck, it's considered a grade 1. So I'll go ahead and retire the Tessa on the left." Next was the second card. "Would you look at that. Taboo Mage, Cafar. A grade 0. I guess it's time for your other Tessa to bite the dust as well."

"Tch." Rose watched as her two grade 2 units were retired right before her eyes. It was going to be a tough fight without Tessa's skill.

"Let's not forget that Darkpride was retired. So like the last one, his skill will allow me to call out Darkquartz, which in turn allows me to give it and my Vanguard 3000 power, not to mention the countercharge. In addition Grosne goes up by another 3000. Then I call Morion Spear to rear guard."

Elizabeth's formation gave her four rear guards. Morion Spear and Grosne took up her front row spots, with a Darkquartz behind each of them.

"Here we go! Grosne attacks with a boost from Darkquartz!"

 **(9000+9000+7000+3000=28000)**

"Generation guard!" Rose called out. "Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Antero's soul blast, I add 5000 to the shield."

"Well let's see how you like Aurageyser Doomed's attack!"

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"No guard." Rose said. ' _She'll need two critical triggers to get me to six damage. It's a gamble, but I don't have much choice.'_

"Triple drive." Elizabeth declared. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Morion Spear and critical to the Vanguard. Third check…" Both Rose and Elizabeth waited with bated breath on what the card would be. "No trigger."

Rose let out a sigh of relief. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), Rose(5).]**

"Morion Spear is up next! With his skill, he gains 5000 power when boosted by a grade 1!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000=24000)**

Rose quickly held up a trigger from her hand with 10000 shield. "Guard!"

"That's all for my turn." Elizabeth said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(7), Rose(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "You know Elizabeth, comments like the ones you just made aren't very well suited for the Scarlet family, are they?"

"A Scarlet fights back when their pride is attacked." Elizabeth told her. "Besides, aren't you the one who loves to tease and play mind games with people."

A small giggle escaped Rose's lips. ' _Well played Elizabeth. But don't think for a second I plan on letting you walk away victorious.'_

"Generation Zone release! Flower of pure beauty! Now is the time to sprout up and bloom into a new future! Stride Generation! Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I look at the top four cards of the deck and call Sylvia! Then I use Amelia's skill to look at the top four cards and add one to my hand! Then with Sylvia's skill, I call the top card of my deck if it happens to be a Musketeer! Calling Alain, and with his skill I countercharge! Lastly, I call Rozeeta from my hand!"

' _Five rear guards.'_ Elizabeth noticed. ' _Which means her next move will probably be…'_

"Skill of Virginal Cecilia!" Elizabeth called out. "I retire all my Musketeer rear guards! Then I look at the top 7 cards of the deck and call Musketeers up to the number of cards retired!" Looking at the seven cards available to her, a grin came to Rose's lips. "Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila! White Clove Musketeer, Mia Reeta! Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca! Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne! Artemisia Musketeer, Kiara! Call!"

The five units appeared simultaneously, with Favila and Rebecca in one column, Mia Reeta and Daphne in the other side column, and Kiara behind her Vanguard. "There are 4 face up Musketeers in my G zone so 12000 is added to each of them! Then, with Favila's skill, I give her and Mia Reeta 6000 power and Resist."

"That's a pretty decent formation, considering it was in shambles when your turn started." Elizabeth said. "Let's see if it's enough to finish me."

"Get ready to feel the sharpness of a rose's thorns, Elizabeth dear!" Rose said. "I attack with Favila, boosted by Rebecca!"

 **(9000+6000+12000+7000+12000=46000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Rose(5).]**

"Boosted by Kiara, Cecilia attacks!"

 **(26000+6000+12000=42000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"It's ritual adds 10000 to the shield! Then I intercept with Morion Spear and Grosne, and guard with Alain from my hand!"

' _A 45000 shield. Meaning I'll need three triggers for this to hit.'_ Rose calculated. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Mia Reeta. Third check, no trigger." Rose swung in with her final attack of the turn. "Boosted by Daphne, Mia Reeta attacks!"

 **(11000+12000+6000+5000+7000+12000=53000)**

"Perfect guard!"

A sigh escaped Rose. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Elizabeth(3), Rose(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Time to end this, Rose. You wanted to see my secret weapon, and now you'll get your wish."

' _Here it comes.'_ Rose thought as she readied herself.

"Generation Zone release!" Elizabeth called out. "Despair, as only pain and suffering awaits those who lack true strength! Be bathed in the flames of hell itself! Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Using my stride skill, I retire my Darkquartz Dragon behind Morion Spear for a brand new one with this one being able to count as two units when retiring for one of my skills. And with it's skill I give 3000 power to itself and the vanguard!" Elizabeth smirked dangerously as for what was to come next. "Now the skill of Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!" She counterblasted a card and flipped a copy of itself while retiring the Darkquartz Dragon that had been called on her last turn. "I retire one of my own units to retire two of your own! I retire Artemisia Musketeer, Kiara and Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca!"

' _She didn't aim for my intercepter. What is she planning?'_ Rose thought while retiring her backrow units.

The Scarlet heir's smile only grew wider. "Since the units I retired were grade 1 or less, my vanguard gains 5000 for each of them!"

With a whole 10000 power being added to the vanguard, Rose felt a bit of pressure being forced down on her.

"I call Blue Espada Dragon and Grosne to one column, and Night Sky Eagle behind my vanguard over Black-winged Swordbreaker. Gronse gains an additional 6000 power from two grade 1s being called, while Night Sky gains 4000 from being placed. Lastly I call Morion Spear Dragon in front of the Darkquartz I called! Morion Spear, attack the vanguard! Morion gains 5000 power when being boosted by a grade 1 unit!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000=24000)**

"I guard and intercept with Favila!" Throwing down a critical trigger along with her intercept, Rose blocked the attack.

But the eager smile never left Elizabeth's face for a moment. "Now for your reckoning! With a boost from Night Sky Eagal, Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon attacks the vanguard! Generation break 3! When my vanguard attacks, I can retire three of my units to prevent you from calling grade 1 or greater units from your hand or field to the guardian circle! I retire the Darkquartz Dragon that counts as two retires, and Blue Espada Dragon for a total of three units!"

"What!?"

"And that's not all! If I retire two or more grade 1 units, then I also gain an additional 10000 power and a critical! Crush her now Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **(26000+10000+7000+4000+10000=57000)**

" _I don't have enough to guard this. No grade 1s means no perfect guards to nullify the attack.'_ Rose hung her head a bit low as she shook her head. "No guard…"

"Triple drive check! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Final check, critical trigger!" Truly going in for the overkill, Elizabeth tapped her vanguard. "All effects to the vanguard!"

"Damage check… No trigger."

And just like that, the game was over.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Rose(6).]**

Rose let out a sigh. "Seems I lose." She looked over at her opponent. "So that card was your secret weapon? I must say, that was very impressive."

Elizabeth smirked. "What can I say? A Scarlet always aims to be the best. You fought well too, Rose."

"Don't think this is over yet. My team and I still plan to make it to the next round. We'll get you back for this when we face off later."

"Looking forward to it." Elizabeth said as Rose teleported away. A satisfied smile was on her face. ' _I'm one step closer to it. Best in the world.'_ She looked up at the virtual sky. ' _When this is over, I'm going to challenge you William. My longtime rival. And I'll be sure to win against you too.'_

* * *

"Well fighters, we've finally reached the end of Day 2!" Sachi announced. "The standings went back and forth all over today, but at the end of the day here are the current standings!"

Teams all gathered together on the field as they watched the standings. Very few seemed to care about the teams in the lower rankings, except for the members of those teams who were currently sulking. Finally, the leaderboard reached the top ten. To no one's surprise, Team Apocalypse still held its position of first place while Team Round Table continued to keep second. But the standings for third and fourth place were different from yesterday.

Team Beautiful Thorn was in third place. And Team Cosmic Trio was in fourth.

"Take a look at that!" Aurora exclaimed. "We're in the top 4!"

Anthony blinked his eyes in surprise. "We really have a shot at this. We could actually pull this off."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We still need to stay in the top 4 by the end of tomorrow." Dan reminded them. "Although… it is a bit hard not to want to celebrate."

"Don't get too excited, Aurora." Sarah said as she looked over at the leader of Team Cosmic Trio. "We haven't given up either. By the end of Day 3, we'll be in the top 4 for sure."

"Bring it on." Aurora grinned.

"Yay! This is gonna be so exciting!" Sophia cheered. "We're gonna work extra hard tomorrow and get in the top 4 for sure!"

It was hard not to get caught up in the little girl's enthusiasm. Aurora and the others all shared a laugh, as they each wished each other luck in the next day. In the distance however, one player was eyeing the happy group. Allen kept his eyes narrow as he stared at them.

' _The players here have been so weak so far. It's made this boring.'_ Allen thought to himself. ' _It's time I do something to make things a little more fun.'_ A smirk came to him as he looked at one player in particular. Marcus Cersy. ' _And I know just how to do it.'_

 **Aurora: Phew, going through all these cardfights has been exhausting. We'll need to rest up for the final day of the second round tomorrow.**

 **Rose: You've all done very well so far. But we don't plan on losing.**

 **Sophia: Bring it on! I'm gonna go full power with my cardfights! It's gonna be super duper fun!**

 **Sarah: Don't forget about us. We're in this tournament to win. Right Marcus?**

 **Marcus: Yeah. By the way, has anyone seen Emma?**

 **Aurora: Wait, is that her fighting Allen?! What's going on?!**

 **Next time: Emma's Spirit**

 **Card Gallery:**

Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon  
Stride  
Power 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** Take a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up & choose one of your rearguards and retire it. When this unit is placed on the VC, if you have a heart with "Claret Sword Dragon" in its name you may pay the cost. If you do, choose two of your opponents rearguards and retire them. If the units chosen were grade 1 or below, this unit gains +5000 for each one retired.  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** Choose three of your rearguards and retire them. When this unit attacks, if you have a heart with "Claret Sword Dragon" in its name you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater units to the GC from the hand or field. If two of the units you retired were grade 1, this unit gains +10000 power/+1 Critical until the end of the battle.


	30. Emma's Spirit

**A/N: Hey readers. Hope you're ready for a new fight featuring Conquest Empire. Enjoy**

 **Also after going over things from looking at some suggestions, Deviljho's Hatred and I have a few additions/changes to make regarding Conquest Empire's "Conquer" skill.**

 **The first is an addition to the explanation. If you have Conquered an opponent's rear guard and they have a rear guard in the back row of the Conquered circle's column, it can be attacked by your rear guards on your opponent's field, but not the one's on your field.**

 **The second is a change to "Conquer" itself. Instead of having it that rear guards can only Conquer if they have the Conquer skill and the Vanguard is a higher grade, we have decided to change it to avoid putting Conquer on a million different units. From now on, if the Vanguard has the Conquer skill, then ANY rear guard is capable of Conquering, so long as it is a lower grade than the Vanguard. All other rules still apply however, such as the rule that you must have a higher power than any opponent rear guards on the circle you are Conquering in order to successfully Conquer. With that in mind, a large amount of the revealed cards for Conquest Empire will be getting erated to lose the Conquer skill. Out of the already revealed cards, only General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander and Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius will be keeping the Conquer skill.**

 **If you are confused by any of this, please contact either me or Deviljho's Hatred via PM and we will try to clear up your confusion.**

 **Now then, with all that out of the way, please enjoy the chapter.**

Marcus laid on the bed in his room as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. The past two days had been taxing on him. The Vanguard World Tournament was no cake walk, that much was for sure. At the end of Day 2, he and Team Sightless Vision were in sixth place, and not far behind fifth and fourth. If they pushed on and did well in Day 3, they could very well make it to the top 4.

The bathroom door opened as Marcus's sister Emma walked out. "Ah, that was a nice shower."

"I'd assume so. You were in there for nearly half an hour." Marcus said with a chuckle.

"What can I say? Fancy hotels like this have the best stuff." Emma said.

"Yeah. I guess it is a lot different from home." Marcus agreed.

Emma walked over and took a seat on her bed. "I watched your games today. You were on fire."

"Thanks sis." Marcus said. "But it's not good enough if I we're gonna make it to the next round. I need to up my game for tomorrow."

Emma nodded her head understandingly. "I know you can do it Marcus. I believe in you, just like I believe in Sarah and Daiki."

Marcus nodded his head. "I won't let us down. We're going to win. For Kimiko." He sat up on his bed. "I'm gonna head downstairs and grab some dinner. You want anything, Emma?"

Emma shook her head. "No thanks. I ate with Sarah and a few of the other teams earlier."

"Alright then. I'll be back in a bit." the black haired teen said as he walked out of the room.

After her brother left, Emma laid down and turned on the television. The shows she found in Italy were a lot different than Japan's, but she still managed to entertain herself somewhat. She reached into her pocket and brought out her cards, taking a look at her deck.

' _Ever since that day, Kimiko's been unable to play Vanguard.'_ Emma thought to herself. ' _And that's not even the worst of it.'_

She still remembered it. How Kimiko would get teased and bullied by some of the kids that went to the school they both attended. They called her all sorts of names, and picked on her for being blind. Of course it was only a small percentage of the school, but she still imagined it hurt.

' _Just have faith Kimiko. Marcus and the others will win, I know it.'_ Emma silently thought.

Suddenly a knock was heard at the door. Emma got up off her bed and walked over to the door. "What's the matter Marcus? You forget your room key?" When no answer came, Emma took a look through the door. No one was there.

Curious as to who had knocked, Emma opened the door. She looked around, but there was no one in sight. However, there was a note on the floor right in front of the room.

"What's this?" Emma wondered as she kneeled down and picked it up. She unfolded the paper and read the note.

 _Marcus Cersy_

 _I challenge you to a cardfight. Meet me at the rooftop at 8pm. There, you will learn just how weak you truly are. Come alone, if you have the courage._

 _Don't be late._

There was nothing at the end saying who the sender was. Emma couldn't believe the nerve of this person, calling her brother out like this. As if he didn't have enough on his mind to deal with. This was probably some member of one of the lower ranked teams, trying to act tough even though they really didn't stand a chance.

' _Marcus doesn't have time to be dealing with junk like this. Neither does Sarah or Daiki.'_ Emma thought. She looked at the clock. It was 7:45 right now. Fifteen minutes until the time the letter mentioned. The young girl walked back over to her bed and grabbed her deck, knowing what she had to do.

* * *

It was rather dark when Emma arrived at the roof. There were lights on at least so she could still see.

Looking around, Emma didn't see anyone else on the roof. She assumed that it was them running late, an even bolder move considering they had so rudely challenged Marcus. Emma walked over to the edge of the roof and took a look out at the city.

It was truly beautiful. Lights shined around the city streets and buildings, decorating the city of Rome. The air was refreshing too, a clean feel to it. Everything felt so peaceful.

"Who are you, kid?"

The sudden voice startled Emma as she gasped and turned towards the door she had come out from. A lone figure was sitting on top of the structure above the door. They were wearing a hood so it was tough to make them out in the darkness of night.

"Are you the one who sent that note to Marcus?" Emma asked as her body tensed up.

"What of it?" the person asked. "What, does Cersy need to send some little girl to fight his battles for him?"

Emma glared at them. She was not going to take any insults to her brother's character. "My brother doesn't need to waste his time with you! I'm more than enough to deal with you!"

"Oh? His little sister, eh?" The teen leaped off from his spot, landing on the main part of the roof. "Well I was hoping to crush his spirits by beating him here. But I guess I'll get the same result if I destroy you instead."

"Just who are you?" Emma asked.

"Oh right, how rude of me." the stranger said as he removed his hood. Emma widened her eyes as she recognized the person. "I believe you'd know me as the leader of Team Apocalypse."

"Allen Demacio…" Emma gasped. She quickly shook off her shocked expression. "What do you want with Marcus?"

"I'm just trying to relieve the boredom I've been feeling and have a little fun." Allen smirked. "And crushing you sounds like a good place to start."

Emma held out her deck. She was going up against one of the front runners of the tournament. This was not going to be easy. But she couldn't back down now. "Bring it on."

Allen chuckled as he snapped his fingers. All of a sudden, the scenery around them began to change. Emma watched in amazement as she saw everything around her become distorted. Soon, she and Allen found themselves standing at the gates of a castle. It all seemed so lifelike, as if they were actually there.

"What's going on?! Where are we?!" Emma gasped.

"I simply thought a little change of scenery was an order." Allen said. Two thin sheets of light appeared, one in front of each of them. "Now then, shall we begin?"

Emma didn't really understand what was going on, but she knew this was no longer a fight that she could walk away from. She placed her deck down as she and Allen both drew their opening hands.

' _He may be strong, but I've been watching how he fights in the tournament to try and let Marcus and the others know about his deck and playstyle.'_ Emma thought. ' _I can do this. I just have to play smart.'_

Simultaneously, both Emma and Allen started the game as they flipped over their starting Vanguards. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Dimensional Robo, Goyusha!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Goyusha**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Emma widened her eyes as she saw both units appear on the field. Allen's Riley stood right by him, while Goyusha stood at her side. "The units… They're actually…"

"Nice touch, isn't it?" Allen smirked. "The units we call appear on this field. And that's not the only treat of fighting here."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"You'll see soon enough."

Something about the way Allen was talking unsettled her. But she couldn't worry about that right now. "I'll start. I ride Dimensional Robo, Daimariner!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Daimariner**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Goyusha moves back with forerunner." Emma explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Emma(5), Allen(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Allen said. "I ride Imperial Knight, Lucas."

 **Imperial Knight, Lucas**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Riley moves back with forerunner." Allen explained. "And now with Riley's boost, Lucas attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

A grin came to Allen's face as he heard that. "Drive check, no trigger."

Lucas leaped across the battlefield and slashed at Daimariner. A card automatically went from the top of her deck into the damage zone. What came as a surprise to Emma was the sudden pain she felt as her the card landed in there.. "Ugh… What…. What's going on?"

 **[Damage: Emma(1), Allen(0).]**

"It's that special thing I mentioned." Allen said. "Whenever one of our Vanguards take damage, we feel that pain ourselves. And it gets stronger with each point of damage."

"That's insane… Why would you do this?"

"Why? Because it's fun, that's why!" Allen said with a laugh. "There's nothing I love more than watching losers writhe in agony as all hope drains from their face!"

' _This guy… How could he take pleasure from bringing suffering to other people?'_ Emma thought as she glared at him.

"Well? It's your turn now." Allen said. "Show me what you've got little girl."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Emma(5), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Emma said, still a bit wobbly from the pain earlier. "Here we go! I ride Dimensional Robo, Daiball!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Daiball**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I choose not to reveal a grade 3 Dimensional Robo cart from my hand, meaning Daiball loses 5000 power." Emma said.

Allen let out a laugh. "Wow, that must have been the only grade 2 in your hand then. Talk about bad luck."

Emma showed a grin. "Are you sure?"

"Huh?"

"Get ready! Here's my special move! I call 3 units from my hand! Dimensional Robo Equip, Daisword! Dimensional Robo Equip, Daiknuckle! Dimensional Robo Equip, Daibarrier!"

Allen showed an unamused expression. "Two grade 0 triggers and a sentinel? That's your big move?"

"No. This is!" Emma said. "I activate Goyusha's skill! I send all four of my Dimensional Robo rear guards to the soul! Then I get to ride a grade 3 from my deck!"

Allen raised a brow slightly, seeing the girl's goal. "Oh?"

Emma moved all four units to the soul before grabbing the card she wanted from her deck and holding it out. "When darkness falls upon this world, it's up to you to rise up and save our dreams! Superior ride! Glorious Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha!"

 **Glorious Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Emma's Vanguard appeared on the field with its gigantic presence. It towered over her, standing as the girl's guardian protector.

"So you managed to ride a grade 3 while I'm stuck at grade 1. Interesting." Allen said. "I'm mildly impressed."

' _This is for you Kimi.'_ Emma silently thought. ' _I'm gonna be a hero, just like you said.'_

* * *

" _Stop it! Leave me alone!"_

" _Or what? What are you gonna do when you can't see, hahaha!"_

 _Kimiko could only stand there as a group of three kids heckled her on the playground. The insults came one after another. She wanted to just run away from it all. But she had no idea where anything was since she couldn't see._

" _Well? What ya gonna do, no eyes?" one of the kids asked._

" _Hey! That's enough!"_

 _The three kids watched as Emma rushed over and stood protectively in front of Kimiko. She glared at the three bullies. "Don't you jerks have anything better to do than pick on her?"_

" _What's it to you, Cersy? Move aside."_

" _No!" Emma said. She took a step forward. "You'll have to make me. And I wonder what the teachers would say if they heard you attacked another student."_

 _The three bullies stepped back, not sure of what to do. The one in the middle turned around. "Tch, this is dumb. Let's go."_

 _As the three bullies walked away, Emma turned back to Kimiko. "You ok Kimi?"_

 _Kimiko nodded her head. "Yeah. Thanks Em."_

" _Don't mention it." Emma grinned. "We're friends after all."_

" _Yeah…"_

 _Emma frowned. It had been a month since Kimiko had lost her sight. She couldn't help but pity her friend. "So… You're family should be getting that service dog you mentioned soon, right?"_

" _Yeah." Kimiko nodded. "Apparently it's a German Shepard. His name is Lex."_

" _That's good to hear." Emma said. She frowned slightly. "I guess… you won't really need me to help you out anymore once you have that dog, huh?"_

" _What are you saying Emma, of course I'll need you." Kimiko said. "You're my best friend."_

" _But I'm talking about-"_

" _I know. You mean helping guide me as I walk and dealing with bullies." Kimiko said. "But even still, I'm going to need you. You're always there for me."_

" _Really? You mean it?" Emma asked._

" _Of course, Em." Kimiko said. "You're like my very own superhero."_

 _A blush appeared on Emma's face. "S-Superhero… That might be pushing it a bit."_

" _Not at all." Kimiko assured her. "You've always been there to help me. Even before I lost my sight. I really appreciate it."_

 _Emma let out a giggle. "Well, I guess Super Emma does have a nice ring to it."_

 _Kimiko giggled along with her friend. "I know you'll always be there for me Emma. We're best friends forever."_

 _Emma nodded her head. "You got it Kimi. Whenever you need me, I'll be there. Your very own hero."_

* * *

' _I promised I'd always help Kimiko. And this tournament may be our best chance to get the money for her surgery.'_ Emma thought. ' _That's why I won't let this guy stop Marcus and the others from winning this tournament.'_

"The skill of Daisword in the soul! As long as it's there and I have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with Daiyusha in its name, my Vanguard gains 5000 power during my turn!"

' _So that's why she was willing to lose a trigger.'_ Allen realized.

"Hope you're ready! Cause Daiyusha's crashing in!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Allen said.

"Alright then, twin drive!" Emma said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Daiyusha!"

"Damage check." Allen said. "No triggers on either of them."

 **[Damage: Emma(1), Allen(2).]**

Emma noticed Allen wince in pain from taking damage. It seemed the same rule of feeling the pain from the damage really did apply to him as well. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Emma(4), Allen(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Allen said. "I ride Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel."

 **Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Riley, Rachel attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Emma said.

"Drive check." Allen said. "Looks like I got my own critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Emma widened her eyes as two more cards fell into her damage zone. The pain she felt this time was much greater than before. She wasn't completely sure how much of it she could endure. "Ngh…"

 **[Damage: Emma(3), Allen(2).]**

"Turn end." Allen said. "What's the matter little girl? Don't tell me the pain's too much for you already?"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Emma(4), Allen(7).]**

"In your dreams." Emma said. "Stand and draw." She looked at her hand. "Since my Vanguard is grade 3 at the start of my turn, I'm allowed to stride even if you aren't at grade 3."

' _So that's why she was ok with sacrificing so much of her hand.'_ Allen thought. ' _She was using the rules to allow her to stride first, even though she would get to grade 3 before me.'_

"At the beginning of my ride phase, I can use Daiyusha's skill. I send Daimariner from my hand to the soul. Then I can draw a card and call Daicutter to rear guard. Then I can choose a Dimensional Robo rear guard on my field, in this case Daicutter, and give it a skill that increases its power and my Vanguard's by 5000 until end of turn." Emma explained. "And now Stride Generation! 99th-gen Dimensional Robo Commander, Great Daiearth!"

 **99th-gen Dimensional Robo Commander, Great Daiearth**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and target the Daimariner in my soul! Daiyusha's power increases by Daimariner's original power, 7000!" Emma explained. "Daisword will also increase my Vanguard's power by 5000! And since a grade 4 Dimensional Robo was placed on the Vanguard circle, Daicutter gains 4000 power and I soul charge!"

' _Is she really just planning a straightforward attack with her Vanguard? Even if she tries to call rear guards though, it'll deplete what little hand she has left.'_ Allen thought.

"Activating Daiearth's skill!" Emma declared as she counterblasted two cards and flipped a copy of Daiearth over in her G Zone. "I search my deck for a grade 2 and 3 Dimensional Robo and call it to rear guard! Come! Dimensional Robo, Daiball and Ultimate Dimensional Robo, Great Daikaiser!" The grade 2 and 3 appeared in Emma's front row, giving her a full front row without having to call from her hand. "With Daiball's skill, both it and Daikaiser gain 5000 power during my turn." Emma showed a grin. "You're not breaking through this formation so easily. With Daiball's 10000 power and Daikaiser's 11000, your grade 2s won't have enough power to break through and Conquer them."

Allen let out a chuckle. "You sure seem to have thought this one out."

"You better believe it, and now I'm gonna take you down! I use the skill of Daiknuckle in the soul! I send it to the drop zone to give my Vanguard a skill for when it attacks!" Emma said. "Daiball attacks!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger." The pain from the damage stung him, based on the expression he made after the card went into the damage zone.

 **[Damage: Emma(3), Allen(3).]**

"Boosted by Daicutter, Daiearth attacks!" Emma declared. "Activating the skill gained from Daiknuckle! I counterblast and increase my Vanguard's critical by one!"

 **(26000+7000+5000+5000+7000+5000+4000=59000)**

"You're Vanguard may be powerful, but there's no way it can reach me." Allen smirked. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive!" Emma called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Daikaiser! Third check, no trigger."

"Shame I had that perfect guard. You might have won there if that wasn't the case." Allen said mockingly.

"Grr… Daikaiser attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

Allen held up two triggers from his hand, each with 10000 shield. "Guard."

' _Darn. I was only able to get one damage through there.'_ Emma thought as she cursed her luck. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Emma(6), Allen(3).]**

"Well then, I guess it's my turn. Stand and draw." Allen said. "Fearsome warrior! Draw your blade and lead my forces to victory! Destroy your foes until there's nothing left! I ride General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Now it's time to take that field of yours! Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lower your rear guard Daikaiser's power by 5000 and increase my Vanguard's power by 5000!"

Emma widened her eyes as she watched her rear guard grow weaker. ' _Oh no! I forgot about the stride skill!'_

"Such a shame you didn't think that strategy of your through enough." Allen chuckled. "I call Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army! I retire it for its skill to allow me to draw whenever I Conquer this turn. Then I call Devoted Swordswoman Rachel! Go Rachel! Conquer over the circle her Daikaiser is on!"

Emma watched as Rachel sped across the field and slashed at her unit, forcing it to the back row. The female warrior eyed her, ready to strike at any moment.

"I draw a card thanks to Drill Sergeant's skill." Allen explained. "Then I use Riley's skill. I send him to the soul and call another Drill Sergeant in the same column as my unit that just Conquered. Retiring Drill Sergeant to activate his skill. Now I'll be able to draw 2 cards when I Conquer."

Emma grit her teeth. ' _I thought I dealt with his hand, but he's rebuilding it so easily.'_

"This will be fun. I call Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames!" Allen said, calling the grade 3 out in the same column as Emma's Daiball. His unit was a strong looking dragon with crimson red scales and a tough hide. "This unit has Restraint, meaning it can't attack. However, if it's on my opponent's field, it loses Restraint and gains 10000 power. Allow me to show you! Enslaved Dragon, Conquer!"

This time it was Daiball that was forced to the back row. Emma's front row was now occupied by her opponent's units, both glaring right at her. It caused her to shiver in fear slightly.

' _No! I can't give up! I have to keep fighting!'_ Emma reminded herself.

"I draw two cards, thanks to the two Drill Sergeants." Allen said. "And now I'll attack with Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames. Rachel's skill increases her power by 3000 when my unit on my opponent's field attacks."

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"No guard." Emma said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma(4), Allen(3).]**

"Rachel is up next, and she's attacking Daikaiser. Another 3000 added with her skill."

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

' _He's trying to keep me from moving Daikaiser up next turn and forcing Rachel back to his field.'_ Emma realized. "Daiball will intercept!"

"Well then, I guess it's time for Darius to attack." Allen said. "Skill of Darius! When it attacks, I stand both my rear guards on your field and they each gain 5000 power until end of turn."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Activating the skill of Daibarrier in my soul!" Emma declared. "When my Vanguard is attacked, I can move it from the soul to the guardian circle! Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Rachel." Allen said. "Enslaved Dragon attacks!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger." The pain Emma felt came surging to her. Her legs wobbled, barely having the energy to keep her standing.

 **[Damage: Emma(5), Allen(3).]**

"Rachel attacks!"

 **(9000+12000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Enigman Patriot!"

 **Enigman Patriot**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Since your attacking unit has 20000 or greater power, Patriot gains 5000 shield." Emma explained.

"Seems you survived this turn." Allen said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Emma(4), Allen(6).]**

"My… turn…" Emma said, her breathing heavy from how weak she felt right now. "Stand and… draw…" She looked at the board, knowing she had to end this here. "I use Daiyusha's skill. I send the Daiyusha in my hand to the soul. Then I draw and choose to call nothing. Daikaiser then receives a skill that increases the power of himself and my Vanguard by 5000 until end of turn."

' _Marcus… Sarah… Daiki… Everyone… Lend me your strength.'_

"Generation Zone release!" Emma shouted. "Gather, hopes of the weak! Let your shouts for justice echo and give me strength in my darkest hour! Stride Generation! Dimensional Robo Command Chief, Final Daimax!"

 **Dimensional Robo Command Chief, Final Daimax**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I increase my Vanguard's power by the power of the Daiyusha in my soul! 11000! In addition, I use the skill of the Daisupporter I discarded to increase my Vanguard's power by 4000 and send the Daibattles in the drop zone to the soul! And Daicutter's skill will allow it gain 4000 power while I soul charge!" Emma called out. "Then I move Daikaiser up and liberate my rear guard circle!"

"Rachel moves back to the front row and her power becomes 0 until end of turn." Allen explained as Rachel fell back to his side of the field and fell to one knee.

"I call Daicutter from my hand over Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flame! Emma said.

"Berserk Flame's current power is 21000 thanks to his skill, so the call fails and your unit is retired." Allen smirked.

"Maybe so, but it now loses power equal to my Daicutter's 7000!" Emma reminded him. "I call Daimariner over your unit to lower it by another 7000! And finally I call Daicrusher over it! Its 9000 power beats your unit's current 7000 power so the call is successful!"

"That's great and all, but you only have one card left in your hand now." Allen said. "Was it really worth it when I only have 3 damage?"

"Yes it is and I'll prove it to you right now!" Emma told him. "I call Daisupporter behind Daicrusher! And now I activate Final Daimax's skill! My Vanguard gains 10000 power! Then, since two or more cards are face up in my G Zone, my Vanguard gains a critical! And then, since there are four or more cards face up in the G Zone, all my front row units gain 5000 power and plus one critical!" The units on Emma's field all stood tall together, like a true band of heroes. "Then I activate the skills of Daimariner, Daibattles, and Daiknuckle in the soul! I send them all to the drop zone! Daimariner and Daibattles each power up my Vanguard by 3000 power, while Daiknuckle allows my Vanguard to gain a critical on attack if I counterblast!"

"My, my, someone sure is powering up her Vanguard." Allen said. "Are you sure you aren't overdoing it?"

' _I didn't see him get a perfect guard in his last drive check.'_ Emma thought. ' _But that doesn't mean he doesn't have one for sure. I'm just going to have to hope he doesn't have it.'_

"Go Daikaiser! Attack!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Allen shrugged. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma(5), Allen(5).]**

Emma could see the pain starting to catch up with Allen too. She had to end it here. "Take this! Final Daimax's ultimate attack!" she shouted. "Great Sword of Justice!"

 **(26000+11000+5000+3000+3000+10000+5000+7000+4000=74000)**

Allen's smirk caused Emma to worry. And she soon saw that she had good reason to, as Allen held up a sentinel from his hand. "Perfect guard!"

' _So he did have one.'_ Emma thought. "Triple drive. First check, critical trigger! All effects to Daicrusher! Second check, a grade 3! Daicrusher's skill activates and increases its power by 10000! Final check, heal trigger! Power to Daicrusher and I heal a damage!"

' _Just one more attack. Please, let it go through!'_

"Boosted by Daisupporter, Daicrusher attacks!" Emma shouted.

 **(9000+5000+10000+10000+7000=41000)**

"So close, but yet so far!" Allen said with a grin. "Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Nerokius's skill. I move Rachel to the guardian circle. Then, 5000 is added to the shield." Allen explained. "I also guard with the Death-cope Sharpshooter in my hand."

"Turn… end." Emma said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Emma(3), Allen(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "I'll give you some credit. You put up a better fight than some of the trash I've fought so far in this tournament. But it's time to end this." He grinned as he discarded a card from his hand. "Stride Generation!"

Emma watched as a brand new unit appeared on Allen's field. One she had never seen before. With how weak her body felt, she could barely make it out in her vision.

"You're finished!"

' _Kimi… I'm sorry… Looks like I couldn't be a hero after all.'_ Emma thought to herself.

The last thing Emma remembered before blacking out was being surrounded by fire. And a fifth and sixth card falling into her damage zone.

As the scenery around the two fighters returned to normal, Allen watched Emma collapse onto the ground. Her cards scattered on the rooftop around her.

"Heh, another loser falls at my feet." Allen chuckled.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

The sound of a new voice caused Allen to turn towards the entrance to the roof. Standing there was the trio of Premium Beauty.

Allen showed an amused smirk at seeing the three idols. "My, my, if it isn't Yukari Tatsunagi's lap dogs? What are you doing here? Come to sing a song in honor of my victory?"

"What the heck did you do to that girl over there?!" Mai shouted at him.

"Who her? We just had a friendly little cardfight, nothing more." Allen said. "It's the weirdest thing. She just collapsed after I won. She seems to be in a lot of pain."

Mai glared at the teen. "You little-"

"Instead of throwing insults at me, perhaps you should focus your concern on her." Allen smirked as he pointed over towards the unconscious Emma. "Anyhow, I've gotta get going. Toodeloo."

"Where do you think you're going?" Mai growled.

"Mai, don't." Jasmine said, blocking the youngest idol from charging at Allen.

"How can you just stand there and let him get away with this, Jasmine?!" Mai asked.

"Right now, our top priority should be that girl over there." Jasmine told her. "Besides, Allen Demacio isn't our opponent to fight."

Allen let out a chuckle as he walked past the idol trio and back inside. "You have a funny way of saying you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

With the door closed behind them, Jasmine and the others rushed over to Emma. The young girl was groaning in pain, fading in and out of consciousness.

"She's still breathing." Keiko said. "I don't think her life is in any danger."

"But for her to go through that kind of cardfight at her young age…" Jasmine mentioned. "It's no wonder she's this exhausted."

"What do we do?" Mai asked.

Jasmine picked the girl up, carrying her in her arms. "Let's take her to the infirmary. We also need to contact her teammates."

Keiko got the girl's cards and put them back together in the deck case. "I think she's with the team that won the Wild Card round. Sightless Vision."

"Contact Marcus Cersy then." Jasmine said. "He'll want to see her."

* * *

Marcus sat at his sister's bedside in the hotel's infirmary. It wasn't much, considering it was a hotel and not a hospital. But at the very least, they were able to tell that Emma's life wasn't in any danger.

"Marcus!" the shout came from Sarah as she and Daiki rushed into the room, along with Rose, Sophia, and Team Cosmic Trio.

Most of them couldn't believe what had happened. Looking at Emma in bed, it was clear that the young girl had a rough time.

"We came as soon as we heard." Sarah said. "Aurora and the others were with us and said they wanted to come too."

"What happened to her?" Aurora asked.

"Don't know. All I heard was that Premium Beauty found her unconscious on the roof." Marcus said. "She doesn't have any serious wounds or anything. According to the doctors, she just collapsed from exhaustion."

"But how? Emma wasn't doing anything that strenuous, was she?" Daiki asked.

"Not that I know of." Marcus said.

"We're sorry. We really don't know anything else." Mai said. She had planned on telling them what Allen had done, but Jasmine had forbade it. So ignorance was all she could do now.

"It's not your fault. I'm grateful that you found her when you did, or she might have been out there all night." Marcus told them.

"Do the doctors know when she'll wake up?" Dan asked.

"They think she should wake up after her body rests enough. Probably sometime tomorrow." Marcus told him.

Sarah looked at her team leader. It was clear he was concerned for Emma and she couldn't blame him. "Marcus… if you want, you can stay here with Emma tomorrow. Daiki and I will be fine."

Marcus shook his head. "I wish I could Sarah. I really wish I could. But you know as well as I do that without all three of us out there gathering points, we have no chance at making it to the top 4. Besides, I think it's what Emma would want."

Suddenly, a weak moan escaped the young girl's lips. "Mar...cus…"

"Emma?!" Marcus gasped. "Emma, it's me! Are you alright?!"

"Be… careful…" Emma muttered. "Con…" Her voice trailed off after that as she fell back asleep.

Marcus let out a sigh. "I'm sure of it now. Someone attacked her."

"But who?" Anthony asked. "And to leave no visible wounds?"

"I'm not sure myself." Marcus said. "But whoever did this is gonna pay. I swear it."

"Agreed." Rose nodded. "This type of behavior cannot be tolerated."

"Yeah! They're not gonna get away with this!" Sophia nodded.

Outside of the infirmary, Amy had her back leaning against the wall. She listened to the conversation going on.

' _Allen… you did this, didn't you?'_ she silently thought as she walked away. ' _What are you turning into?'_

 **Sophia: I hope Emma will be ok.**

 **Rose: We can't let whoever did this get away with it. They need to be stopped.**

 **Aurora: I'm with you there, but we don't know who that is. For now, we need to focus on Day 3 of the second round.**

 **Dan: What's the next fight? It looks interesting.**

 **Next time: Those That Support Their Friends**

 **Card Gallery:**

Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **ACT VC: Conquer  
** **CONT RC:** **Restraint  
** **CONT:** While this unit is on your opponent's RC, it loses "Restraint" and gains +10000 power.

* * *

Glorious Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** [Choose a "Dimensional Robo" from card from your hand or RC and send it to soul.] At the beginning of your ride phase or when this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card, choose up to one card from your hand and call it to rear guard. Then, choose up to one of your rear guards with "Dimensional Robo" in its name and it gets **(CONT RC: Your Vanguard and this unit gains +5000 power.)** until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO VC:** SB1 When your G Unit with "Dimensional Robo" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a card in your soul with "Dimensional Robo" in its name. Your Vanguard gains power equal to the original power of that card until end of turn.

* * *

Dimensional Robo Equip, Daisword  
Grade: 0  
Power: 0  
Critical Trigger  
 **CONT [soul]:** If you have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Daiyusha" in its name, during your turn your Vanguard gains 5000 power during your turn.  
 **ACT RC:** If you have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Daiyusha" in its name, send this unit to soul and your Vanguard gains 5000 power until the end of the turn.

* * *

Dimensional Robo Equip, Daiknuckle  
Grade: 0  
Power: 0  
Critical Trigger  
 **ACT [soul]:** [Send this card to the drop zone] If you have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Daiyusha" in its name during your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, until end of turn, your Vanguard gets **(AUTO VC 1/Turn: CB1 When your Vanguard attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, it gains +1 critical until the end of the battle.)**.  
 **ACT RC:** If you have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Daiyusha" in its name, send this unit to soul and your Vanguard gains 5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Dimensional Robo Equip, Daibarrier  
Grade: 1  
Power: 0  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **CONT [soul]:** If you have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Daiyusha" in its name, when your opponent's unit attacks your Vanguard, you may call this card to GC.  
 **CONT GC GB1:** This unit gains 10000 shield.


	31. Those That Support Their Friends

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the late update. Had a lot of stuff going on these past couple of days. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

It was finally Day 3 of the Vanguard World Tournament's second round. At the end of today, the top 4 teams moving on would be decided. Most teams would usually be pumped up for a day like today. But for Marcus, all of his thoughts were on his sister.

"Hey Marcus." Sarah's voice snapped the black haired teen out of his thoughts as he turned and saw her and Daiki walk over and take a seat with him at the breakfast table. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah." Marcus sighed. "I know Emma's going to be fine after she gets some rest. But I'm just so… angry. I wasn't there to protect her when she needed me. This all happened because I wasn't there."

"That's not true, Marcus." Daiki told him. "The only one at fault here is whoever attacked Emma. And they will not get away with it when we find out who it was."

"Yeah." Sarah nodded in agreement. "No one hurts one of our friends and gets away with it."

"Thanks." Marcus said, managing a small smile.

As Team Sightless Vision ate breakfast together, they soon noticed Team Cosmic Trio walk over to them. "Hi Marcus." Aurora greeted. "Is Emma doing ok?"

"Don't worry. She's sleeping soundly right now. It doesn't even look like she's feeling any pain anymore." Marcus assured the blonde girl. "She should wake up sometime this morning."

"That's a relief." Dan said. "Any clues on who attacked her?"

"None I'm afraid." Marcus said with a shake of his head. "But since it happened in the hotel…"

"It's probably one of the tournament competitors." Aurora finished, following the teen's logic. "Unfortunately, that's not exactly a narrow list of suspects."

"Right now, we're gonna focus on making it through the second round." Marcus told them. "That's the best thing I can do right now."

Aurora nodded her head. "Best of luck. Let's hope we both make it to the next round."

Sarah showed a confident grin. "Better watch out. We might just take fourth place from under your noses."

"Then we'll just have to go for third." Anthony smirked.

Wishing each other luck, the teams walked away from each other, ready to give it their all today.

* * *

"Cardfighters from around the world, get ready for some serious action!" Sachi announced to the crowd. "We're finally at Day 3 of the second round! That means once all the fights are over today, we'll have our top 4 decided! You better believe all of the teams are gonna be giving it their all today in the desperate struggle for points! Time will only tell which teams will be the ones to make it though!"

The monitor showed several of the top contending teams for the tournament. The crowd cheered in anticipation for the cardfights to start. With how close most of the teams were in points, there was no telling who would be ahead by the end of the day. One win or loss could make all the difference.

"Are you ready, everybody?!" Sachi asked the crowd. "Alright then, let's get this started! Say it with me! Stand up!"

"Vanguard!" the crowd shouted in response.

* * *

Daiki walked into the room provided for him. He was used to this after two days. Putting his deck on the terminal, the system scanned it while he put on his headset. Once again, he found himself in the virtual plains he had been fighting in for the past two days.

Before long, his first opponent was decided. He watched as their figure materialized, A teenage girl with tan hair that fell slightly further down than her shoulders. A pair of glasses were worn over her blue eyes.

"So it seems you're my first opponent." Daiki said. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Daiki Izumi."

"Maria Ricudo." she said. "I'm a member of Team Southern Jungle." Maria narrowed her eyes. "Hang on. You're on the team from the Wild Card round. Sightless Vision, right?"

"That's right." Daiki nodded.

A frown came to Maria's lips. "I heard from Sophia about what happened to your leader's sister. I'm so sorry."

"Your concern is appreciated." Daiki told her. "But you needn't worry. She'll be fine."

"I'm glad to hear that." Maria said. "That said, don't think I'll take pity on you and go easy. My teammates are counting on me to win this."

"I wouldn't want you to take it easy on me. Feel free to hit me with your full strength." Daiki told her. "Let's make this a good fight."

"Indeed." Maria nodded as they both started the game together.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Godhawk, Ichibyoshi!"

 **Godhawk Ichibyoshi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"Arboros Dragon, Ratoon!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Ratoon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"I'll take the first move." Maria said. "I draw. Then I activate Godhawk Ichibyoshi's skill. I look at the top five cards of my deck and search for a copy of Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi to ride." As the top five cards came into her vision, she saw just what she needed. "Superior ride, Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi!"

 **Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"The remaining cards go to the bottom of my deck in whatever order I wish." Maria explained. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ' _I saw two critical triggers there, and put them at the top of the order I sent to the bottom. That means I'll see them after another 38 cards.'_

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Maria(6), Daiki(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. "I ride Arboros Dragon, Branch."

 **Arboros Dragon, Branch**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Since I rode Branch on top of Ratoon, I get to check the top seven cards of my deck." Daiki explained. "Adding Arboros Dragon, Timber to my hand. Also, with Ratoon in the soul, Branch's base power rises to 8000."

' _He's just like me, playing evolving units.'_ Maria thought to herself. ' _All the more reason that I can't lose this.'_

"I call Screen of Aboros, Aila." Daiki said. "And now I'll have Branch attack!"

 **(7000+1000=8000)**

"No guard." Maria said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(1), Daiki(0).]**

"Aila attacks next."

 **(7000)**

"Guard!" Maria said, holding up a grade 1.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Maria(5), Daiki(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Maria said. "Using the skill of Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi. I check the top five cards of the deck. Superior ride! Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi!"

 **Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With Half Moon's skill, I get to soul charge twice." Maria explained. "Next I call Shrewd Concierge. And now I'll attack with Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi!"

 **(9000)**

"Daiki quickly held up a critical trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

"Drive check." Maria said. "Critical trigger! All effects to Shrewd Concierge! And now he'll attack your Vanguard! He gains 2000 power when attacking since I have a Tsukuyomi Vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Daiki said as two cards fell into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Maria(1), Daiki(2).]**

"Since Shrewd Concierge's attack hit, I can counterblast with his skill to draw two cards and then send a card from my hand to the soul." Maria explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Maria(7), Daiki(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. "Here goes! I ride Arboros Dragon, Timber!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Timber**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With Branch's skill, since I rode Timber on top of it, I can select my rear guard Screen of Arboros, Ailia and search my deck for a copy of it to call to rear guard." Daiki explained as he called the card behind his Vanguard. "Next I move my front row Aila back and call Warden of Arboros, Airi in front of it. With a boost from Aila, Timber attacks!"

 **(9000+1000+7000=17000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Daiki grinned at the card he saw. "Critical trigger. Power to Airi. Critical to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Maria said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Maria(2), Daiki(2).]**

"Well you won't be escaping Airi's atack so easily, and she's taking aim right at your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"I guard!" Maria said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Maria(6), Daiki(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Maria said. "Skill of Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi. Look at the top five cards and search for Goddess of the Full Moon to superior ride." She took a look at the cards presented to her and grinned. "Looks like lady luck is on my side today! The time for the moon to shine has come! Superior ride! Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi!"

 **Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Since the other copies of Tsukuyomi are in there, her base power stays at 11000." Maria explained. "Next I call Miko of the Daybreak Moon, Akizuki. Using her skill to soul blast then look at the top card of my deck." Maria previewed the card and left it back on top. "Akizuki also gains 2000 power since I used her skill. And now she'll attack!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"I guard." Daiki said, using a grade 1 from his hand.

"Tsukuyomi shines down on your Vanguard! Attack!"

 **(11000)**

' _She put the card she saw back on top, meaning there's a good chance it's a trigger.'_ Daiki thought. ' _If I guard this, she'll just give that trigger's effects to her other rear guard. Best guard that one since it has an on-hit effect.'_

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Maria said. "Critical trigger. Power to Concierge and critical to my Vanguard!"

' _Damn. It would be a critical.'_ Daiki thought. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Maria(2), Daiki(3).]**

"Shrewd Concierge attacks! 2000 is added with his skill!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Daiki called out.

"I'll end my turn with that." Maria said. ' _19 cards left until I reach it. I'm almost there.'_

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Maria(8), Daiki(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. "Ancient spirit of the forest, rise up and protect us with your sacred power! Ride! Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done! Stride Generation!" Daiki called out. "Arboros Dragon, Ain Soph Aur!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Ain Soph Aur**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"The skill of Arboros Gardening Dragon, Illya." Daiki explained. "Since I discarded it as the cost to stride, I can call it to rear guard and have it be treated as having the same name as my Vanguard. Next I use Ain Soph Aur's soul blast to give my Vanguard a skill if it's attack hits." With his formation set, he began his attack. "Boosted by Aila, Airi will attack!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Maria said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(3), Daiki(3).]**

"Boosted by Aila, Ain Soph Aur attacks!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

"Perfect guard!" Maria called out.

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Illya. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to Airi." Daiki said. "Illya attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Akizuki will intercept."

"Airi strikes once again!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Maria said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(4), Daiki(3).]**

"That'll do for my turn." Daiki said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Maria(5), Daiki(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. She looked at her hand, particularly one card in particular. ' _I'm going to win. I'll win for Sophia.'_

* * *

" _Whatcha doing, Maria?" Sophia asked. As she leaned over the female teen's shoulder._

" _Huh? Oh hey Sophia." Maria said. Ever since the little girl had stumbled into the card shop half a year ago, she had become a regular. Nearly everyone who frequented the shop knew her. "I'm just trying to go over my deck and see how I can improve it."_

" _Really?! Can I watch?!"_

 _Maria giggled. "Sure, but it's just going to be me thinking to myself for the most part. You might get bored."_

" _Nuh uh." Sophia said with a shake of her head. "Your clan is interesting. I love seeing new cards."_

" _If you're sure." Maria said._

 _Time passed by as Maria sat at the table in the shop at looked over her deck. To the teenage girl's surprise, Sophia continued to stay by her side, sitting across from her at the table. She looked at the cards closely._

" _Hmm… Maybe if I do this…? Oh but maybe… hmm…"_

" _Hey Maria." Sophia said. She grabbed on of the cards and showed it to Maria. "Why not focus your deck around this card? It looks pretty good to me."_

 _Maria glanced up and looked at the card Sophia was holding. "Tsukuyomi huh? I wish I could, but that card's beyond me."_

" _What do you mean?" Sophia asked._

" _The main point of that archetype is to cycle cards to the bottom of your deck so you can go through it and memorize the order of everything."_ _Maria explained. "For example, say you saw a trigger early among them and put it on the bottom of the deck, you could know later when you'd get a trigger and plan your strategy accordingly."_

" _That sounds pretty good. So why don't you use it?"_

" _Because you need to have a really good memory to properly use that strategy." Maria told her. "And me… Frankly I don't have a memory that good."_

" _You could totally do it!" Sophia said. "You're super smart, and you're always helping me with my homework! Why wouldn't you have the memory for it?"_

" _Being smart and having a good memory aren't exactly the same thing I'm afraid." Maria explained._

" _But it's like a step forward right?" Sophia questioned. "With how smart you are, if you just do some special training, I bet you could totally master that card!"_

" _Special training?"_

" _Mhm. We'll call it Sophia's Super Special Memory Training!" Sophia said with a big grin on her face._

 _Maria could see that Sophia wasn't budging on this. She let out a sigh. "Alright. I'll do this training for one day. After that though, you have to give it up on this whole thing, ok?"_

" _Don't worry. I know you can do it, Maria!"_

 _It at first had been to humor Sophia, but as time progressed, Maria found that she was actually getting better at memorizing the location of the cards. Before long, Maria had a fully reconstructed deck, and her win rate was better than ever. She didn't know if it was Sophia's enthusiasm, or maybe the little girl was just right after all, but Maria was a whole new cardfighter thanks to the little girl._

* * *

' _It's because of you that I made it this far, Sophia.'_ Maria thought. ' _That's why I want to help you realize your dream of winning this tournament. And this card will help me do just that.'_

"The light of the moon is everlasting! Shine like a beacon and cast your light upon the entire world!" Maria called out. "Crossride! Goddess of the Eternal Moon, Tsukuyomi!"

 **Goddess of the Eternal Moon, Tsukuyomi**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"With all other forms of Tsukuyomi in the soul, Eternal Moon's power rises to a 13000 base." Maria explained. "Next with her skill, when she's ridden or at the beginning of my ride phase I can look at the top five cards of the deck, select up to two to leave on top, and put the rest on the bottom of the deck in any order." Maria looked at the five cards, putting 2 of them back on top of her deck while the other three went to the bottom. "And now, Stride Generation! Moon Deity Who Governs Night, Tsukuyomi!"

 **Moon Deity Who Governs Night, Tsukuyomi**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I send a card from my hand to the soul and draw two cards!" Maria explained.

' _I see. So she uses that first skill to set up the top of her deck, while then using the stride skill to grab the cards she left there.'_ Daiki realized. ' _Not bad.'_

"Skill of Moon Deity Who Governs Night." Maria said. "I look at the top five cards of the deck, add up to two cards among them to my hand, and put the rest on the bottom of the deck in any order." She looked back at her deck. ' _Nine cards left. I'll be all set once next turn arrives. But for now, I'll push him to the edge.'_

"I call Crescent Moon and Evil Eye Princess, Euryale." Maria said. "With her skill, since I have six or more cards in the soul, I get to bind a random card in your hand." With her hand, she formed the shape of a gun and pretended to fire a shot, knocking one of the cards out of Daiki's hand.

' _Of course she'd end up getting my perfect guard.'_ Daiki thought.

"Shrewd Concierge attacks!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Illya intercepts."

"Tsukuyomi is up next!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard." Daiki said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Critical to the Vanguard and power to Euryale."

"Damage check." Daiki said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Maria(4), Daiki(5).]**

"Boosted by Tsukuyomi, Euryale attacks!"

 **(10000+5000+7000=22000)**

"Guard." Daiki said, using a trigger from his hand.

"Over to you." Maria said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Maria(7), Daiki(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Arboros Dragon, Eden!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Arboros Screen, Aila from the deck and have it treated as having the same name as my Vanguard." Daiki explained. "Then I call Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil and Arboros Sprouting Dragon, Rootile from my hand."

With Daiki's current formation, he had Yggdrasil and his newly called Aila in one column, and Airi and the other Aila in his other side column. The Aila that had been behind his Vanguard was now replaced with Rootile.

"Using Rootile's skill, I put a normal unit from the drop zone on the bottom of the deck to add 5000 power and make Rootile be treated as having the same name as my Vanguard." Daiki explained. "And since Aila is treated as having the same name as my Vanguard, there's now three rear guards with the same name as my Vanguard. This means Eden gains 5000 power, plus on drive, and plus one critical. Next I use Airi's counterblast to add 2000 power and have her be treated as Aila."

' _And now here comes that other annoying skill of his Vanguard.'_

"Eden's Generation Break 2! Any of my rear guards that have a copy of it on the field, which in this case applies to all of them, gain 10000 power!" Daiki said. "And with that out of the way, let's get started. Airi attacks with a boost from Aila!"

 **(9000+2000+10000+7000+10000=38000)**

"No guard." Maria said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(5), Daiki(5).]**

"Next up, with Rootile's boost, Arboros Dragon, Eden attacks!"

 **(26000+5000+7000+5000+10000=53000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive." Daiki said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Yggdrasil and I recover one. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Yggdrasil. Final check, no trigger." With his last column, he swung in one more time. "Boosted by Aila, Yggdrasil attacks!"

 **(11000+10000+7000+10000=38000)**

"Generation guard! Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu!"

 **Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Amaterasu's skill. My hand currently holds at least four cards so 10000 is added to the shield. Then I soul charge and look a the top card of my deck and return it to the top or bottom." Maria explained, putting the card she saw on the bottom. She then used a grade 2 from her hand. "I also guard with this."

"Turn end." Daiki said. ' _I had hoped to finish her this turn. But it seems I'll just have to survive this coming turn and try again next turn.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Maria(4), Daiki(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. ' _I'm too far to use the first trigger stack I set up. Luckily I put another one not too far after. Just need to get to it.'_

"At the beginning of the ride phase, I can use Tsukuyomi's skill. I look at the top five cards and then choose up to two to put on top of the deck, and return the rest to the bottom in any order." Maria said, leaving one card on top out of the five she saw. "Time to end this! Generation Zone release! Light of destiny, guide my future! Let it shine brilliantly for all to see! Stride Generation! Still Water Festival Deity, Ichikishima!"

 **Still Water Festival Deity, Ichikishima**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill! I send a card from my hand to the soul and draw two cards!" Maria said. "Next I use Ichikishima's Oracle. For the rest of this turn, you can no longer guard with grade 0s from your hand, or G Guardians."

"What?!" Daiki gasped.

"Next I use Ichikishima's other skill to draw two cards." Maria explained. ' _I was able to memorize two traps I set up, but a third never presented itself. I just need to remember the position of those two sets of triggers.'_

"Here goes! I call Goddess of the Full Moon over Euryale, and then I call Virtuoso Housekeeper! With her skill, the top five cards of the deck are going to the bottom, but I can grab a card with Tsukuyomi in its name from them to add to my hand! I'll add Goddess of the Crescent Moon! Then I call it, as well as another one!"

' _A full field. This is her full attack.'_

"Ichikishima attacks, with Crescent Moon's boost!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

' _Good thing her Vanguard's skill doesn't seal off sentinels.'_ Daiki thought. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Maria said. The girl smirked at her opponent. "I'll just tell you now where I'll be putting everything before I look at them. The first card will be a critical trigger going to Full Moon. The second is another critical trigger, and that'll go to Shrewd Concirge. Lastly, we have a grade 2 Shrewd Concierge. Shame it's not a trigger, but oh well."

Daiki widened his eyes. "There's no way… How could you know what you're going to draw?!"

"Don't you remember?" Maria asked. "I've been stacking the bottom of my deck with cards. And I've memorized where I've put my triggers."

' _Impossible… She has that good of a memory?'_

"If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you." Maria told him. The three cards came up into view, each one exactly what Maria had foretold.

' _She planned for this. Stacking her triggers while limiting my guarding options with Ichikishima.'_ Daiki realized. ' _Clever girl.'_

"Let's go! Shrewd Concierge attacks with a boost from Virtuoso Housekeeper!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"I guard with Airi! Then I use Rootile and Branch in my hand!" Daiki said.

"Boosted by the Crescent Moon, the Full Moon will finish you!"

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

"Not happening! I guard with two Timbers and a Branch!" Daiki declared, holding up the three cards from his hand.

Maria gasped. ' _He actually had enough to guard?!'_

"I believe that's it for your attacks?" Daiki asked.

"... Turn end." Maria said.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Maria(7), Daiki(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Daiki said. ' _I barely made it out of that one. In truth, if that was 3000 points stronger, I wouldn't have been able to guard it. I've got to finish her now.'_

"Generation Zone release!" Daiki called out. "Nature's guardian! Grow proudly into the future and gain eternal life! Stride Generation! Arboros Dragon, Eden!"

 **Arboros Dragon, Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Arboros Gardening Dragon, Illya to the field and have it treated as having the same name as my Vanguard! Then I use Rootile's skill to add 5000 power to it and have it be treated as my Vanguard as well! That's three, so my Vanguard gains 5000 power, plus one drive, and plus one critical. Then, since all my rear guards have another unit with their names on the field, they each gain 10000 power!"

' _I can't guard three attacks of this level of power. And my next card. I know already it's not a heal trigger.'_ Maria thought to herself. ' _Darn… Am I really going to lose this?'_

"Illya attacks with a boost from Aila!"

 **(9000+10000+7000+10000=36000)**

Maria looked at her hand. She let out a sigh. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(6), Daiki(4).]**

"That was a good fight." Daiki said. "I barely managed to win that one. I look forward to a possible rematch in the future."

"Likewise." Maria nodded, as Daiki left the plain she was standing in.

' _I can't afford to lose anymore games.'_ Maria thought to herself. ' _I have to get us any many points as possible.'_

* * *

"Take this! Peryton attacks the Vanguard!"

"No guard." Dan's opponent said. "Damage check… no trigger."

Dan grinned at getting another victory, while his opponent was teleported away. ' _Alright. As long as Aurora and Anthony are winning their games, we should have no trouble staying in the top 4. We might even make it further up than the fourth spot. Just gotta keep winning.'_

"My, my, seems I have a cute guy as my next opponent."

"Huh?" The sudden voice snapped Dan's head back into reality as he realized his next opponent was already standing across from him. It was a female with curly black hair and a beautiful violet dress. "Oh. I take it you're my next opponent?"

"Indeed. Juliet Noir of Team Beautiful Thorn." the girl said, introducing herself. "And you're on Team Cosmic Trio, if I'm not mistaken?"

"That's right. Dan Kisha." Dan confirmed.

Juliet smirked at her opponent. "Sorry about this kid, but I'm about to show you a fierce fight. You're the mouse. And I'm the cat on the prowl."

 **Maria: Sorry Sophia. I lost.**

 **Sophia: Don't get so down about it, Maria. We just need to go out there and keep fighting our heart out!**

 **Bruno: She's right. If we give up now, it's all over.**

 **Maria: You're right. Time to pick myself up.**

 **Dan: I might have to pick myself up after this fight. This girl is tough.**

 **Next time: The Witch's Curse**

 **Card Gallery:**

Goddess of the Eternal Moon, Tsukuyomi  
Grade: 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 At the beginning of your ride phase, or when this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do look at the top five cards of your deck, choose up to 2 cards among them and place them on top of your deck in any order. Place the remaining cards on the bottom of your deck in any order.  
 **ACT VC:** [Send one card from your hand to the soul]. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 2 cards.  
 **CONT VC:** If you have "Godhawk Ichibyoshi", "Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi", "Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi", and "Goddess of the Full Moon Tsukuyomi" in your soul, this unit gains +2000 power.


	32. The Witch's Curse

**A/N: Hey readers! Early chapter, yay! Hope you all enjoy it, cause it'll be another chapter with custom units.**

Dan and Juliet stared at each other on the virtual plain. Dan recalled seeing this girl with Rose and her other teammate Iris. All three of them were known not only for their looks, but also for their skill at Vanguard.

"Team Cosmic Trio has shown some surprising skill in this tournament, despite your lack of experience on the big stage." Juliet said. "I'm curious to see just how strong you are myself."

"I'll be happy to show you." Dan told her. "But I think it might be a bit much for you to handle."

"Oh? Confident, aren't you?" Juliet said. "Let's see if you have the skill to back it up."

Both players drew their opening hands as they started the game. Both shouted the same words.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Happiness Collector!"

 **Happiness Collector**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Witch of Bats, Katherine!"

 **Witch of Bats, Katherine**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start the show off." Dan said. "I ride Cutie Paratrooper!"

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Happiness Collector moves back with forerunner." Dan said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Juliet(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Juliet said. "I ride Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod."

 **Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Katherine moves back with forerunner." Juliet explained. "Now I'll have Katherine boost Arianrhod's attack on your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Dan said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Juliet(0).]**

"I'll call it a turn with that." Juliet said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(5), Juliet(6).]**

"Then it's my turn. Stand and draw." Dan said. "I ride Crescent Moon Juggler."

 **Crescent Moon Juggler**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Here goes! Crescent Moon attacks with a boost from Happiness Collector!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Juliet(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Dan said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(6), Juliet(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Juliet said. "Ride! Witch of Reality, Femme!"

 **Witch of Reality, Femme**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Witch of Secret Books, Adra." Juliet said, calling the grade 2 next to her Vanguard. "Adra attacks."

 **(9000)**

Dan held up a trigger from his hand. "Guard."

"Well then, I guess Femme is up next with a boost from Katherine then."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Juliet said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Dan said reluctantly. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Juliet(1).]**

"I hope that wasn't too rough for you." Juliet said. "It's your turn now."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(6), Juliet(6).]**

"Alright then. Stand and draw." Dan said. "The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signaling for the show to begin! Get ready for the star of the show! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Harri's skill. Look at the top two cards of the deck. Add one to the soul and put the other on the bottom of the deck. Dan explained. "But don't think I'm done there. I call Darkside Princess and Darkside Swordmaster!" he said, calling the two units to the same column. "Boosted by Swordmaster, Princess attacks! With her skill, 5000 is added!"

 **(9000+5000+4000=18000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Juliet(2).]**

"Darkside goes to the soul since I used her skill." Dan explained. "And next, Happiness Collector will lend a boost to Harri! With Darkside Swordmaster's skill, I send her to the soul to draw and add 5000 power to Harri!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Dan said. "First check, heal trigger. Power to Harri and I recover one. Second check, no trigger."

Juliet wasn't keen on her opponent recovering a damage, but there was little she could do about it right now. "Damage check. Stand trigger. Power to Femme, and stand Adra."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Juliet(3).]**

"Turn end." Dan said. ' _This is a good start. Once my next turn comes, I can use Happiness Collector and Darkside Swordmaster to draw a bunch of cards, no to mention Lyrica.'_

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(7), Juliet(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Juliet said. "You know, my teammates and I made sure to meet up after Day 1 and Day 2 of the second round to discuss any noteworthy cardfighters we saw during our matches. And Iris happened to mention the Pale Moon player of Team Cosmic Trio. she also told me all about your playstyle."

"I'm flattered." Dan said. "But it won't help you win this fight."

Juliet let out a giggle. "Actually the truth is, it may have helped if you knew about _my_ playstyle beforehand. Because I'm about to show you just how powerless you are."

"What?"

"Allow me to show you." Juliet said. "Beautiful sorceress of black magic! Show my enemies that their power is merely an illusion before your presence! Ride! Illusion Weaving Witch, Fianna!"

 **Illusion Weaving Witch, Fianna**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Fianna. I retire Adra." Juliet explained. "In return, you are now unable to use the skills of any rear guards with a grade of 0 until the end of your next turn."

"What?!" Dan gasped.

"Oh and this applies to any units you call out even after this skill is activated." Juliet added.

' _In other words, all grade 0 rear guards have their skills nullified for me until my next turn is over.'_ Dan realized. ' _I can't use Happiness Collector or Darkside Swordmaster to draw extra cards.'_

"Don't go thinking I'm done yet, boy. Stride Generation!" Juliet called out. "Witch Queen of Transfiguration, Sinclair!"

 **Witch Queen of Transfiguration, Sinclair**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I target your Happiness Collector!" Juliet said. "Now reveal the top seven cards of your deck, and if any of them are grade 0, you have to choose one of them to call over your Happiness Collector."

Just like that, the top seven cards of Dan's deck floated up to him. And to his dismay, a grade 0 was among them. "Calling Prankster Girl of Mirrorland."

"Since a card was called, I draw a card." Juliet said. "Next I use Witch of Bats, Katherine's skill. I choose the Silver Thorn Assistant, Dixie in your drop zone and call it to your top right rear guard spot."

Dan watched as the Dixie in his drop zone was called to the mentioned area. Now he was stuck with two grade 0 rear guards, neither of which could use their skills on the rear guard circle.

"Activating the skill of Witch Queen of Transfiguration, Sinclair." Juliet declared. "Since you have at least 2 grade 0 rear guards, the top ten cards of your deck are revealed. Then, a grade 0 among them is chosen to be ridden as the Vanguard."

Dan gasped as he heard this. "You're forcing me to ride a grade 0?!"

"That's right. Now let's see what the top ten cards of your deck show."

Dan watched as the cards floated up to him. He had prayed that there wouldn't be a grade 0 among them, but it seemed no such luck existed. "Riding Darkside Swordmaster."

 **Darkside Swordmaster**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

Juliet smirked at seeing how weak her opponent's field was. ' _Usually he'd have to pay a counterblast to guard with a higher grade than his Vanguard. But thanks to the updated rules of the game, he can do that regularly anyway. Oh well, at least he can't use a generation guard.'_

"Calling Witch's Familiar, Kuroma." Juliet said. "With its skill, since my opponent has at least 2 grade 0 rear guards, I discard a Witch from my hand to draw 2 cards. Then I call Witch of Secret Books, Adra, and Witch of Intelligence, Dehtail." The two grade 2s appeared next to her Vanguard, with Adra in front of Kuroma.

Dan tensed up. Usually, units of that mediocre power wouldn't be anything to worry about. But with his Vanguard now only having 4000 power, they became very dangerous.

"Dehtail attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up a trigger in his hand with 10000 shield.

"Very well then. I guess Sinclair will have to put you in your place!"

 **(26000)**

"Not gonna happen! Perfect guard!" Dan called out.

"Tch, fine then. Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Adra. Third check, draw trigger. Power to Adra and I draw." Juliet said. "Boosted by Kuroma, Adra attacks! Her skill adds 2000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+10000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Dan said. Two cards fell into his damage zone, with neither of them being triggers.

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Juliet(3).]**

"Since the attack hit, Adra allows me to countercharge and soul charge." Juliet said. "Turn end. And now that my turn is over, you can ride a card from your soul."

"In that case, I'll ride Masked Phantom, Harri." Dan said. "And since I rode him, I can use his skill to take the top two cards of the deck, add one to soul, and put the other at the bottom of the deck."

"Adding an extra card in soul won't be enough to help you." Juliet told him.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(4), Juliet(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Allow me to show you just what the Pale Moon Circus is capable of! Stride Generation! Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul! Then I use her magia to soul charge and call Darkside PRincess from the soul! Add 5000 power!" Dan said. "Next I call Flying Peryton from my hand over Dixie! Peryton's magia calls out Betty from the soul!"

' _I won't be able to add to my hand as much as I'd like this turn. I'll have to deal as much damage as I can this turn then.'_

"Boosted by Betty, Peryton attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Juliet said as she held up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Darkside Princess is up next with Cutie's boost! Adding 5000 with her skill!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"No guard." Juliet said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Juliet(4).]**

"Here goes! Lyrica attacks!" Dan called out. "Using her skill, I send all four of my remaining rear guards to the soul! She gains 3000 power for each one, for a total of 12000! And since four or more were returned, she gain plus one drive!"

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

Dan showed a smirk. "There's also one more thing. Activating Prankster Girl of Mirrorlnd's skill."

Juliet widened her eyes. "But you can't-"

"I'm not able to use the skills of my grade 0 rear guards. But Prankster Girl's skill activates when she's sent to the soul. And since she's now in the soul, she's no longer a rear guard." Dan explained. "So now I return her to the deck and send Betty from the deck to the soul."

' _Clever move. He's not half bad.'_ Juliet thought as she held up a sentinel in her hand. "Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive!" Dan called out. "First check, Cutie Paratrooper. She's grade 1 or higher, so I can use Lyrica's skill." He flipped over a copy of Dragon Masquerade Harri and paid the cost of a soul blast. "I soul charge, draw, and call flying Peryton from the soul. Then I use its magia to call out Betty behind it. Second check, grade 2! I use the same skill once again and call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul! With her magia, I call Darkside Princess! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Peryton! And now final check, grade 3! Using Lyrica's skill, I call Lovely Companion from the soul behind the Vanguard!"

' _So he got himself two more full columns to attack with. And I'm sure there's even more attacks coming my way afterwards.'_

"Darkside Princess attacks! Using her skill to add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=14000)**

"I guard with Kuroma in my hand and intercept with Dehtail!"

"Darkside moves to the soul." Dan explained. "Boosted by Betty, Flying Peryton attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Juliet said, using another trigger from her hand with 10000 shield.

"With Betty's counterblast, I send Peryton to the soul and call out Crescent Moon Juggler in the other column in front of Cutie Paratrooper. Then with Juggler's magia, I counterblast and soul blast to call Peryton from the soul. With magia, I call Betty behind it." Dan said. "And now Peryton attacks with Betty's boost!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"No guard." Juliet said. "Damage check, heal trigger. Giving power to the Vanguard and recovering one damage."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Juliet(4).]**

"With Betty's skill, I send Peryton to the soul and call it back out. Then I use Peryton's magia to call out Masquerade Bunny behind it." Dan said. "And now get ready for another attack from Peryton!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Juliet said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Juliet(5).]**

"Crescent Moon Juggler is up next with a boost from Cutie!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Guard." Juliet said, using a draw trigger from her hand.

"Turn end." Dan said. "Everything except for Peryton and Crescent Moon move to the soul."

Most would have tried to avoid the combo of the Witches of Juliet's deck by keeping the number of rear guards below 2. However, Dan knew better than that. He could see what Juliet's true aim was.

' _I'm well aware about the existence of the Phantom Blaster Diablo G Unit.'_ Dan thought. ' _If I don't retire two rear guards when it attacks, I'll be unable to guard from my hand while it attacks with a critical. And I wouldn't be surprised if a fighter of her caliber had it. I might be forced to let her keep my field at 2 grade 0 rear guards, but at least I'll have a better chance at surviving.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(10), Juliet(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Juliet said. ' _This kid. Did he have two of his rear guards stay out to get more attacks off with Betty? Or could he have predicted that I have Phantom Blaster Diablo? Either way, I can still win this.'_

"With Fianna's skill, I retire Kuroma and seal away the skills of your grade 0 rear guards once again." Juliet said. "I hope you're ready for this! Stride Generation! Witch Queen of Seduction, Fantina!"

 **Witch Queen of Seduction, Fantina**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I target Crescent Moon! Now reveal the top 7 cards of your deck!"

Dan did as he was told. He smirked however with what he saw. "No grade 0s here. Too bad for you."

"Tch. Fine then. I have other ways to change your units into powerless forms." Juliet said. "Fantina's skill! I counterblast, soul blast, and flip a card in my G Zone face up! The top ten cards of your deck are revealed! Then, I can choose rear guards up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone and have them be replaced by those grade 0s!"

Just like that, ten cards floated up from the top of Dan's deck. And this time there were two grade 0s. "Prankster Girl of Mirrorland and Psycho Magician, Coulthard." Dan said, calling the two units over his front row rear guards.

Over by the spot that Juliet's Kuroma had been, the girl called another copy of the card. "Calling Witch's Familiar, Kuroma. With it's skill, I discard a card and draw 2. Next up, I call Witch of Reality, Femme and Witch of Precious Stones, Dana." Juliet said as she called the two units to a column together. "Now let's start. Boosted by Kuroma, Adra attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up a trigger.

"Fantina is up next!" Juliet called out. "Fantina's Generation Break 3! I retire Kuroma! And since you have at least 2 grade 0 rear guards, Fantina gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and plus one drive!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

' _Darn. I didn't get a perfect guard last turn.'_ Dan thought to himself. ' _Oh well, I'll have to guard using other means.'_

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Coulthard's skill, since I have 4 different grades in my soul, 15000 is added to the shield." Dan explained. "I also guard with Darkside Swordmaster in my hand."

' _With his shield, I'll need three triggers to break through.'_ Juliet thought. ' _He probably has enough to block Femme's attack. So if I can, I should try and get this attack to break through his guard.'_

"Quadruple drive! First check, draw trigger! Power to Fantina and I draw! Second check, no trigger! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Fantina! Final check…" Juliet held her breath as she turned the card over. A frown came to her face when she saw what it was. "No trigger."

' _That was a close one.'_ Dan thought.

"Femme attacks with a boost from Dana!"

 **(9000+3000+7000=19000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Juliet(5).]**

"Turn end." Juliet said with a sigh.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(7), Juliet(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Generation zone, release! Now let it shine brilliantly! The spotlight that leads to the shining stage of the future! Stride Generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Cutie Paratrooper! Then I use her magia to call out Darkside Princess!" Dan explained. "Next I call Face Magician, Lappin from my hand! And thanks to Masquerade Master's continuous skill, the three face up Harri's in my G Zone will be providing a 12000 point boost to all my magia rear guards."

Juliet widened her eyes. "12000?!"

"That's right, and I think I'll put them to use!" Dan called out. "Lappin attacks the Vanguard! With her skill, I soul charge! It's a magia card so add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+12000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard!" Juliet called out. "Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, 10000 is added to the shield." Juliet explained.

"Then I'll have Darkside Princess attack next with a boost from Cutie! Darkside's skill adds another 5000!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+12000=38000)**

Juliet looked at her hand. ' _I could guard this with a perfect guard. But then I wouldn't be able to block his Vanguard's attack.'_ She held her head low. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Juliet(6).]**

Juliet looked over at Dan. "That was pretty skilled of you. I'm impressed."

"What can I say? I try my best." Dan shrugged. "You were strong too. Best of luck in the rest of the tournament."

Juliet nodded as she watched Dan leave the field she was standing on. ' _Darn, can't believe I lost that one. Well let's hope Rose and Iris are doing better. We need every win we can get with how close the scores are.'_

* * *

"Well that was certainly an exciting cardfight, wouldn't you say folks?" Sachi asked the crowd. "With that win, Dan Kisha of Team Cosmic Trio earns another point for his team. They are still currently in fourth place, but other teams are close behind."

The crowd watched as fights continued to go on. Looking at the leaderboard, it was clear that the top four spots were anyone's game. Screens showed the multitude of cardfights going on, and some of the top contenders. William Lewis, Sophia Perez, Aurora Fujou, Marcus Cersy, it was hard to decide who to watch.

Suddenly, Sachi heard a message in her headset, giving her instructions. Her eyes widened as she addressed the crowd. "E-Everyone, can I please have your attention?! I've just received word that Rose Orchards of Team Beautiful Thorn has collapsed during one of her cardfights!"

Silence overtook the audience as gasps of shock echoed around the stands. The camera feed switched to the field Rose was on. She was laying down on the ground, fading out of consciousness. The opponent standing across from her was none other than Allen Demacio.

"What the hell… Who is this guy…?" Rose muttered.

Allen watched as Rose was disconnected and her virtual figure disappeared, most likely the staff taking her away to the infirmary to check on her health. He smirked at his victory.

' _You actually managed to put up a fight, French Queen. But even your ability pales in comparison to my power. Soon the entire cardfighting world will bow before me. And there's not a person that can stop me.'_

* * *

"Go Flare Arms, Zigenburg! Burn them away!"

Marcus's G Unit blasted his opponent's Vanguard, securing him the win. His opponent lamented the defeat before they were teleported away.

For the entirety of Day 3, Marcus had been winning each and every one of his cardfights. He knew he had to lead his team to victory. They had come too far to lose now. But it wasn't just for Sarah's sister Kimiko anymore. The player that had hurt Emma was probably in this tournament. And he knew his sister was no pushover in a cardfight. Whoever did this had to be skilled. And that meant they were probably in the higher rankings of the other teams.

' _When I find out who hurt Emma, they're gonna regret ever laying a finger on her.'_ Marcus thought silently. ' _But for now, I need to focus and win my next game.'_

Finally the raven haired teen's opponent had been decided. They appeared across from him. When they saw Marcus, they showed a small smirk.

' _Seems today is my lucky day.'_ Keith thought to himself. "So you're Marcus Cersy, leader of the lucky bunch that made it through the Wild Card Round?"

"That bunch has a name. Team Sightless Vision." Marcus said, not caring for the condescending tone Keith had.

"Right, whatever." Keith shrugged. "You know, I heard that little brat that hangs around you guys got hurt. Such a sad thing."

"Her name is Emma, and she happens to be my sister." Marcus told him.

"That so? I wonder if the older brother is as weak as the little baby sister." Keith smirked.

Marcus clenched his fist. Having insults thrown at him was no big deal, but he refused to let anyone insult Emma. "Take that back."

"Oooo, scary." Keith chuckled. "Tell me Cersy, what would you say if… I knew who attacked your sister?"

Marucs fell silent at the question. He glared at Keith. "Tell. Me. Now."

' _This is gonna be fun.'_ Keith thought to himself.

 **Marcus: If you know who hurt Emma, you better tell me. Otherwise, I'm not going to show any mercy.**

 **Keith: Tough talk, but let's see if you can back it up.**

 **Marcus: I'll show you that I can back it up and then some.**

 **Keith: You say that now. But let's see if you're still saying those words after I burn you to ash.**

 **Next time: Battle of the Dragons**

 **Card Gallery:**

Witch of Bats, Katherine  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 **AUTO:** Forerunner  
 **ACT RC GB1:** CB1 & Send this unit to the soul. Choose a grade 0 in your opponent's drop zone and call it to one of their RC.

* * *

Illusion Weaving Witch, Fianna  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** Retire one of your rear guards with "Witch" in its name. At the beginning of your ride phase or when this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, all skills of your opponent's grade 0 rear guards are nullified until the end of their next turn. _(This includes cards called to RC after this skill activates.)  
_ **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit with "Witch" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's circles with a unit on it other than VC. Your opponent reveals the top 7 cards of the deck, chooses a grade 0 from among them, and calls it to that RC. If your opponent called a unit, draw a card.

* * *

Witch Queen of Seduction, Fantina  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO:** CB1, SB1, & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up. When this unit is placed on VC, if you have a heart card with "Witch" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose circles on your opponent's field with cards on them, other than VC, up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone. Your opponent reveals the top ten cards of their deck and selects grade 0s among them to place on those RCs. Then, if the number of grade 0s on your opponent's field is 2 or more, draw one card.  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** Choose one of your rear guards and retire them. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, and if your opponent has two or more grade 0 rear guards, this unit gains +10000 power, +1 drive, and +1 critical.


	33. Battle of the Dragons

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for a Kagero mirror match. Who will win? Time to find out.**

Marcus and Keith stood across from each other on the virtual field. Keith's expression showed a cocky smirk, while Marcus was glaring with rage. It was almost as if the peaceful serene setting they were in was ablaze with fire.

"I'm not going to ask again. If you know who attacked my sister, then you better tell me." Marcus told him.

"My, my, not even a "Please"?" Keith said in a teasing voice. He reached into his pocket and hit a switch. If his gear was working right, the feed to their fight should have been temporarily cut with that.

"I suggest you talk, otherwise I'm going to assume it was you."

Keith held his hands up in defense. "Calm down pal. It wasn't me, I'll at least tell you that much."

"Then who was it?"

"Tell you what? If you can beat me, I'll give you your answer." Keith said. "You game?"

Marcus answered as he drew his opening hand. "Let's get going."

Simultaneously the two players started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Both Conroes appeared in the virtual space, as both of the fighters looked ready to battle.

"I'm first." Marcus said as he drew for his turn. "I ride Lava Flow Dragon!"

 **Lava Flow Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conroe moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Marcus(5), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "I ride Lizard General, Conroe!"

 **Lizard General, Conroe**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe will move back with forerunner." Keith said. "And now with its boost, Lizard General attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(1), Keith(0).]**

"That'll do for this turn." Keith said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Marcus(5), Keith(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Ride! Dragon Knight, Mbudi!"

 **Dragon Knight, Mbudi**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _I have to play this carefully. He plays a Kagero deck, just like me.'_ Marcus thought. ' _For now, I'll only call what I have to and keep my rear guard count low.'_

"Calling Dragon Knight Nadim. Then I activate Conroe's skill. I counterblast and retire Conroe to search my deck for Lava Flow Dragon and add it to my hand." Marcus explained as the grade 0 rear guard moved to the drop zone and the grade 1 card moved to his hand. "Nadim attacks. With Blaze, he gains 2000 power."

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard." Keith said, holding up a grade 2 from his hand.

"Mbudi's coming in next!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Marcus said. The yellow icon he saw was a welcome sign. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Tch, damage check." Keith said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(1), Keith(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Marcus(6), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "I ride Glow Heater Dragon."

 **Glow Heater Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"With Glow Heater's skill, I reveal Dragonic Overlord, The Destiny from my hand. As a result, it loses no power." Keith explained. "Next I call Burning Horn Evolute. With Evolute's soul blast, I reveal The Destiny once again to retire a rear guard in the same column as it, which will be your Nadim."

Marcus watched as his rear guard moved to the drop zone. ' _Seems he plans on messing with my ability to activate Blaze from the get go.'_

"Using Conroe's skill, I add Doom Bringer, High Flame from my deck to my hand. And then I call it behind my Vanguard." Keith explained. "Go Evolute! Attack!"

 **(9000)**

"Not happening!" Marcus said as he held up a card from his hand with 5000 shield. "Guard!"

"In that case, Glow Heater will attack with a boost from High Flame!"

 **(10000+7000=17000)**

"No guard." Marcus said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Keith(2).]**

"That will end my turn." Keith said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Marcus(5), Keith(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Draw your sword, bathed in flames! Cut through the darkness to show us our destiny! Ride! Dragonic Blademaster, "Kouen"!"

 **Dragonic Blademaster, "Kouen"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _Our damage is tied right now. And he's sure to retire my rear guards next turn.'_ Marcus thought. ' _I'll save my hand for now and hit him hard next turn when I can stride.'_

"Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen" attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

Keith raised a brow. ' _So that's his plan, is it? Fine then.'_ The teen held up a trigger from his hand with 10000 shield. "Guard."

"Twin drive." Marcus said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Marcus(1), Keith(2).]**

"Turn end." Marcus said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Marcus(7), Keith(4).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw. I retire Doom Bringer High Flame to allow myself to stride into an Overlord for free this turn." Keith said. "Dragon of forbidden power, set this battlefield ablaze! Let fire burn until there's nothing left! Ride! Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"!"

 **Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now for the fun to begin! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Dragon Emperor, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Dragon Emperor, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! There's nothing on your field to retire, but I can still check the top seven cards of the deck to add an Overlord to my hand." Keith said. "Adding The Legend to hand. Then I call Glow Heater Dragon."

Wit that, Keith's front row was filled up with three dragons. But he was far from done. "Activating skill of The Purge. I send The Legend in my hand to the soul and deal you one damage. And for this damage, trigger effects are nullified."

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Keith(2).]**

"Let's not forget the skills of Glow Heater and Burning Horn Evolute." Keith added. "For every card in my opponent's damage zone, they gain 2000 power. You have two damage, so that's 4000 power."

"You'll need more than a little boost in power to beat me." Marcus told him.

"Is that so? Well let's find out then." Keith said. "Burning Horn Evolute attacks the Vanguard."

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Guard!" Marcus said, using a grade 1 from his hand.

"The Purge is up next! Crush him!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Fine with me. Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! Power to Glow Heater and critical to the Vanguard! Second check, draw trigger! Power to Glow Heater and I draw! Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Marcus said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Keith(2).]**

"Glow Heater attacks next! And with another 2 cards in your damage zone, he'll gain another 4000!"

 **(10000+8000+10000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Flame Emperor Dragon King, Asyl Orb Dragon!"

 **Flame Emperor Dragon King, Asyl Orb Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Asyl Orb's skill, 5000 is added to the shield. Not that it needed it in the first place."

"Very well then. Turn end." Keith said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Marcus(6), Keith(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Let's go. Stride Generation! Flare Arms, Ziegenburg!"

 **Flare Arms, Ziegenburg**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire your Glow Heater Dragon! Then, Ziegenburg gains 3000 power!" Marcus explained. "Next I call Dragon Knights Mbudi, Nadim, and Nadel!"

With Marcus's formation, he had Nadim and Nadel in one column and Mbudi in the other. He was ready to strike.

"Activating Ziegenburg's soul blast! I retire your Burning Horn Evolute! Then, since a card was sent to the drop zone due to a card effect, Nadel gains a skill."

' _He's not holding anything back.'_ Keith thought. ' _Good. Allen's orders were to get him riled up before telling him who hurt his precious sister.'_

* * *

" _Huh? So you were the one that hurt the brat I heard about?"_

" _That's right." Allen said. "Seems she came in place of Marcus Cersy. So I taught her a lesson for being so foolish."_

" _Does Amy know about this?" Keith asked._

" _I haven't told her, but she's probably figured it out by now. Regardless, it doesn't concern her."_

" _That's pretty cold, keeping secrets from your good friend."_

" _Do you have a problem with that?"_

" _None at all." Keith replied with a shrug. "My client's personal life has never mattered much to me. I just do my job and get paid."_

" _Good. Because I have a little something I need you to do."_

" _And that is?"_

" _Should you face Marcus Cersy in the second round, I want you to let him know who it was that hurt his little sister."_

 _Keith raised a brow. "Wait, you WANT him to know it was you?"_

" _It isn't enough to just let him know. I want him to realize just how powerless he was to help her. Make him get angry. Get enraged at me." Allen said with a smirk. "Of course, you'll need to do it so the camera feed doesn't catch you saying it."_

" _That goes without saying." Keith said. "Don't worry, I can handle that."_

" _Good to hear." Allen said. "I knew I was right to hire you as the third member of the team."_

* * *

' _I don't know what Allen's game is. And frankly I don't care.'_ Keith thought. ' _I just need to do what my client asks of me. Of course… Allen never said I couldn't have a little fun with him first.'_

"Mbudi attacks! With his Blaze, I counterblast to draw a card and add 2000 power to him for every open rear guard circle you have! In addition, Nadim's Blaze gives itself 4000 power and let's me countercharge!"

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"Guard!" Keith said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Ziegenburg attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive!" Marcus called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! Power to Nadim and critical to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Keith(4).]**

"Ziegenburg's skill! I counterblast and restand it with drive minus 2!" Marcus said. "To do so, I also have to discard cards from my hand equal to the number of rear guards on my opponent's field. But since you have none, I don't have to discard any. Now go Ziegenburg! Attack one more time!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Keith said, grinning as he held up the sentinel.

"Tch, drive check. No trigger." Marcus said. "Boosted by Nadim, Nadel will attack! With Blaze, he gains 2000 power and I get to countercharge if I hit."

 **(9000+2000+7000+4000=22000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Keith(5).]**

"Turn end." Marcus said. "With Kouen's Generation Break 2, I add the Kouen in the drop zone to the hand."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Marcus(9), Keith(6).]**

"Stand and draw. With The Destiny's skill, I soul blast and retire Nadel." Keith said. After he did, he discretely tapped a button for a switch in his pocket. That would cut the feed for a minute or so, plenty of time to finish his objective. "You know Cersy, you sure are fighting pretty fiercely. I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up the entire time I've seen you in the tournament."

"Pardon me if I'm a little mad about Emma getting hurt and my opponent seeming to treat it like a game." Marcus glared.

"Yikes, that look you're giving sure is scary." Keith chuckled. "But tell you what, since you're trying so hard and since I'm such a nice guy, I'll do you a favor and tell you who attacked your sister."

Marcus tensed up at hearing this. "This better not be a joke."

"No joke. Dead serious." Keith told him. "The one who attacked that brat is… Allen Demacio."

Marcus's eyes widened. "Allen Demacio… You mean the leader of Team Apocalypse?!"

"The very same." Keith smirked.

Marcus narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Why would you tell me this? Aren't you on the same team as him?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, I really don't care about the guy. This tournament is more of a business venture for me." Keith shrugged. "But man, you should have heard what he said about that pathetic weakling you call a sister."

Marcus clenched his fist at the insult thrown towards his sister. "I suggest you stop there."

"He went on and on about what a loser she was! And you know what's the best part?! She came to him! Allen sent a challenge letter to your room last night, but the one who came was that little girl instead! She acted all tough, saying she'd beat Allen in Marcus's place! Hahahaha!"

Marucs's eyes widened as he heard this. "No… You mean the reason she got hurt was-"

"Because you weren't there! That's right!" Keith said with a laugh. "How does it feel Cersy?! That little girl got all banged up, and you could have prevented it!"

' _Emma…'_ Marcus thought as he processed this information. His body shook as a tear rolled down his cheek. ' _Damnit Emma… How could you be so foolish?! Why?! Why didn't you let me know?! It should have been me that ended up like that, not you! What kind of big brother am I?!'_

Keith saw Marcus's reaction and decided to push things a little further. He put on a fake cutesy face and spoke in a mocking impersonation of Emma. "Why didn't you save me big brother? Why'd you let me get all banged up while you ran like a coward. You should have known how weak and frail I am."

"Shut up…"

"Hm?"

Marcus glared at Keith with all the rage he could muster. "Don't you say another word about my sister. Or you'll regret it dearly."

"Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?" Keith asked.

"First I'm going to take you down." Marcus said. "And then my next step will be beating Allen and making him wish he never even thought of hurting my sister."

Keith responded to Marcus's declaration with a laugh. "You think you can beat Allen? Get real! And for the record, you don't stand a chance at beating me either! Cause I'm going to finish you this turn!" Keith discarded a card for the cost to stride. "Generation Zone release! The flames of the apocalypse are eternal! Watch as they bathe every era in an eternal sea of fire! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "The Ace"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "The Ace"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of The Ace! I counterblast twice, flip a copy of the Ace face up, and lose a drive! In exchange, The Ace gains the ability to restand after it attacks!" Keith said. "And now I'll use the same skill once again!"

Marcus gasped as he saw this. "So you can attack 3 times with your Vanguard?!"

"That's right!" Keith said with a smirk. "I do only have one drive check for each of my attacks, but it's well worth it! Now to finish things, I call Emperor Dragon Knight, Nehalem and Lizard General, Conroe! With Conroe's skill, I reveal the copy of The Destiny in my hand. Then I search my deck for The Legend and add it to hand. After that, I discard one card. Then I retire Conroe to give my Vanguard the skill to countercharge two cards each time it attacks. After that, I call Burning Horn Evolute! Using Evolute's soul blast, I retire Mbudi!"

Marcus watched as his rear guard was burned away and sent to the drop zone. With the virtual field he was standing in, he watched as Keith's three units stared him down.

"Let's start things off with Evolute. Attack the Vanguard!" Keith called out.

 **(9000+8000=17000)**

"Guard!" Marcus said, using a trigger from his hand.

"Well then, let's see what my Vanguard has to say about things. The Ace attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

Marcus looked at his hand. ' _I can guard 2 attacks from his Vanguard, and most likely his rear guard after that. But I'll have to let one through. In that case, the safest option would be the first attack. But if he pulls a critical trigger, I'm done for.'_ A nervous sweat went down his forehead. ' _I'll have to risk it. There's no other choice.'_

"No guard."

Keith smirked. "Drive check." Both he and Marcus waited with suspense as he turned the card over. "No trigger."

Marcus let out a sigh of relief. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Keith(5).]**

"With The Ace's skill, I discard two cards from my hand with at least one of them being an Overlord and restand my Vanguard with an extra 5000 power." Keith explained. "Now take this! Attack number two!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam!"

 **Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Abd Salam's skill, 10000 is added to the shield for every open rear guard circle you have!" Marcus explained.

"Drive check." Keith said. "Critical trigger. I give all effects to Nehalem! Then I use The Ace's skill once again to restand him with another 5000 power! Attack!"

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" Marcus said.

' _Looks like I was right to give the trigger effects to Nehalem.'_ Keith thought. "Drive check, heal trigger. I give power to Nehalem and recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Keith(4).]**

"Nehalem will finish you! And with his skill, he gains 2000 power, plus another 5000 for each time my Vanguard attacked! Try and block this one!"

 **(9000+2000+15000+10000=36000)**

"I guard!" Marcus called out, throwing down two triggers, and a grade 1 and 2, for a total of 30000 shield.

Keith widened his eyes. ' _No way?! He was able to block it?!'_

"What's wrong? You seem surprised." Marcus said. "What happened to all that bravado before?"

"Turn end." Keith said. ' _Keep your cool. He barely has any cards in hand. There's no way he'll be able to make a strong counterattack. I'll survive his next turn and finish him off on my turn.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Marcus(2), Keith(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Get ready. Cause I'm going to finish you this turn."

"You wish. What can you do with your wimpy formation and that pitiful hand?" Keith questioned.

"I'll show you! Generation Zone release! Now, flames of destiny, burn brighter than ever! Blaze forth a trail to my future! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The G Unit that appeared on Marcus's field was a taller and much stronger looking form of his Blademaster Vanguard. Its wings were set ablaze, as was the massive blade it was wielding.

"Stride skill! I retire Nehalem!" Marcus said. "Next I move Nadim up and call Dragon Dancer Marcel behind it!"

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Keith asked.

"No but this next part might." Marcus said. "I attack with Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"! The skill of "Riden"! Blaze! When it attacks, I counterblast and retire your rear guard Burning Horn Evolute! Then, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden" gains 5000 power for every open rear guard circle you have. There's five open circles, so that's 25000 power!"

 **(26000+25000=51000)**

"There's one more thing you should know about." Marcus added. "Riden's Generation Break 3. Since you have no rear guards, Riden gains a critical and a drive."

"Generation guard! Divine Dragon Knight, Abd, Salam!"

 **Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Using its skill! You have three open circles so that's 30000 added to the shield!" Keith said. "I also guard with the Doom Bringer High Flame in my hand!"

' _He used what was left of his hand to guard. But even still, I only need 2 triggers to break through.'_ Marcus thought. "Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard. Third check, critical trigger." The sight of the second trigger, especially a critical one, was the sight Marcus was hoping for. "All effects to the Vanguard. Final check, no trigger."

"Grr… Damage check." Keith said. "First check, no trigger. Second check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Keith(6).]**

The units disappeared from the fighting field with the match over. Keith clenched his fists in frustration. How had he lost to this sad sack?

' _No, calm down.'_ Keith told himself. ' _I completed my job for this. I got him mad and filled with hatred towards Allen. This wasn't a game that I needed to win. For now, I'll let him enjoy his victory.'_

"Tell your leader this when you see him." Marcus said. "Tell him that when he and I fight, he's going to pay for what he did to Emma tenfold."

"Tch, still thinking you can beat Allen huh? In your dreams." Keith said. "But fine. I'll pass the message along. It'll make it that much sweeter when he crushes you."

With that, Keith was teleported away. Marcus looked at his cards, more determined than ever to win. ' _Now I have two reasons to win this tournament. Allen Demacio. Your twisted games end here.'_

* * *

"We're getting down to the wire, fighters! Day 3 of the second round is almost over!" Sachi announced to the crowd. "All the teams are scrambling around to get what points they can! Who will be our top 4 in the end?! We'll find out the answer to that question very soon!"

On one of the monitors, Aurora had just defeated another opponent, earning more points for her team. There wasn't anything telling them the time, but she could tell that there probably wasn't much time left.

' _I hope you're doing well. Dan. Anthony. We can't afford to mess up even a little.'_ the blonde teen thought to herself.

As if to prove her feeling of the lack of time earlier was correct, a message appeared before her. It read "Final Cardfight of the Day".

' _So that's it. One more cardfight.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Alright then. Who's my opponent?'_

Soon, a new figure appeared in the virtual field Aurora was standing in. The blonde girl widened her eyes right away when she recognized who it was.

"Hey Aurora!" Sophia greeted with a smile. "So I finally get to fight you?! Yay! This is gonna be so much fun!"

Aurora steeled herself. ' _Sophia… Seems my final fight of the second round is gonna be a tough one.'_

 **Sophia: I've really been looking forward to the chance to fight Star Chaser. Looks like I get my wish.**

 **Aurora: I've been curious about fighting you too, Sophia. Let's make this fight a good one.**

 **Sophia: You bet! But I won't lose! I'm super strong!**

 **Aurora: Bring it on. Show me what you've got.**

 **Next time: Star Chaser vs Star Vader**

 **Card Gallery:**

Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO: Blaze  
** **AUTO VC:** CB1 & Take a facedown card in your G zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, if your Vanguard is blazing and you have a heart card with "Blademaster" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it. Then, this unit gains +5000 power for each of your opponent's open RCs until the end of the battle.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** If your opponent has no rear guards on their field, this unit gains +1 drive and +1 critical.


	34. Star Chaser vs Star Vader

**A/N: Hey readers. Hope you've been looking forward to another fight with Aurora and/or Sophia. Cause here it is. Also keep your eyes open for any possible updates within the coming week. I might have a surprise for you all.**

 **Ask: Deviljho's Hatred and I plan to have every clan in Vanguard (minus Etranger) in at least 1 fight throughout this story. So yes, there will eventually be a Nubatama player. As for how relevant or not they'll be to the plot, we cannot make any promises.**

Aurora and Sophia stood across from each other in the virtual field. For both of them, this was going to be their final cardfight of the second round. They had no idea what the point totals of any of the teams were right now. For all they knew, this fight could decide everything for them.

"You ready, Aurora?" Sophia asked as she drew her opening hand. "Let's make this an awesome fight!"

' _Even with everything that's on the line, her first priority is having fun.'_ Aurora thought. ' _She's exactly what a cardfighter should be.'_

"Yeah, Sophia." Aurora answered with a nod. "Let's do our best."

After Aurora drew her opening hand, both players flipped over their starting Vanguards. They began the game with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Twinkle Maiden, Virgo!"

 **Twinkle Maiden, Virgo**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Involution Star-vader, Carbon!"

 **Involution Star-vader, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Sophia said. "I ride Eclipse Star-vader, Charcoal!"

 **Eclipse Star-vader, Charcoal**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carbon moves back with forerunner. Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Sophia(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Cosmos Storm, Aquarius!"

 **Cosmos Storm, Aquarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Virgo moves back with forerunner." Aurora explained. "Next I call Star Beast, Ursa. Ursa attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, holding up a 5000 shield card in her hand.

"Boosted by Virgo, Aquarius attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Sophia said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger!" The little girl grinned at seeing the card. "Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage!"

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Sophia(1).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. ' _I can't let this game go on too long. Otherwise, she'll just keep locking my field and she'll eventually overpower me.'_

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(4), Sophia(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Ride! Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton!"

 **Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Charcoal, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check, draw trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I draw!"

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sophia(1).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(4), Sophia(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"!"

 **Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With Virgo's skill, I bind her. Then I look at the top two cards of the deck, send one to the bind zone, and add the other to my hand." Aurora explained as the two cards came up to her. "Binding Pride of the Stars, Leo. Then I move Ursa back and call Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra."

Libra's image appeared on the virtual field in the same column as Ursa. With this, Aurora was ready to attack.

"Pisces "Mitera" attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, draw trigger. Power to Libra and I draw."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sophia(2).]**

"Boosted by Ursa, Libra attacks! Ursa's skill allows me to bind the top card of my deck and add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000=24000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sophia(3).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(7), Sophia(6).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Cursed dragon of the shadows! Unleash your power and fight by my side! Ride! Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox!"

 **Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Infinite Zero Paradox. Counterblast." Sophia explained. "I choose the circles that your Libra and Ursa are on and lock both of them!"

Aurora watched as both of her rear guards became trapped in orbs of darkness with black rings floating around them. As long as they remained locked, there was little she could do.

"Now I activate Carbon's skill. I send it to the soul, and since my opponent has a locked card, I search my deck for another Star-vader that's grade 1 or less and call it. Calling Twin-bladed Star-vader, Binary Star. Then from my hand I call Companion Star Star-vader, Photon in front of it. And now I'll have Infinite Zero Paradox attack!"

 **(11000)**

"As if I'd let that happen! I guard!" Aurora said, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Twin drive." Sophia said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Photon!"

' _Lovely.'_

"Now Photon attacks with a boost from Binary Star! And as long as my opponent has a locked card, binary Star gains 1000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+1000=22000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. Two cards fell into her damage zone to tie the game up, with neither being triggers.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Sophia(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(7), Sophia(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _Sophia's strong. Really strong. But more than anything, she gives off this weird vibe. It's as if winning right now doesn't matter to me. More than anything… I feel like I'm having the time of my life.'_

"Come on Aurora! Ride Hikari! I really wanna see it!" Sophia said with an excited grin.

Aurora smiled as she took the card from her hand. "Alright then Sophia. But don't go regretting this when I use Hikari and beat you."

"No way. Cause I'm not gonna lose."

"We'll see." Aurora said. "Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike your foes down with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Sophia gasped in amazement. "Wow! It looks so cool seeing her close up!"

"Well if you liked that, then you'll love this." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Star Child, Pisces "Paidi" from my deck! Then I call Galaxy Sabre, Gemini to rear guard! He gains 3000 power!" Aurora explained, calling it behind her Vanguard. "Next I call Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera". With her skill, since I have Pisces "Paidi" in my bind zone, she gains 5000 power and Boost. After that, I use Cosmos Pegasus's skill! I counterblast, and flip a copy of Cosmos Pegasus. Then I get to call cards from my bind zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone! There's only one, so I'll call Pride of the Stars, Leo! He gains 5000 power from the skill, and then another 10000 with his own skill! And since a card was called from the bind zone, I use Gemini's skill to give him Boost until the end of the turn!"

' _Aurora's got a full field, minus the units I've locked.'_ Sophia noticed. ' _And her two columns are really powerful.'_

' _I have to at least push her to four damage. If I'm lucky, I can get her to five.'_ Aurora thought. ' _My next turn, I won't be able to use any rear guards most likely. So I need to spend this turn attacking as hard as I can.'_

"Boosted by Gemini, Pegasus attacks!"

 **(26000+9000+3000=38000)**

Sophia looked at her hand. ' _I can't use up my hand guarding two attacks. I'll guard this one and hope for the best.'_

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! Aurora called out. "First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Leo! Third check, no trigger!" Aurora said. "And now Leo swings in with a boost from Pisces "Mitera"!"

 **(11000+10000+5000+5000+9000+5000=45000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Sophia(5).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "At the end of the turn, all my rear guards unlock."

"With Infinite Zero Paradox's skill, I can soul blast and relock your Libra. Then I get to draw a card." Sophia countered.

' _Her Repeat Lock technique. That's gonna be an annoying skill to work around.'_

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(8), Sophia(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Sophia said with a grin on her face. "Now's the time! Stride Generation! Death Star-vader, Infinite Zero Nebula!"

 **Death Star-vader, Infinite Zero Nebula**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lock Leo and Gemini!" Sophia declared. "Next I activate Infinite Zero Nebula's skill! I counterblast and flip a copy of it. Then for every Infinite Zero Nebula face up in the G Zone, I can lock a rear guard. There's only one, so I'll lock Pisces. Then, since you have a total of four locked rear guards, I get to counter charge, soul charge, add 10000 power to the Vanguard and give it plus one drive."

' _Darn. She's locking my entire field while replenishing her own resources.'_ Aurora realized.

"I call Krypton to rear guard." Sophia said, giving herself a third unit in the front row. "And now Krypton will attack! Using it's skill! I counterblast, and lock your last rear guard, Ursa. Then, Krypton gains 3000 power for each of my opponent's locked rear guards."

 **(10000+15000=25000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sophia(5).]**

"My Vanguard is coming in!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Photon! Final check, heal trigger. Power to Photon and I recover one." Sophia declared.

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sophia(4).]**

"Now go Photon! Binary Star! Get 'em! And with Binary Star's skill, it gains 10000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+8000+10000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papilion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papilion**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Warphole Papilion's skill! I soul blast and bind Photon." Aurora explained.

"At the end of the battle that I used Binary Star's skill, he moves to the soul. Then I get to countercharge." Sophia explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Sophia(9).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said as she started her turn. She looked at her field. Every single rear guard circle had a locked card on it. The only unit free was her Vanguard. "Let's go! I ride Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Sophia looked on in confusion. ' _Why's she riding the same unit?'_

' _She's already used a perfect guard. She might have one more in her hand, but that's probably it.'_ Aurora thought. ' _In which case, I'll just have to hit with my Vanguard as hard as I can.'_

"Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Here goes! Stride skill!" Aurora called out. "I bind Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera" from my deck!"

"But you can't call anything out, since you have no room to." Sophia told her.

"Maybe so, but another card in my bind zone will help out my Vanguard." Aurora smirked. "Draco Nova's Generation Break 3! Both it and any rear guards called from the bind zone this turn gain 3000 power for each card in the bind zone!"

' _She's got 3 cards in her bind zone. That means 9000 power.'_ Sophia calculated.

"Let's go Draco Nova! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+9000=35000)**

"Perfect guard with Flowers in Vacuum, Cosmo Wreath!" Sophia called out. "With Cosmo Wreath's skill, since there's a copy of it in the drop zone, I countercharge."

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I draw!" She looked at her hand, a total of eight cards. It was a good defense for now. "Turn end. At the end of the turn, all my rear guards unlock."

"I use Paradox's soul blast to relock your Libra and draw!" Sophia called out.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(8), Sophia(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Generation Zone, release! Your world is shrouded in darkness, but there is still a light of hope! Reach out a grab it! Stride Generation! Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon!"

 **Death Star-vader, Infinite Zero Nebula**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lock Leo and Gemini!" Sophia declared. "Next I use Infinite Zero Nebula's skill!" Sophia paid the cost of a counterblast, as well as flipping over a card in her G Zone. "There are 2 face up copies of Infinite Zero Nebula in my G Zone. So I lock your 2 remaining rear guards, Pisces and Ursa. And since you have at least four rear guards locked, my Vanguard once again gains all boosts from its skill."

' _So she gets to countercharge and soul charge. On top of that, her Vanguard gains 10000 power and plus one drive.'_ Aurora thought, remembering the terrifying power of the unit.

"There's more. Infinite Zero Nebula's Generation Break 3!" Sophia said. "My Star-vader rear guards gain 3000 power for each of your locked cards, for a total of 15000!" The young girl then took three cards from her hand and called them all out. "Calling Infinite Zero Dragon, Binary Star, and Shadow Butterfly!

Aurora watched as Sophia filled up her field for a total of now four rear guards. Shadow Butterfly was placed behind Krypton, while Infinite Zero Dragon and Binary Star were in her other column. The only free circle was the one behind her Vanguard.

' _This is gonna be close.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But if I can successfully guard and use that, then I might have a chance to turn this around.'_

"Infinite Zero Dragon attacks with a boost from Binary Star! And Binary Star's skill activates, adding another 10000 power!"

 **(11000+15000+8000+15000+10000=59000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Sophia(4).]**

"Infinite Zero Nebula attacks!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora declared.

"Quadruple drive. First check, critical trigger! All effects to Krypton! Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final check, another critical trigger! Once again, all effects to Krypton!" Sophia said. "But there's still one attack left! Boosted by Shadow Butterfly, Krypton attacks! And with it's counterblast, it gains 3000 for every locked rear guard you have!"

 **(10000+15000+15000+10000+7000+15000=72000)**

' _I've got to use it here. It's now or never.'_

"Generation guard!" Aurora declared. "White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus!"

 **White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

The unit that appeared was a large white swan with wings that shimmered with stardust. It wrapped its wings around Hikari in a defensive manner, like a guardian protector.

"Cygnus's skill! I flip a G Guardian face up and send the Hikari in my soul to the bind zone. Then I can choose up to 2 face down cards on my rear guard or damage zone and flip them face up. So I'll unlock Leo and Pisces "Mitera" in my left column."

Sophia gasped as she saw Aurora's rear guards break free of her lock. ' _So that's why she rode another Hikari last turn. It was to get a card in her soul after depleting it the turn before.'_

"There's more!" Aurora said. "If I have a Vanguard with Hikari in the name, Cygnus gains shield equal to the grade of the unit I sent to the bind zone times 5000! I sent a grade 3, so Cygnus gains 15000 shield! And then I add in Apollo, Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet, Pisces "Paidi", and Scorpius from my hand!"

Sophia widened her eyes in shock. ' _She managed to block it?!'_

Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. ' _Phew. I nearly used up my entire hand blocking that. That was way too close.'_

"Turn end." Sophia said. She let out a giggle. "That was really something, Aurora. I thought I had you."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(1), Sophia(9).]**

Aurora giggled right back. "Well you sure didn't make things easy on me. I thought I was a goner for a moment there. But now it's time for me to hit you with everything I've got."

"Bring it on! I won't lose!" Sophia told her.

' _With nine cards in her hand, this isn't going to be easy. But I'm just gonna have to go for broke.'_ Aurora thought. "At the beginning of my turn, I can use Hikari's skill. I bind my rear guard Leo and soul charge. Next I stand and draw." Aurora knew what she had to do. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Gemini from my deck, and call nothing." Aurora said. "Next, I'll use Draco Nova's skill! I bind a card from my hand, a card from my drop zone, and my rear guard Pisces "Mitera". Then I call 2 cards from my bind zone to rear guard. Calling Leo and Pisces "Mitera". In addition, my Vanguard gains plus one drive."

The two units appeared together in Aurora's open column. With one column still sealed off for her, she had to do everything she could to end things this turn.

"Draco Nova's Generation Break 3. I have seven cards in the bind zone, so that's 21000 power to my Vanguard, and my rear guards called from the bind zone this turn." Aurora added. "Now then, let's start things off with Draco Nova's attack!"

 **(26000+21000=47000)**

' _Her rear guard's attack is going to be stronger. So I'll save my perfect guard for that one.'_ Sophia thought. ' _But with a quadruple drive, I need to be careful of her Vanguard's attack.'_

"I guard!" Sophia called out, holding up three triggers with 10000 shield, a grade 2 with 5000 shield, and a draw trigger. "I also intercept with Krypton!"

' _A 50000 shield. Meaning I need three triggers to break through.'_ Aurora thought. "Quadruple drive. First check, critical trigger." Looking at her options, she assumed Sophia had a sentinel in her hand to block her next attack. That left her with one option. "All effects to the Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I draw!"

Aurora held her hand over her deck. It was all going to come down to this. One card would most likely decide the fate of this game. "Final check…" Finally, she ended the suspense by turning the card over. Both her and Sophia widened their eyes. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

Sophia watched as Aurora's Vanguard blasted through her defenses and hit her Infinite Zero Paradox. The last card fell into her damage zone, ending the game.

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sophia(6).]**

With the game over, the units vanished from the virtual field. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief at how close that game had been.

Despite her loss, Sophia showed a big grin. "That was so much fun! You're a really awesome cardfighter, Aurora!"

Aurora smiled back at the girl. "Thanks Sophia. You were amazing too."

"Hehehe." the little girl grinning was the last thing Aurora saw as Sophia was teleported away. With the cardfights for the day over, Aurora removed her headset.

' _The second round's finally over.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Now we just have to hope we made the cut.'_

* * *

"Hello all you cardfighters! The second round of the Vanguard World Tournament is finally over!" Sachi announced. "It's been a long exciting three days of non-stop action, but finally we have our top 4 decided!"

All of the teams in the second round gathered together on the field of the main stadium. A lot of them knew their chances of making the cut were probably slim to none. But there were still plenty of teams that were waiting to see if they had gotten in.

Looking around the crowd, Aurora noticed that she hadn't seen Team Beautiful Thorn anywhere. She could only assume they were blended in with the large group of cardfighters around them.

"Please turn your attention to the main monitor." Sachi said. "We'll announce the top 4 teams one by one." All heads turned to the large screen, curious to see the results. "Starting with first place, we have Team Apocalypse!"

The spotlight shined on Allen's team. The leader showed a nonchalant smirk, as if he had expected it all along. Marcus glared over at Allen, knowing he had been the one that had hurt Emma. He didn't care how strong he was, he was not going to let him get away with something like that.

"Second place in the rankings is one of the favorites to win the tournament, Team Round Table!" Sachi declared.

It was no surprise to anyone that William's team had made it through. The heir to the Lewis family waved appreciatively to his fans cheering for him. Elizabeth seemed to ignore most of the cheers, her mind only focused on the semi finals up next.

Sachi continued with the proceedings once the crowd had calmed down a bit. "In third place, we have Team Cosmic Trio!"

Hearing their team name, Aurora and her teammates all high fived each other, grinning that they had made it through.

"And finally, the final team of the top 4." Sachi announced. "Team Sightless Vision!"

Marcus and his team saw their name, revealed that they had gotten in. Sarah was on the verge of tears, happy that she was one step closer to helping her sister. "We made it through, Marcus. Emma's going to be so excited."

"Yeah…"

Sarah narrowed her eyes at her team leader. "Marcus? Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh y-yeah. Everything's fine." Marcus said. He still wasn't sure whether or not to tell his team about what Keith had told him.

With the top 4 teams revealed, the remaining standings were shown off for everyone to see. Several eyes widened when they saw Team Beautiful Thorn, who had been in third place the day before, drop all the way down to eighth in the rankings.

"You've got to be kidding me." Aurora said in shock. "What did they lose all of their games or something?"

"I don't see how? Rose and her team were all really strong." Dan commented.

"There is one more thing I'd like to share with everyone." Sachi added. "Earlier today, Rose Orchards collapsed during one of her cardfights. She was taken away to the hospital." Several gasps followed after hearing this. "Her teammates are with her right now, and we have been informed that Rose Orchards is perfectly fine, so there is no need to worry."

"So that's why their ranking plummeted." Anthony realized. "They had one less member to fight with."

"Now then, there's still one more piece of business to attend to!" Sachi said. "With the final four decided, it's time to see what the pairings will be for the semi finals!" The monitor switched screens, showing the four teams. "Our computer will give the teams a random shuffle and decide who will fight who in the next round!"

Everyone watched the monitor as it randomly sorted out the teams. After about ten seconds, it finally showed the pairings.

Team Cosmic Trio vs Team Round Table

Team Sightless Vision vs Team Apocalypse

"There you have it folks! Tomorrow will feature the semi finals! Our first match will be Team Cosmic Trio up against Team Round Table! And then our second match will be Team Sightless Vision versus Team Apocalypse!"

"So we're up against William's team." Dan noted. "This is gonna be a tough fight."

"Come on, let's go." Aurora said, motioning for her teammates to follow her. "I want to make sure Rose is ok."

* * *

After checking with the hospital staff where Rose's room was, Aurora and her team hurried there. Round Table, Southern Jungle, and Sightless Vision had tagged along with them, equally concerned about the French team leader.

As they walked into her room, they saw Rose's teammates with her. The red haired leader was awake, and seemed to be doing alright.

"Well, well, so many visitors. Aren't I the popular one." Rose said.

"Hmph, well at least you're in a joking mood." Elizabeth said.

"Always nice to have your concern, dear Elizabeth." Rose told her.

"Are you doing alright, Rose?" Aurora asked.

Rose nodded her head. "Yes, you needn't worry over me. The doctors say I'll be just fine."

"What happened?" William asked. "It's not like you to just collapse like that."

As Rose was about to answer, Marcus cut in. "Let me guess. Were you fighting Allen Demacio by any chance?"

Everyone turned to Marcus, wondering what had made him ask such a bizarre question. "How did you know?" Rose asked.

"I figured as much." Marcus said with a sigh.

"Hang on. What do you know, Marcus?" Sarah asked.

With everyone's eyes gazing at him, Marcus had little choice but to answer. "Fine. The truth is, I fought Keith on Team Apocalypse today. When we were fighting, he told me that the one that attacked Emma was Allen."

Everyone gasped as they heard this. Rose tensed up, clenching her fists tightly. "To think he'd do _that_ to a little girl. He's heartless."

"Wait, I'm confused." Maria said. "Sure he could have attacked Emma when she was alone, but how does that link with Rose? There's no way he could have hurt her physically if they were in separate rooms."

"He didn't hurt me by physically attacking me." Rose said. "It was a cardfight."

"A cardfight?" William asked.

Rose nodded her head. "I have no idea how, but he was able to make the damage felt in that cardfight real. The pain… I can still remember it clearly. I can only assume that's what he did to your sister, Marcus."

"That would explain the fact that there's no visible wounds." Dan said.

"Hang on, but how is any of that possible?!" Maria asked. "It makes no sense! Cardfights can't normally hurt the players!"

"I'm afraid Allen Demacio isn't a normal cardfighter." Rose said. "That fight. It's still a little hazy, but I remember it felt like we were transported somewhere else. Some kind of castle I think."

Aurora thought to herself. ' _Does this have anything to do with the Conquest Empire clan he's using? It has to.'_

Bruno looked over at Team Sightless Vision. "Are you guys gonna be ok? You're facing them in the semi finals, right?"

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Marcus told them. "And I'll make sure Allen pays for everything he's done."

Sarah looked at her team leader worriedly. "Marcus…"

"Be careful." Sophia said. "I don't wanna see anymore people get hurt. Especially because of Vanguard."

Marcus nodded his head. "We will. Just leave Team Apocalypse to us."

"Alright then. We'll see you in the finals then. Best of luck." Aurora said.

" _You'll_ see them in the finals? I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself, Aurora." William said. "After all, if you want to get to the finals you need to beat us first."

"And sorry to spoil your plans, but we aren't losing." Elizabeth told them.

"Heh, tough talk." Anthony said. "But I wonder if you can back it up. We're no pushovers."

"Well I wouldn't take us lightly either." Thomas added.

"This should be a good match." Rose said. "I look forward to seeing how it goes."

 **Dan: So we're up against Team Round Table now? This'll be our toughest battle yet.**

 **Aurora: Indeed. But we have to win, no matter what.**

 **Anthony: I say we can do it. And since when have I ever been wrong?**

 **Aurora: I can count a few times.**

 **Anthony: Hey!**

 **Next time: The Flames That Burn For the King**

 **Card Gallery:**

White Wings of the Cosmos, Cyngus  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO GB1:** [Flip a face down G Guardian in your G Zone face up, and send a card from your soul to the bind zone face up] When this unit is placed on GC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to 2 facedown cards on your RC or in your damage zone and turn them face up. Then, if you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, this unit's shield increases by 5000 for every grade of the card you bound from soul.


	35. The Flames That Burn For the King

**A/N: Some of you may have guessed this was happening from my last Author's Note but surprise! Time for another 5 chapter week. Hope you guys are ready for some semi-final action!**

"Hello cardfighters from around the world!" Sachi called out to the crowd. "We're here at the Vanguard World Tournament! And boy do we have some exciting stuff planned for you here at today's semi final matches! First we have the match between Team Round Table from England, lead by the Euro League's very own William Lewis, and Japan's Team Cosmic Trio, lead by wielder of the Star Chaser clan, Aurora Fujou! After that, we have the second match, featuring another team from Japan. The winners of the Wild Card Round, Team Sightless Vision lead by Marcus Cersy! Facing them is Team Apocalypse from America lead by Allen Demacio. Allen wields the fearsome Conquest Empire clan, and he has shown he plans to dominate this tournament with them."

Cheers were heard all around with everyone excited for the first match to start. The cheers could even be heard from the halls as Team Cosmic Trio made their way to the entrance to the field. They were all determined to win, despite the overwhelming challenge in front of them.

"You guys ready?" Aurora asked.

"You better believe it." Anthony said with a grin. "Let's kick some butt."

"We're in for the biggest challenge we've faced yet." Dan mentioned. "But we're just gonna have to go out there and give it our all like usual."

Aurora nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah. And guys… thanks for staying with me all this time."

"Of course. We're a team after all." Anthony told her.

"We'll win. Not just to become champions, but also to help you find out the truth about your mother." Dan added.

"Right." Aurora nodded. "Now let's go. Team Cosmic Trio is making it to the finals no matter what!"

Back at the field, time was ticking down before the first match was scheduled to begin. Sachi spoke out to the crowd. "Alright fans around the world, are you ready to get this started?!" The response she got was a deafening cheer. "Okay then! Allow me to introduce our first team! Coming all the way from Japan, we have Team Cosmic Trio!"

As Aurora and her teammates walked out onto the field, they were greeted by a large applause. With no real tournament experience up until this point, one could think of them as the underdogs in this match. And the term couldn't be any more appropriate with who they were facing.

"Next up, we have the team lead by one of the most prominent fighters in the Euro League! Give it up for Team Round Table!"

It was made all too obvious that William's team was the crowd favorite by how much louder the cheers were as they walked out. With all of the members being strong fighters from the Euro League, one couldn't help but feel they had the advantage in experience.

"Now then, it's time for the first game to begin!" Sachi announced. "Will both teams please select their first players?"

Dan took a step forward. "Wish me luck."

"Go get 'em, Dan." Aurora said.

"You got this." Anthony added.

Dan stepped forward out onto the field. Over on the other side, he saw Thomas Ainsworth walk out to face him. Dan tightened his gloves, as he psyched himself up. ' _I did my research on the team. This guy uses Gold Paladin. Unlike my deck that calls units from the soul each turn, he calls his from the deck. That means it'll be a battle of who can unleash the stronger offense.'_

"I commend you on making it this far for a group with your level of experience." Thomas said. "But I'm afraid this is where your journey ends."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong." Dan countered.

"Let's get this show underway!" Sachi called out. "You know what to do fighters!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Happiness Collector!"

 **Happiness Collector**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Young Lion Liberator, Romanus!"

 **Young Lion Liberator, Romanus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Dan said. "Ride! Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty!"

 **Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Happiness Collector moves back with forerunner." Dan said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Thomas(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Thomas said. "Ride! Easgal Liberator!"

 **Easgal Liberator**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Romanus moves back. Then I call Liberator, Board Andalusian." Thomas said. "Andalusian attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, holding up a grade 1.

"Boosted by Romanus, Easgal Liberator will attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check." Thomas said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Thomas(0).]**

"That's it for my turn." Thomas said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(4), Thomas(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said. "Ride! Flying Peryton!"

 **Flying Peryton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Face Magician, Lappin." Dan said as he called the grade 2 next to his Vanguard. "Lappin attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Thomas said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Thomas(1).]**

"Boosted by Happiness Collector, Paryton is up next!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Thomas(2).]**

' _Good. I took the lead.'_ Dan thought to himself. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(4), Thomas(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Thomas said. "I ride Ajargal Liberator!"

 **Ajargal Liberator**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I move Andalusian back and call Taciturn Liberator, Brennius in front of it." Thomas said. "Boosted by Romanus, Ajargal Liberator attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check. Draw trigger. Power to Brennius and I draw one."

"Damage check, no trigger." Dan said.

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Thomas(2).]**

"And now Brennius will attack with Andalusian's boost!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Dan said begrudgingly. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Thomas(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(4), Thomas(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _He's unleashing attack after attack. And his next turn is gonna be even fiercer since he can stride. I need to get back in this.'_

"The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signaling for the show to begin! Take to the stage! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Masked Phantom's skill. I look at the top 2 cards of the deck, send one to the soul, and send the other to the bottom of the deck." Dan explained. He looked at the two cards, relieved when he saw Cutie Paratrooper among them. "I send Cutie Paratrooper to the soul. Next I call Darkside Swordmaster from my hand. And now with her boost, Lappin attacks! I use Lappin's skill to soul charge. The card I sent to the soul doesn't have magia so only 2000 is added."

 **(9000+2000+4000=15000)**

"Guard!" Thomas said, holding up a critical trigger with 10000 shield.

"Boosted by Happiness Collector, Harri attacks!" Dan declared. "I use Darkside Swordmaster's skill. Send her to the soul and add 5000 power to Harri. I also get to draw."

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Thomas said.

"Twin drive." Dan said. "First check, heal trigger. Power to Lappin and I recover one. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Lappin."

Thomas widened his eyes. ' _A stand trigger?!'_ Having another attack from Lappin was going to be annoying since it would add another card into his opponent's soul. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Thomas(3).]**

"Lappin attacks once more! With her skill, I soul charge!" Dan declared. "The card has magia so 5000 is added."

 **(9000+10000+5000=24000)**

"No guard." Thomas said. "Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the vanguard and I heal one."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Thomas(3).]**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(6), Thomas(5).]**

' _This kid's good. If it wasn't for that heal trigger, I'd be at four damage already.'_ Thomas thought. ' _I can't afford to mess up here. I need to win for the team.'_

"Righteous warrior of the azure flames! Burn down all evil in your path! Cast judgement upon your enemies! Ride! Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure!"

 **Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done. Stride Generation!" Thomas called out. "Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno!"

 **Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I counterblast and look at the top four cards of the deck! Then I call up to 2 Liberators among them." Thomas explained. "Calling Bluish Flame Liberator, Prominence Core and Fast Chase Liberator, Josephus. They both gain 3000 power. Then with Josephus's soul blast, I draw."

' _Just like that, he's got a full field.'_ Dan thought.

"Brennius's skill. Everytime a Liberator is called from the deck, he gains 2000 power and the ability to let me countercharge if he hits." Thomas said. "I just called 2, so that's 4000. In addition, Board Andalusian's skill will increase its own power by 7000. And Prominence Inferno's skill increases the power of my front row rear guards by 3000 whenever a Liberator is called from the deck."

"Here it is folks! The power of Thomas Ainsworth's Gold Paladins!" Sachi spoke out. "Calling units from the deck and increasing their power all at the same time! A dangerous combo to be sure!"

"Prominence Core, attack with a boost from Josephus!"

 **(11000+6000+7000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill. Look at the top 3 cards of the deck and add one to the soul, then send the rest to the bottom of the deck." Dan explained. "If the card added is grade 1 or higher, add 5000 to the shield."

"Well then, Romanus will boost my Vanguard for an attack next!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to brennius and critical to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Dan said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Thomas(3).]**

"Let's see how you deal with an attack from Brennius next, with a boost from Board Andalusian!"

 **(9000+4000+6000+5000+7000+7000=38000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Thomas(3).]**

"Since the attack hit, I can countercharge." Thomas explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(5), Thomas(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said as he began his turn. ' _His attacks are insane. However, he doesn't seem to unleash multi attacks.'_ The teen looked at the board and analyzed his situation. ' _He's got three damage, and eight cards in hand. I doubt I can take him out this turn. So for now, I'll have to add to my hand and defend against his next turn while trying to push him to the edge this turn.'_

"Stride Generation!" Dan called out. "Melodious Megatick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Flying Peryton from the soul!" Dan said. "Then I use Happiness Collector's skill to go to the soul to allow me to draw and soul charge. Next I use Peryton's magia to soul charge and call Cutie Paratrooper behind it. Then I use Cutie's magia to soul charge, but I won't call out anything. Finally, I call Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty from my hand behind Lappin."

' _A strong formation. And he barely touched his hand.'_ Thomas noted.

"Peryton will attack first, with Cutie's boost!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Thomas said, holding up a trigger with 10000 shield.

"Lappin is up next with a boost from Betty! With Lappin's skill, I soul charge! The card has magia so 5000 is added!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Thomas said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Thomas(4).]**

"Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica attacks!" Dan declared. "Using Lyrica's skill. I send all my rear guards to the soul. She gains 3000 for each one, totalling 12000. Then, since four or more rear guards were sent, she gains plus one drive."

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!" Thomas called out, holding up the sentinel.

"Quadruple drive." Dan said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Lyrica. Second check, Flying Peryton. It's a grade 1 or greater unit so Lyrica's skill activates. I soul blast to draw, soul charge, and call Flying Peryton from the soul. With his magia, I soul charge and call Happiness Collector behind it. Third check, stand trigger. Power to Peryton. Final check, Masked Magician, Harri. Once again, Lyrica's skill triggers. I soul charge, draw, and call Cutie Paratrooper. Then with her magia, I soul charge and call Crescent Moon Juggler. Adding 5000 power. Then I use Happiness Collector's skill to soul charge and draw by sending her to the soul. Finally I use Crescent Moon Juggler's skill. I soul charge and call Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty behind Flying Peryton. Both she and Crescent gain 2000 power."

"Incredible!" Sachi called out to the crowd. "Dan Kisha uses a tricky combination of skills to not only call out two more full columns to attack with, but also add to his hand! This is exactly the tricky kind of plays his Pale Moon clan is known for!"

"Boosted by Cutie Paratrooper, Crescent Moon Juggler attacks." Dan said.

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Thomas said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Thomas(5).]**

"Boosted by Betty, Peryton will attack!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"Generation guard! True Liberator of Healing, Ellise!"

 **True Liberator of Healing, Ellise**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

' _I could use Betty's skill to do the combo between her and Peryton. But it'll only reach 16000 power, the same as his Vanguard. And he's got plenty of hand to guard it.'_ Dan thought. ' _I'll conserve my counterblasts for now, and finish him off next turn. With two perfect guards in my hand, I should be able to block his attacks no problem.'_

"Turn end. All of my rear guards move to the soul." Dan said, leaving his field completely empty besides his Vanguard.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(12), Thomas(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Thomas said as he began his turn. He looked over at Dan. "You've definitely proven that you've earned your place here. I'm quite impressed."

"Thank you." Dan said. "Sorry though, but flattery will get you nowhere when facing me."

"I doubt it would." Thomas agreed. "But regardless, I'm going to finish you this turn."

Dan tensed up. He had twelve cards in hand. Was his opponent really so confident in their offense for the coming turn? He was at five damage after all.

"Generation Zone release!" Thomas called out. "Flames of hope that span across centuries, gather here and lend me the power of your undying light! Stride Generation! Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno!"

 **Bluish Flame True Liberator, Prominence Inferno**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I look at the top four cards of the deck and call up to 2 Liberators among them." Thomas said. "Calling Oath Liberator, Aglovale and Physical Force Liberator, Zorron over Prominence Core and Josephus. Using Zorron's skill. When he's superior called from the deck, I can send him to the soul to look at the top 3 cards of the deck and call a Liberator." Thomas looked at the cards available to him and chose a unit. "Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure. I call it where Zorron was."

' _He's gonna keep superior calling to power up his units as much as possible.'_ Dan thought.

"Prominence Inferno's Generation Break 3! I retire Percival! Now my vanguard gains a critical, as well as 10000 power!" Thomas explained. "In addition, three Liberators have been superior called from the deck so far this turn. That means 9000 power is going to my front row rear guards, as well as another 6000 to Brennius with his own skill. In addition, Board Andalusian gains 7000 power with its skill. Next I use Romanus's skill. I retire Romanus and give a skill to my Vanguard and Aglovale. For the rest of the turn, whenever I superior call from the deck, they both gain 3000 power."

"Power up your units all you want. It won't make a difference." Dan said.

Thomas smirked. "Are you sure?"

Aurora tensed up. "I don't like this. He's got something up his sleeve."

"Calling Easgal Liberator from my hand. Then I use Prominence Inferno's skill. I flip a copy of it and retire Easgal Liberator. I then get to check the top seven cards of the deck and call Liberators up to the number of face up Liberators in the G Zone, which is currently three." Thomas took a look at the top seven cards and smirked at what he saw. "I call Zorron over Andalusian, another Andalusian behind my Vanguard, and Improve Falcon behind Aglovale. Andalusian's skill gives it another 7000, while the appearance of three units adds another 9000 to the front row rear guards, 9000 more to the Vanguard, and 15000 more to Brennius. In addition, since I called at least 2 cards with this skill, my Vanguard prevents you from guarding its attack with any cards in your hand that are grade 1 or higher."

Dan gasped as he heard this. "What?!"

"Seems you weren't expecting that." Thomas smirked. "Well then, let's see how you handle this. I use Zorron's skill. He moves to the soul and I call up to one Liberator among the top three cards. Calling Ascendant Liberator, Barbtruc. Another unit means another set of power bonuses."

' _Meaning it'll be even harder to guard the Vanguard now.'_

"Boosted by Liberator, Board Andalusian, Prominence Inferno attacks!"

 **(26000+10000+12000+7000+7000=62000)**

Dan looked at his hand. No grade 1s or higher sealed off a lot of his hand. He quickly calculated the shield he had available.

' _It's a long shot. But I have to try.'_

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Coulthard's skill, 15000 is added to the shield, since I have four cards with different grades in my soul!" Dan said. "Then I guard with two Darkside Swordmasters and one Prankster Girl of Mirrorland from my hand!"

Aurora and Anthony tensed up. With Dan's shield, his Vanguard was up to 71000. Thomas would only need two triggers to break through.

"Triple drive." Thomas said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Final check…"

Everyone in the stadium waited with anticipation as they awaited the final drive check. If it was a trigger, there would be no saving Dan. However if it wasn't, Dan's large hand had a good chance of guarding Thomas's remaining attacks. Finally, Thomas turned the last card over.

"Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Prominence Inferno's flames burned through Dan's guardians. The azure flames engulfed him and his field as the final card fell into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(6), Thomas(5).]**

"The winner of round one is Thomas Ainsworth of Team Round Table!" Sachi declared.

Cheers filled the crowd as Thomas and Dan both left the field and walked back over to their respective teams. Dan sighed as he walked up to his teammates. "Sorry guys. I lost."

"Don't worry about it. You did your best, man." Anthony said as he walked past his teammate, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just leave the rest to me and Aurora."

"Be careful Anthony." Aurora told him. "You know how strong Elizabeth is."

Anthony nodded his head. He had seen first hand. Elizabeth Scarlet was a _very_ strong opponent. "I know. But I'll win anyway."

Anthony walked out onto the field. Sachi spoke out to the crowd. "With Team Round Table one win ahead, we move onto the second game. Anthony Ferges versus Elizabeth Scarlet. Anthony Ferges has shown to be the explosive firecracker of Team Cosmic Trio, unleashing devastating plays with the Narukami clan. Elizabeth Scarlet is no pushover either, as she's been known to have some powerful plays of her own. How will this fight unfold?"

Elizabeth placed her deck on the terminal, ready to fight. "Sorry kid, but you're going to have to lose here. As a member of the Scarlet family, I cannot embarrass myself with a loss here."

"Is that so?" Anthony asked as he did the same. "Hate to break it to you, but there's no chance I'm losing this fight."

 **Elizabeth: Your team has done quite well so far. But now you're facing a wall that's too tall for you to climb. I will leave you defeated on this battlefield.**

 **Anthony: You wish. I'm not about to roll over that easily. I think it's time to show you what happens when you mess with lightning.**

 **Dan: What do you think Aurora? Think he can pull this off?**

 **Aurora: I know he can. We just have to believe.**

 **Anthony: Heh, just watch me. I'm gonna blow her away!**

 **Next time: Dragons of Thunder of Shadow**


	36. Dragons of Thunder and Shadow

**A/N: Here we go readers. Match 2 of the first semi-final match. I know this fight involves a fan favorite for many so I hope you enjoy it.**

The crowd roared over the stage where Anthony and Elizabeth stared at each other. With the excitement that was the last fight, there was much anticipation for the next one. Both fighters gathered their opening hand at the ready for their match to begin.

At the stands for Team Round Table, both Thomas and William sat looking past their teammate to her opponent. "Anthony Fergus. Now he's an interesting one."

"William?"

"With our clans being focused on the Paladins, most Dragon Empire clans would give us a hard time by destroying the units we worked hard to bring to the field. But Narukami is an interesting case since he also binds the cards that are retired." William explained. "And if you remember, some of Elizabeth's skills are dependant on the Ritual skill. Statistically, she might be at a disadvantage."

Thomas shook his head at his leader. "I see but I don't think we should worry about that. Once Elizabeth see's what his plan is, she'll develop a counter strategy."

"Right. Let's hope she can take a clean victory."

Elizabeth looked to her hand for a moment as she returned what she didn't want and drew her new hand. "You know I must say. I find it to be a miracle that your team got paired up against ours."

"Oh? And how do you figure that?" Anthony asked as he did the same.

The smug smile she gave to the teen irked him slightly. Not that he'd let that show of course. "Because kid, you can go home knowing that you lost to the team that's going to win this whole tournament."

"Hey, knock it off with the kid comments! You're not that much older than me yourself!" he growled. "Plus there's no way we're leaving this place without showing everyone that we are number one!"

The red head let out a soft snort of a laugh at his claim. "You've got big dreams. I'll give you that at the very least. Try to make sure and give me a fight I'll remember."

"Alright there cardfighters! It's time for the second round to begin!" Sachi announced over the cheering crowd. "Anthony Fergus of Team Cosmic Trio vs Elizabeth Scarlet of Team Round Table! Let's get started!"

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

Both cardfighters flipped over their starting vanguards to begin the fight proper.

"Hardrod Dracokid!"

 **Hardrod Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Pedigree Knight, Tigresse!"

 **Pedigree Knight, Tigresse**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

Elizabeth looked to her opponent's starting vanguard. The Narukami clan was going to be a difficult challenge but it was nothing she couldn't overcome. "I'll ride Blue Espada Dragon!"

 **Blue Espada Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Tigresse moves back with forerunner! Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Elizabeth(5).]**

"I draw! Ride Smash Boxer Dragon!"

 **Smash Boxer Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Anthony moved back Hardrod behind his vanguard with forerunner. "Boosted by Hardrod, Smash Boxer attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

Elizabeth turned over her damage check to show no trigger either for her.

 **[Damage: Anthony(0), Elizabeth(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony(6), Elizabeth(5).]**

"Stand and draw. Ride Knight of Brawn, Gronse."

Knight of Brawn, Grosne

Grade 2, Power: 9000

' _If he was playing any other clan, calling another unit to attack with would be ideal. But whenever someone tries to rush him, he rides Martial Arts Dragon to apply spot removal of that extra unit.'_ In preparation for fighting any of the members of this team, Elizabeth had done extensive research on all three of them.

Even if this was statistically her worst matchup out of the three, she knew how this guy played from the numerous matches she watched. With victory on the line, there was no room for even the smallest error. "Boosted by Tigresse, Grosne attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check." Elizabeth smiled at her check. "Heal trigger, recovering one damage and giving the power to the vanguard."

"Tch, damage check, no trigger." Anthony was a bit annoyed that she got a heal this early on. However that meant one less heal for the late game where it mattered most.

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Elizabeth(0).]**

"I end my turn."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony(6), Elizabeth(6).]**

"Stand and draw!" Anthony looked to his hand and to his opponent's field. ' _Didn't call anything extra so I can't retire off my usual way. But still have to do something for pressure.'_ Knowing what to do, he picked two cards from his hand. "I ride Martial Arts Dragon!"

 **Martial Arts Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power:9000**

"I then call Demonic Dragon Berseker, Chatura!" He knew that he had to get back some of the advantage from the heal trigger from last turn. Forcing cards out of hand early is something to answer to that. "With the skill of Hardrod Dracokid, I bind the card in your drop zone!"

Elizabeth bound the card face up with a small frown. It seemed that the heal was a double edged sword in the long run since he now got a head start on his thunderstrike.

"Chatura comes in on the vanguard! With his skill add 3000 power to the attack!"

 **(8000+3000=11000)**

She knew that letting that unit hit would be nothing but trouble. "Guard!" She threw down a grade 2 to guard with.

"Now for Martial Arts! Get in there!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger." Checking her damage, there were no triggers for Elizabeth.

 **[Damage: Anthony (1), Elizabeth (1).]**

"Turn end!"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony (6), Elizabeth (5).]**

"Stand and draw!" The game was about even between the two of them. However Elizabeth merely shook her head and chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"If you think I came into this match blind, you're mistaken. Narukami may be a pain to deal with. But I can assure you that I'll deal that pain back tenfold." She raised one card about her hand. "Dark dragon that stands at the pinnacle of strength! Annihilate all who dare make light of your power! Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I activate Tigresse's skill." She paid a counterblast and retired her starter. "By retiring him, I can check the top seven cards of my deck for a card with Claret Sword Dragon in its name." Looking at the top seven, she grabbed a copy of her vanguard. "I then shuffle my deck and then draw a card since I have a Claret Sword Dragon vanguard. I then call Taboo Mage Cafar behind my vanguard. My vanguard attacks! With the skill of Cafar, move into soul to give my vanguard 5000 power and I draw a card!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check! First check, no trigger. Second check…" Smiling again, Elizabeth raised up a heal trigger. "Heal trigger. Recovering one and giving the power to the vanguard!"

"Tch! Damage check, draw trigger! Power to the vanguard and draw one card."

 **[Damage: Anthony (2), Elizabeth (0).]**

"Hmm. Seems you have a bit of luck yourself. I end my turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony (7), Elizabeth (8).]**

"My turn! Stand and draw!" Anthony looked to his formation then his opponents. She was playing this game two steps ahead of them by keeping her board free of units to bind. That and two heals this early on would prove to be annoying.

' _This might be a problem but I'm just gonna smash right through it like I always do.'_ Anthony looked to his favorite unit and smiled. ' _Let's show this stubborn girl what we're made of Vanquisher!'_

"If you think planning around my binding is gonna give you the edge, you're the one who is sorely mistaken!"

This made the Scarlet heir raise her eyebrow at his bravado. "And what makes you so sure of that?"

In response, Anthony showed Elizabeth the card he was going to ride. "Because Vanquisher and I are gonna bust through that hand of yours! The power of the skies is in your hands! Descend upon this battlefield and blow all foes away with your wrathful lightning! Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I activate my stride skill to bind a card in your drop zone." Anthony rolled his eyes at her empty field. "You'd normally bind a unit on your field also since I strode into a unit with the thunderstrike skill but since you want to ruin my fun, we can't do that."

Back in the stands, Aurora gazed at the matchup at current closely. "He's in the backseat for sure here. That Elizabeth did her homework to counter everything Anthony usually goes for."

Dan nodded his head. "Anthony is a very reactionary player though. He likely has something planned to counteract this."

"You won't be able to do much with what you have to work with." Elizabeth said confidently.

"Ha, says you. Thunderstrike 3 is all I'll need to do everything this turn." From his hand he threw down a unit behind Chatura. "I call Dragon Dancer, Fatine. Fatine's thunderstrike 2, I soulblast to draw a card. Now "VBUSTER"'s skill, bind the last card in your drop zone and since I have more rearguards than you three of my units gain 3000 power until the end of the turn. I choose my vanguard, Fatine and Chatura."

"Look at that cardfighters! Even when restricted as much as possible, Anthony still manages to reach the thunderstrike he needs to make plays!" Sachi cheered along with the crowd.

Anthony took one more card from his hand and called it to the last open front row rear guard circle. "I call Plea Lightning, Helena and activate her thunderstrike 3. Since I have a Vanquisher vanguard, I counterblast to draw a card and give Helena 2000 power until the end of the turn. Now let's go, Helena attack the vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Please, I guard that." Throwing down a grade 1, Elizabeth guarded the attack.

Anthony rested his vanguard for the attack. "Time for "VBUSTER" to bring the pain!"

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive!" His first two checks didn't provide anything but the last one gave him a smile. "Critical trigger! Power to Chatura and critical to the vanguard!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (2), Elizabeth (2).]**

"Looks like we're even now, huh princess? Now for Chatura, go for the throat!"

 **(8000+3000+6000+3000+3000+5000=27000)**

Elizabeth discarded one of her heal triggers. "Generation guard! Dragwiser, Bronach!"

 **Dragwiser, Bronach**

 **Grade 4, Shield:15000**

"With her skill I check the top five cards of my deck and put any grade 1 units from among them to the guardian circle." Choose two from among them, she threw down the cards for a total 25000 shield value.

"I end my turn."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony (9), Elizabeth (6).]**

As Elizabeth stood her units and drew for turn, an aura of death seemed to emanate from her. The intimidating aura made Anthony flinch back in slight fear. From the stands of Team Round Table, both William and Thomas sighed at the mistake the Spaniard made.

"So. Princess, huh?"

' _Oh crap…'_

"Think I'm gonna let you get away with that comment?"

The glare coming from the redhead made a cold sweat break out on his back. "L-Look I'm sorry! I just got caught up in the heat of the moment!"

"Oh no, you're not sorry." She raised one card in her hand. "Not yet."

For some reason, Aurora couldn't help but feel a bit of pity and satisfaction in seeing Anthony in this situation.

Practically slamming the grade 3 down into the drop zone with her fist, Elizabeth snatched a G unit and held it high. "Get ready for your punishment kid! Stride Generation! Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon!"

 **Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Due to me not having any units to retire, I can't activate the stride skill. But that won't stop me from plowing you into the dirt. Call! Knight of Brawn, Gronse and Mage of the Rouge Eye, Arsur!" The two units were called to the left hand column. "With Gronse's skill, gain 3000 power everytime a grade 1 or less unit is called to the rear guard. And then call Morion Spear Dragon and Nightsky Eagle to the other column. Gronse gains another 3000 power while Night Sky gains 4000 power until the end of the turn! Gronse, cut down Chatura!"

 **(9000+4000+3000+3000=19000)**

' _Picking off my rearguards for less offense next turn. She's also limiting my damage resources by going for the others. That extra 2000 power makes guarding Chatura all the more difficult.'_ Anthony decided to let Chatura go, letting the attack through.

"Now my vanguard attacks! Aurageyser's skill!" She retired her stand trigger while paying a counter blast and soul blast and flipping a copy of her G unit face up. "I retire two units when I attack to reveal the top two cards of my deck and add them to my hand. If they are grade 1 or less units, my vanguard gains 5000 power for each! My stand trigger Arsur counts as two units when being retired for the cost of a skill. Now for my first check." From the top of her deck, she revealed a perfect guard. "5000 power to my vanguard and now for the second." It was a grade 1 but not a perfect guard this time. "Add another 5000 power to my vanguard. Crush him!"

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

Anthony quickly threw down a perfect guard to top that attempt. "I don't think so!"

She knew that he would probably guard that, but there was no way she was going to let him off that easily. "Triple drive check! First, stand trigger! Giving the power to Morion Spear and standing Gronse! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Morion Spear! Final check, no trigger."

Anthony grit his teeth at the current situation. Morion just got a huge boost while he had another attack to deal with. Not to mention being one thunderstrike short from activating his perfect guard's effect to replace what he discarded for the cost. Elizabeth looked like she knew this and gave a smug grin of satisfaction.

"Oh what's wrong? Irritated that this little 'princess' is making this fight hard for you? Poor kid, but I don't show mercy to anyone in a cardfight!" Her grin disappeared for a stoic expression as she turned Gronse for his second attack. "Attack the vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000+3000=15000)**

"Intercept with Helena!" Since Helena already did her job, he didn't mind losing the rearguard.

"Now for Morion Spear's attack with Night Sky's boost! He gains an additional 5000 power when boosted by a grade 1 unit. Impale him!"

 **(9000+7000+4000+5000+5000+5000=35000)**

Not having a heal trigger in hand for a G Guard truly was hurting him right now. He couldn't afford to waste any more resources on guarding an attack this high, even if it was critical. "Tch, no guard!" With no triggers in his damage check Anthony was given no relief in this.

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Elizabeth (2).]**

"With that bit of punishment I'll end my turn." Returning the G unit face up, Elizabeth passed the turn onto her opponent. "But don't even think for a second that this is the worst of it."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony (6), Elizabeth (7).]**

"Stand and draw!" Not having thunderstrike 4 prevented him gaining a soul charge he could've used to go into "VBUSTER". But rather than that, he knew that forcing damage was the more important thing to do at this moment. So in order to do that, he had to lose his forerunner. "Stride generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind one card in your drop zone and you choose one of your cards to bind on field!"

The redhead looked to her units and bind zone. Now he was at thunderstrike 5, things were going to get a bit more hairy in terms of his offenses. But she was confident she could counter anything he threw at her. "I'll bind Night Sky Eagle."

No front row rearguards were bound. That was something that Anthony had to change. "Skill of Hardrod Dracokid, I bind one card in your drop zone." With that Elizabeth was left to one card left in her drop zone. But he knew he had to push for more. "Now the second skill of Hardrod, I counter blast and throw him into soul to give Fatine 3000 power and you choose one of your units and bind it!"

Another irritating play but something the Scarlet heir had to accept in fighting the Narukami clan. She bound Gronse face up.

"And now I call!" From his hand he called two Grizels to the front row and a Smash Boxer Dragon behind the one without a back row unit. "Skill of "VBUSTER"!" Paying the same cost as before, Anthony smiled while pointing to her field. "Bind the last card on your field and the last card in your drop zone! And now I choose my front row to gain 3000 power since I have more rearguards than you! In addition to that, "VBUSTER"'s Generation Break 3! Thunderstrike 7, my front row gains an additional 5000 power and my vanguard gains a critical and an extra drive check!"

"Just like that Anthony has turned this situation around to try and overwhelm Elizabeth! How will she respond to this!?"

"Grizel boosted by Fatine is coming at the vanguard! With her thunderstrike 5, she gains an additional 9000 power for the battle!"

 **(9000+9000+6000+3000+3000+5000=35000)**

"Tch, I don't guard. Damage check, stand trigger! Power to the vanguard!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Elizabeth (3).]**

That trigger, while a bit annoying, made no difference to Anthony's game plan. ""VBUSTER", go and get her now!"

 **(26000+5000+3000=34000)**

Elizabeth quickly dropped a perfect guard. Not wanting to take any risks given the extra critical. "I don't think so!"

"Fine, quadruple drive! First check, stand trigger! All effects to the resting Grizel! Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to the left hand Grizel! Final check, nothing."

The royal looked to her hand and scowled. The stand trigger really put her into a hairy situation with how big the coming attacks were. One of them critical no less.

' _I won't lose here! A Scarlet never backs down, never surrenders! This Anthony is going to know how ferocious I can be when push comes to shove!'_

"Boosted by Smash Boxer Dragon, Grizel attacks the vanguard gaining another 9000 for the attack!"

 **(9000+9000+7000+5000+3000+5000=38000)**

' _I can't waste this much guarding it. Even if it is critical I have to take it.'_ Elizabeth grit her teeth but nodded her head. "No guard." Her first check revealed a critical trigger but the second gave nothing to help.

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Elizabeth (5).]**

"With Smash Boxer's skill, I move him into soul to draw a card and countercharge! Now Grizel, finish her off!"

 **(9000+9000+5000+3000+5000=31000)**

"Don't you dare get ahead of yourself! Generation guard! Dragwiser, Bronach!"

 **Dragwiser, Bronach**

 **Grade 4, Shield:15000**

"With her skill I check the top five cards of my deck for any grade 1 to guard with!" She didn't even hesitate to grab the three grade 1s in her check and threw them to the guardian circle.

Anthony was satisfied with the push he made but knew that this was do or die. He had to survive whatever Elizabeth was going to throw at him now that she was against the wall. "I end my turn."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony (8), Elizabeth (4).]**

Silently standing her units and drawing for turn, Elizabeth looked at Anthony while selecting a hard from her hand. "You know… I never thought I'd have to waste this card on someone like you. But you've decided to back me up to the edge of the cliff, so anything is fair game." She discarded the card in her hand to stride, picking up a card from her G zone. "Get ready for your reckoning."

He knew that she wasn't bluffing. This was an all in move, all chips on the table but he wasn't going to fold. "Bring it on!"

"Generation Zone release!" Elizabeth called out. "Despair, as only pain and suffering awaits those who lack true strength! Be bathed in the flames of hell itself! Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Claret Blood Dragon's skill!" She flipped over a copy of her G unit. "If I have a Claret Sword Dragon vanguard, I pay the cost to retire two of your units! I retire Dragon Dancer Fatine and Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel!'

"Grizel's skill activates, since you targeted her for a skill you bind one card in your drop zone!" Losing an intercept hurt but he couldn't falter here.

"Irrelevant! Since I retired a grade 1 unit, my vanguard gains 5000 power! Now… Call!" She emptied her hand of all cards. Calling a Gronse first to the right side column, a Darkpride to the left and behind both it and the vanguard two Darkquartz Dragons. "Skills activate! Gronse gains 6000 for the two Darkquartz called! The two Darkquartz skills give 3000 to themselves and give 6000 to the vanguard!"

The fierceness in which Elizabeth was going in on this turn with was staggering. ' _Most skills are being used to boost her vanguard's power. I have to save everything for this attack or else I could be up the river.'_

"Boosted by Darkquartz, Darkpride attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard!" No damage trigger to help out for what was coming.

 **[Damage: Anthony (5), Elizabeth (5).]**

"The time has come! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon attacks the vanguard! Skill activated! I retire my two Darkquartz Dragons and my Darkpride Dragon to stop you from using any grade 1 or higher cards from your hand to guard with! And that's not all, since I retired two grade 1 units I gain 10000 power and a critical! One more skill, since Darkpride was retired I can search my deck for one Darkquartz Dragon and call it." She looked through her deck and grabbed her last remaining copy of the card and threw it behind Gronse. "Gronse gets another 3000 power while my vanguard and Darkquartzs both gain 3000 power! Destroy him now!"

 **(26000+3000+3000+10000+3000=45000)**

"Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Bulwark's thunderstrike 3, I gain 10000 shield for this battle! And guard!" Anthony threw down the critical and stand trigger from the last turn bringing the total shield to 45000.

' _Three triggers to break through. I can't risk anything on this attack.'_ Any triggers at this point had to go to Gronse to make that final push. "Triple drive check! First, critical trigger!" Everyone looked in anticipation to see where Elizabeth would put the trigger effects on. She tapped on her front row rearguard. "All effects to Gronse! Second check, no trigger. Final check, critical trigger! All effects to Gronse! Knight of Brawn, Gronse, attack the vanguard with all your might!"

 **(9000+7000+3000+3000+3000+3000+5000+5000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!"

With those two words, all the energy flowing through Elizabeth disappeared in an instant. Her last attack nullified which brought her turn to an end. "... I end my turn…"

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Anthony (4), Elizabeth (3).]**

"Stand and draw." Even though he managed to block her all out attack, he could tell past her disappointment was still the will to keep fighting. He had to be sure to meet that ernesty in kind. ""SPARKING"'s thunderstrike 4, I counter charge and you bind a card from your drop zone. Stride generation! Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-hadad!"

 **Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-hadad**

 **Grade 4, Power:15000+**

' _The G unit he used against that one Kagero user. He really plans to end it here.'_ Looking at her hand, the Scarlet teen gave a soft shake of her head knowing that she couldn't guard any of this. ' _I can't believe I'm about to lose to someone else who isn't William.'_

Anthony met Elizabeth's bold move with his own by calling all the units in his hand to the field. "Call Martial Arts Dragon with Dragon Dancer, Fatine behind him, Lightning of Triumphant Return, Reseph behind my vanguard and Smash Boxer Dragon behind Grizel! Fatine's skill to soul blast and draw a card. Now for Baal-hadad's skill, thunderstrike 5!" He paid a counterblast and flipped up a copy of his G unit. "For every card face up in my G zone plus one, you bind a card from your field and drop zone. So that's a total of seven cards but since you only have six, you bind all of them!"

With her drop zone and field cleared out there was almost no way to make a comeback from this.

"Now since a card was bound from your drop zone, my front row gains 5000 power. And since a card was bound from the field I draw a card. In addition to that, Baal-hadad's Generation Break 4! Every time a card is bound, I can choose up to three of my units in the front row and give them 3000 power for each! 3000 multiplied by six is 18000 to my front row! Martial Arts, attack the vanguard and gain 3000 power with your thunderstrike 2!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+6000+18000=41000)**

"... No guard…"

Just like that, the last damage landed in Elizabeth's damage zone. Not being a heal trigger to keep her in the game.

 **[Damage: Anthony (5), Elizabeth (6).]**

"And we have a winner ladies and gentlemen!" Sachi roared into her mic as the audience burst into cheers of excitement. "Anthony Fergus of Team Cosmic Trio has defeated Elizabeth Scarlet of Team Round Table! Meaning it's time for a showdown of the team leaders!"

As the audience and MC did their thing, Anthony began walking but not to his teammates. Rather to his opponent who eyed him warily.

"What? Come to gloat with your victory over me? Want to rub your victory in my face, is that it!?" Elizabeth nearly spat at the teen.

However, instead of reacting negatively to her words. Anthony only offered a roll of his eyes and an extended hand. "Geez, you really got a sharp tongue Elizabeth. I only came here to thank you for the fun cardfight. Even with what is on the line, that was an amazing game! You're really talented!"

This… was unexpected to say the least but she slowly took the hand. Looking away because of the embarrassment of her uncalled for outburst. "Th-Thanks I suppose."

Once the handshake concluded Anthony turned around and wave back with a free hand. "If you're ever in Japan, look me up. We can have a rematch some time."

Even though he couldn't see it, Elizabeth waved back the tiniest bit before walking back to her own team. Both guys giving her strange looks upon returning to her booth. "... What!? You got a problem!?"

"Don't get so worked up Elizabeth. You don't want to have another show in front of that guy now would you?" Thomas teased.

"Why you little-!"

"Alright, that's enough." William said to stop Elizabeth's snarl. "I do believe it's my turn to fight now, yes?"

The Scarlet heir said nothing, and decided to take her seat far away from Thomas to ignore his stupid comments.

Meanwhile Anthony returned to the questioning gazes of his friends. "You wanna tell me what that was about?" Aurora asked with a raised brow.

"What? She was skilled and I had a lot of fun. It would be rude not to say something."

"Since when do you care about being rude to people?" Dan countered.

"Oh shut it. Aurora, I made a path for you. Ride that road all the way to victory!"

Aurora nodded her head. Everything was riding on her now to win this for the team. But it was painfully clear that wouldn't be easy however as her next opponent was a champion of the Euro League.

"Alright folks, it's time to get on to game 3 of the first match of the semi finals!" Sachi called out. "Aurora Fujou against William Lewis! Which team will win and be our first team to move onto the finals?!"

 **William: I must say, your team has truly impressed me. You've overcome so many challenges to get this far.**

 **Aurora: Thanks.**

 **William: That said, I'm afraid your journey is at an end. Because I will not be losing.**

 **Aurora: Hate to break it to you William, but I can't afford to lose either. It doesn't matter how good you are, I'm coming out on top.**

 **Next time: Aurora vs William**


	37. Aurora vs William

**A/N: Here we go readers. The fight between Aurora and William. Who will win? You'll just have to read to find out.**

The semi finals were off to an exciting start. The first two games of the first match had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Both teams had one win apiece. And now everything would be decided by the final game. The battle between Aurora and William.

Aurora took a deep breath. ' _Alright Aurora, get it together. You're only going to be fighting arguably the best fighter in all of Europe. No pressure.'_

Suddenly the blonde teen felt a hand on each of her shoulders. She turned around and saw both Dan and Anthony giving her a reassuring smile.

"You've got this Aurora. We believe in you." Dan told her.

"Yeah, so quit acting like a nervous wreck." Anthony added. "Just go out there and kick butt."

Hearing the encouraging words of her teammates brought a smile to Aurora's face as she nodded her head. "You're right guys. Thanks."

"We will now begin the final game of match 1 of the semi finals!" Sachi announced. "For Team Round Table, we have William Lewis!" The crowd roared in applause at seeing William walk out. Needless to say, he was the crowd favorite. "William has made a name for himself in the Vanguard Euro League. And he's lead his team all the way to the semi finals of the World Tournament. With his popularity, Team Round Table has been a favorite to win this tournament." She then turned to the other side of the field. "But his opponent will be the leader of the team of underdogs for this entire tournament. Aurora Fujou! As the only user of one of the two new clans of this tournament, Star Chaser, fans have enjoyed seeing her in action. But does she have the skills to prevail over a champion like William Lewis?"

"I look forward to a good cardfight." William said. "Now show me what you can do."

"With pleasure." Aurora responded.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Twinkle Maiden, Virgo!"

 **Twinkle Maiden, Virgo**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." William said. "I ride Blaster Rapier, Laura."

 **Blaster Rapier, Laura**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Wingal Brave moves back due to forerunner. Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand Aurora(5), William(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"!"

 **Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Virgo moves back with forerunner." Aurora said. "And with her boost, Pisces attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger." Aurora said.

"Damage check." William said as he turned a card over. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), William(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand Aurora(6), William(5).]**

"It's my turn. Stand and draw." William said. "I ride Star Hope Trumpeter!"

 **Star Hope Trumpeter**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Wingal Youth." William said, placing the grade 1 rear guard in his front row. "Wingal Youth attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"I guard!" Aurora said, holding up a grade 2 from her hand.

"Well in that case, Star Hope will attack next with a boost from Wingal Brave."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Aurora didn't like letting Wingal Brave get its skill off, but she couldn't just guard the Vanguard attack every turn. "No guard."

A grin came to William's face. "Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), William(1).]**

"Wingal Brave's skill. Move to the soul." William explained. "Then I search my deck for a Blaster unit and add it to my hand. I add Blaster Blade to my hand." Having the unit key to his strategy in his hand brought ease to him. "And with that, I will end my turn."

 **[Turn 4. Hand Aurora(5), William(6).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra!"

 **Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With Virgo's skill, I bind her and then look at the top 2 cards of the deck. One goes to the bind zone and the other goes to my hand." Aurora explained. "I bind Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera", and add the other card to my hand. Then I call Gemini to rear guard, as well as Ursa."

' _Setting up her bind zone while going on the attack. As expected.'_ William thought.

"Gemini attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" William said, using a grade 1 from his hand.

"Libra is up next with Ursa's boost! And Ursa's skill lets me bind a card and add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Aurora said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Seeing that critical trigger was not what William had been hoping. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), William(3).]**

"I'll call it a turn with that." Aurora smirked.

 **[Turn 5. Hand Aurora(5), William(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. ' _Aurora. You and your team have gone farther than I would have thought possible for players of your experience.'_ he thought. ' _You've earned your place here. But I will fight for what I always have. My friends. And my pride as a cardfighter.'_

"Righteous warrior of legend! Bring hope to this battlefield and banish all darkness! Ride! Blaster Blade Exceed!"

 **Blaster Blade Exceed**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I move Wingal back, and then call Favored Pupil of Light and Dark, Llew in front of it." William explained. "Now go Blaster Blade, Exceed! Lead the way!"

 **(11000)**

"Guard." Aurora said, holding up her critical trigger.

"Twin drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Llew and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), William(2).]**

"Boosted by Wingal Youth, Llew attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), William(2).]**

"I use Wingal Youth's skill. Look at the top seven cards of the deck and add Blaster Blade Exceed to my hand. Then Wingal moves to the soul." William explained. "Turn end."

"Incredible!" Sach called out to the crowd. "William Lewis was losing 3 to 1, but in just one turn he managed to tie up the game at 2 damage apiece! Now how will Aurora Fujou respond?"

 **[Turn 6. Hand Aurora(4), William(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _William's good. To be expected, considering his reputation. But I can't afford to lose here.'_

"Your light shines and illuminates the entire galaxy! Strike your foes down with the speed of a shooting star! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And here it is! Aurora's ace unit! Star of Hope, Hikari!" Sachi announced. "The beautiful swordswoman of the Star Chaser clan! How bright will her light shine in this fight?!"

"Here we go! Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill! I bind Star Child, Pisces "Paidi" from the deck. Then I call it behind Gemini! Adding 3000 power!" Aurora explained. "Next, up Gemini's skill triggers! Now at the end of the turn, it returns to my hand! And now I use Draco Nova's skill! I bind a card in my hand, a card in my drop zone, and my rear guard Ursa. Then from the bind zone, call two units. I call two units. I call Pride of the Stars, Leo and Star Beast, Ursa to my empty column. And then my Vanguard gains plus one drive."

"Here's the Star Chaser clan at its finest people!" Sachi said. "Sending their own units to the bind zone, only to reappear onto the field! It's like they're appearing through a wormhole in space!"

"Leo's skill adds 10000 power to itself." Aurora said. "And since I have Pisces "Mitera" in the bind zone, Pisces "Paidi" gains 5000 power, as well as a skill."

"Nice. She's got a good formation set up." Dan grinned.

"Go for it!" Anthony called out. "Beat him to a pulp!"

"With a boost from Ursa, Leo attacks!" Aurora declared. "Ursa's skill binds a card and adds 3000 power to this attack!"

 **(11000+10000+7000+3000=31000)**

"Generation guard!" William called out. "Little Great Sage, Marron!"

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Marron's soul blast. I call Blaster Blade from the deck to the guardian circle! Then, 5000 is added to the shield!"

Aurora narrowed her eyes. ' _Of all the units he could have called with the skill, he chose Blaster Blade? But why?'_ Now wasn't the time to ask such questions as she continued her assault. "Draco Nova attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard with Divine Maiden of Spring, Lien. Using her soul blast, your attack is blocked."

"Tch, quadruple drive!" Aurora called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Gemini and I draw! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Gemini! Final check, no trigger."

"Two of Aurora's attacks have been blocked, but she pulls a double trigger in her drive checks!" Sachi announced. "Will it go through? Or does William Lewis intend to block every attack Aurora throws his way this turn?!"

"Boosted by Pisces "Paidi", Gemini attacks!"

 **(9000+10000+7000+5000+3000=34000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check. First check, critical trigger. All effects to my Vanguard. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), William(4).]**

"With the skill of Pisces "Paidi", I draw a card since the attack hit." Aurora said. "Turn end. Gemini goes back to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand Aurora(9), William(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "I must commend you Aurora. You're doing quite well. However, I have no plans of losing here."

"Bring it on."

"As you wish. Stride Generation! Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I search my deck for Blaster Blade and add it to my hand." William explained. "Next I call New Style Blaster, Llew. With his skill, I send the Blaster Blade in my drop zone to the bottom of the deck. Llew gains 5000 power."

Aurora widened her eyes. ' _So that's why he used Blaster Blade for the skill of his G Guardian last turn.'_

"I'm not done. Next I call Blaster-friend, Barcgal behind Favored Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew." William said. "Boosted by Barcgal, Llew attacks! With his skill, he gains 3000 power!"

 **(9000+3000+7000=19000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), William(4).]**

"With Llew's skill, I counterblast and send him to the soul." William said. "Then I superior call Blaster Blade from the deck where Llew was! Adding 3000 power! And since it was called in the same column as Blaster-friend, Barcgal. I get to countercharge."

' _Great so now he gets another attack off.'_

"I'm not done! Activating Blaster Blade's skill! Counterblast!" William said, paying a counterblast cost of 2. "Pride of the Stars, Leo is retired."

Aurora gasped as light shot out from Blaster Blade's sword and struck Leo, forcing the grade 3 to retire.

"Damn, he knows what he's doing." Dan commented. "Without Leo, Aurora's attacking power just took a big drop."

"All that damage is giving him plenty of counterblasts to use." Anthony said.

"Blaster Blade, attack the Vanguard!" William commanded.

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up Gemini from her hand.

"Gancelot attacks." William said. "Gancelot's skill. I countercharge and he gains a drive. In addition, since there's a face up card in my G Zone, he also gains a critical."

"All the more reason for me to stop it!" Aurora said as she held up a copy of Orion from her hand. "Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive." William said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to New Style Blaster, Llew. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final check, draw trigger. Power to Llew and I draw."

' _I blocked that one, but there's still one more left.'_ Aurora thought.

"New Style Blaster, Llew attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+10000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Andromeda's skill adds 10000 to the shield since there are at least 2 cards in my bind zone." Aurora said.

"Turn end." William said.

"After a stunning four attacks from William Lewis, Aurora only takes one damage!" Sachi told the crowd. "This game has gone back and forth! So exciting!"

 **[Turn 8. Hand Aurora(5), William(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She looked at her situation. ' _I could try and go into Meteor Shower Dragon, but he's got ten cards in hand. I'm not sure I'd be able to finish him. That leaves me with one option.'_

"Using Hikari's skill. I bind Pisces "Paidi" to countercharge." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Pisces "Paidi" from the deck. However, I choose no to call any units with the skill." Aurora said.

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "Why wouldn't she call with the skill? Especially when her field is so empty."

"Because she doesn't need to." Elizabeth said. "If you remembered that unit from the videos we watched on her, you'd realize that."

"Skill of Cosmos Pegasus." Aurora said, paying the cost as she counterblasted and flipped a copy of it over. "There are now four face up cards in the G Zone. That means I can call four units."

' _A plan to refill her nearly empty board. Smart play.'_ William thought.

"I call two copies of Pisces "Paidi" to the back row, and then Pisces "Mitera" and Scorpius to the front row!" Aurora said. "They each gain 5000 power! And since I called two or more units, Pegasus gains a critical!"

With Aurora's formation, she had both versions of Pisces together in her left column, her other Pisces "Paidi" behind her Vanguard, and Scorpius in front of Ursa. And with a copy of Pisces "Mitera" and "Paidi" both in her bind zone, all of her Pisces rear guards were at full power.

"Pisces "Mitera" attacks with a boost from Pisces "Paidi"!" Aurora declared.

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+5000+5000=36000)**

"No guard. Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), William(4).]**

' _Damn, that's gonna make things annoying.'_ Aurora thought. "Pisces "Paidi" lets me draw since the attack hit. And now my other Pisces "Paidi" boosts an attack by my Vanguard!"

 **(26000+7000+5000+5000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!" William called out. "With Lien's skill, I soul blast and block your attack."

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Scorpius. And now Scorpius attacks with a boost from Ursa! Ursa's skill activates!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+3000=29000)**

"Sorry but I can't be losing so easily." William said as he held up two triggers, each with 10000 shield. "Guard."

"Turn end." Aurora said. ' _If only he hadn't drawn that damage trigger. I could have had another attack that turn. But the unit Scorpius called out would have been too weak.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand Aurora(9), William(7).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Well Aurora, this has been fun. But I'm afraid it's time for me to bring this fight to a close."

' _Here it comes.'_

"Generation Zone release!" William called out. "Sword of destiny! Slice through this battlefield and carve out my future! Stride Generation! Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver!"

 **Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"No need to use the stride skill. Instead I'll call Aspire Painter from my hand." William said. "With its skill, I countercharge and soul charge, as well as add 3000 power to it. Next I call a pair of Floral Paladin, Flogals to the back row."

"Here it is folks!" Sachi spoke to the crowd. "William's going in for his finisher! The combination of Blaster Blade and Floral Paladin, Flogal!"

' _He plans to end it this turn.'_ Aurora realized. ' _No matter what, I've gotta endure it.'_

"Skill of Alfred Holy Saver." William said. "Blaster Blade gains 3000 power. In addition, he gains twin drive for his first attack of the turn."

From the stands, Sarah and Daiki watched as the game went on. Marcus was with Emma at the moment, deciding to stay with his sister until their match began. Sarah knew all too well what William was capable of with his combo, having experienced it firsthand herself.

' _Aurora might not be able to survive this one.'_ Sarah thought to herself.

"Aspire Painter attacks with a boost from Flogal." William said as he began his attacks for the turn.

 **(9000+3000+4000=16000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a trigger from her hand with 10000 shield.

"Flogal boosts. Charge forward, Alfred!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out.

"Triple drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Blaster Blade. Third check, no trigger."

' _I managed to block his Vanguard.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But now comes the real challenge.'_

"Blaster Blade attacks with a boost from Barcgal!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+7000=24000)**

Aurora looked at her hand. Looking closely, one could see sweat rolling down her forehead. Finally she made a decision. "No guard."

Several gasps came from the crowd. Dan and Anthony both tensed up. "Blaster Blade has a critical on it." Anthony said.

"And he has twin drive." Dan added. "Aurora's at 3 damage. If William pulls a critical trigger, it could all be over."

"Twin drive." William said as he reached for his deck.

' _Please don't draw a critical. Anything but a critical.'_ Aurora begged.

"First check… draw trigger. Power to Blaster Blade and I draw." William said. "Second check… no trigger."

Aurora breathed out a sigh of relief. Though she still wasn't out of the woods yet. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), William(4).]**

"Floral Paladin Flogal's skill. Counterblast and return her to the deck. Stand Blaster Blade." William said. "Blaster Blade attacks again!"

 **(9000+3000+10000=22000)**

Aurora held up a grade 0 and 1 from her hand, totalling 15000 shield. "Guard!"

"The same skill once again!" William declared. "Blaster Blade is coming in!"

 **(9000+3000+10000=22000)**

"Guard!" Aurora shouted, holding a grade 2 from her hand. "I also intercept with Pisces "Mitera" and Scorpius!"

William showed a look of surprise on his face, as did most of the crowd. William grinned, interested by the young girl that had held off his attacks. "Turn end."

"U-Unbelievable!" Sachi exclaimed. "William Lewis unleashed a devastating five attacks, but Aurora Fujou managed to survive by the skin of her teeth! Is the famous Euro League fighter actually going to lose?!"

Like their leader had done before, Dan and Anthony breathed sighs of relief. "That was way too close." Dan said.

' _If he had drawn even one more trigger, I would have lost for sure.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I survived somehow. But William still has nine cards in his hand. Can I really do this?'_

" _You can do it, Aurora."_

Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise. ' _What was that? Did I just hear a voice?'_ Looking around her, she didn't see anyone else. Just herself, William, and her team behind her. ' _Did I imagine it?'_ She looked down at the board. ' _Wait… was that… Hikari?'_

" _That's right."_

Suddenly, Aurora felt her vision go white. She was suddenly standing out in the middle of space. "Wh-What? Where am I?"

The next thing Aurora noticed, a figure was walking towards her. It was blurry at first, but she soon made it out as Hikari. And it wasn't just her. She saw all the units from Star Chaser walking behind her. They all stood before Aurora, looking at her with confidence.

"Everyone…" Aurora gasped. She grinned to herself. "That's right. We've been in plenty of tough fights before, haven't we? But we made it through together." She looked at the units of Star Chaser standing before her. "I'm gonna keep fighting. I'll do my best to lead us to victory. So please. Lend me your strength."

A collective nod came from each of the units. Suddenly, everything was blinded by light again. When Aurora could see again, she found herself back in the stadium. Her fight with William was still going on.

"It's your turn, Aurora." William said again.

 **[Turn 10. Hand Aurora(3), William(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Get ready William. My clan and I are coming at you full force."

An amused grin came to William's lips. "Give me everything you've got."

"Generation Zone release!" Aurora called out. "Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Hope you're ready for this William. I call!" Aurora said, bring out Hikari and Aquarius to her front row, filling up her entire board. "Boosted by Pisces "Paidi", Aquarius attacks!"

 **(7000+7000+5000=19000)**

"Guard!" William said, holding out a trigger with 10000 shield.

"Hikari is up next with a boost from Ursa. And Ursa's skill will add 3000 power while binding the top card of the deck."

 **(11000+7000+3000=21000)**

Once again, William held up a 10000 shield trigger, in addition to moving the Aspire Painter on his field to the guardian circle. "Guard! Intercept!"

"Let's see how you handle this one." Aurora said. "Boosted by Pisces "Paidi", Meteor Shower Dragon attacks!"

 **(26000+7000+5000=38000)**

"Generation guard! Little Great Sage, Marron!"

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Marron's soul blast, I call Blaster Rapier, Laura from the deck to the guardian circle. Add 5000 to the shield." William explained. He added in a critical trigger from his hand. "I also guard with this."

' _I'll need 2 triggers to break through.'_ Aurora thought. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger." Although William had blocked the attack, Aurora still had one more move up her sleeve.

"Skill of Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon! Generation Break 3! I bind all five of my rear guards! Then I call the same number from the bind zone! I call Leo, Hikari, Ursa, and two Pisces "Paidi"s! They each gain 5000 power! Then, since five were called, Meteor Shower stands back up! Drive minus 2!"

Elizabeth tensed up. This was a tight spot. Was… Was William actually going to lose? ' _The fighter I've spent so much time trying to overcome. Is Aurora actually going to do it?'_

"There's nothing else we can do for him, Elizabeth." Thomas said sensing her anxiety. "The only thing we can do now is have faith in him."

"You're right." Elizabeth nodded.

"Leo attacks with a boost from Pisces!"

 **(11000+10000+5000+7000+5000+5000=43000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), William(5).]**

"Boosted by Ursa, Meteor Shower Dragon attacks!" Aurora called out. "You know how this goes by now. Using Ursa's skill."

 **(26000+5000+7000+5000+3000=46000)**

William let out a sigh while having a satisfied smile on his face. "No guard."

Gasps filled the crowd as they heard this. The image of Aurora's G Unit crashed into William's Vanguard. The final damage check came as William was brought to six damage.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), William(6).]**

Silence filled the stadium. Many were unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Slowly however, claps began to spread around the crowd. Soon it turned into an uproar of applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have just witnessed a stunning upset!" Sachi announced. "Denying all the odds, Aurora Fujou has managed to defeat William Lewis! The first team moving onto the finals in none other than Japan's Team Cosmic Trio!"

Even Aurora was having a hard time believing what she had just accomplished. ' _I did it… I beat William…'_

Aurora soon heard the sound of clapping coming from William as well. "That was a well fought fight Aurora. You beat me, fair and square."

This was beyond her belief. A few months ago she would have killed for the chance to even see William Lewis in person. But now he was showing his respect to her. As an equal. No. As someone who had beaten him.

' _Thank you Hikari… Everyone…'_

"Aurora!" The blonde haired teen turned around to see Dan and Anthony run over to her. Large grins were on both their faces.

"We did it Aurora! We're moving onto the finals!" Dan said happily.

"That was so awesome! You were great out there!" Anthony added in.

Aurora threw both her arms around her two teammates. "You better believe it! Now there's only one more match keeping us from becoming world champions!"

As everyone continued celebrating Team Cosmic Trio's incredible victory, Aurora felt something from her deck case. She opened it up and widened her eyes. The blank card Yukari had given her was glowing.

"What's going on?" Dan asked.

"I don't know." Aurora said.

The card became veiled in a rainbow of light. Gradually, an image began to form on the card. Aurora's eyes widened as she watched the once blank card transform into a full fledged unit. Aurora couldn't believe the image she saw. "This is…"

Dan grinned. "That looks like a pretty strong card."

"Can't wait to see you use it." Anthony said.

A smile came to Aurora as she put the card away. "Yeah."

* * *

"Wow! Aurora was really something, wasn't she?" Emma asked as she watched the fight end between Aurora and William on the television.

Marcus nodded his head. "Yeah. She sure was. I can only hope I can beat her if it comes to it."

Emma looked worriedly at her brother. It would be great for such an exciting match to happen. But before that could happen, Team Sightless Vision would have to face off against Team Apocalypse. That meant the chance of Marcus having to fight Allen Demacio, the one who had beaten her and put her in the infirmary. She didn't want her brother, or any of Team Sightless Vision for that matter, to go through the same pain she had.

"Marcus…" Emma said. "You're going to win, right?"

Marcus nodded his head. "Yeah. I promise." He got up from the chair he was sitting on. "I'll be back after we teach Team Apocalypse a thing or two. See you in a bit sis."

Emma watched as her brother left the room. All she could do was pray for their victory. ' _Please Marcus. Be safe.'_

Marcus walked down the hall and out of the hotel. He made his way to the stadium, where the toughest fight of his life was waiting for him. ' _Just you wait Allen. I won't let you hurt anyone else with your twisted games.'_

 **William: So Aurora, you said your family owns a card shop in Japan?**

 **Aurora: Yeah. It's just me and my dad there.**

 **William: What about your mom?**

 **Aurora: My mom? Well that's… complicated. Anyway, the shop isn't very big. But I still like it.**

 **William: Sounds interesting. I might have to pay it a visit sometime when I have the free time to visit Japan.**

 **Aurora: That'll be eventful. I wonder how my dad would react to having a big celebrity in the shop. But for now, we've got a big game coming up. Sightless Vision and Apocalypse.**

 **Next time: For My Sister**


	38. For My Sister

**A/N: Here we are readers! Day 4 of the 5 day long update set. Hope you're all ready for the second match of the semi finals!**

" _Sarah! Come on!" Kimiko called out as the young girl walked ahead of her sister on the city streets. "Hurry up!"_

" _Alright Kimiko, slow down." Sarah told her as she hurried to catch up with her younger sister. "Don't go running too far ahead of me, ok?"_

" _I know, I know. But I can't wait to show mom and dad my drawing from class today!" Kimiko said with a bright smile._

 _Sarah giggled at her sister. Sometimes she wished she could go back to being as young and carefree as Kimiko. But being the older sister, she had to step up and be an example for the little girl. With both her parents busy at work, she often went to Kimiko's school once she got out of classes herself to walk her home._

" _Hey Sarah?" Kimiko said. "When we get home, can we have a cardfight? I have a feeling I can beat you today."_

" _In your dreams, kiddo." Sarah grinned as she messed with her sister's hair playfully. "But if you want, I'll humor you. After you finish your homework."_

" _Aww…" Kimiko pouted._

 _Together the two sisters continued to walk down the city street. There weren't many people out and about yet. Most were probably still at work, though in an hour or two the streets would be flooded with people. But right now, the streets were barely crowded at all._

 _Which made it easy for no one to notice when a hand reached out and grabbed Sarah from behind, pulling her into an alleyway._

" _Ahh- Mmff!" Sarah's scream was cut off as the person that grabbed her covered her mouth with his hand._

 _Kimiko turned around and gasped as her sister was pulled into the shadows of the alleyway. "Sarah!"_

 _Sarah struggled to break free of the hold she was in, but to no avail. Her attacker threw her against the wall. Before she could call out for help, she noticed a knife in her assailant's hand, making her eyes widen in fear._

" _No screaming. Keep quiet if you don't want to get hurt." the man said. He seemed to be in his twenties and had a dirty look to him._

 _Sarah was scared into silence. She didn't know what to do. The man put a hand to her waist, making her shiver in fear. Her fear only grew when his hand went under her shirt, moving along her skin up towards her chest._

" _Come on cutie. Let's have some fun."_

' _Someone… Anyone…' Sarah begged in her mind. 'Help me…'_

" _Leave my sister alone!" Kimiko shouted as she suddenly lunged at the man attacking her sister._

 _He backed away from Sarah, as he tried to shake the little girl off him. "The hell?! Get off me you brat!"_

" _Kimiko?!" Sarah gasped. "What are you doing?! Run!"_

 _Finally the man managed to shake Kimiko off of him. He grabbed the girl and delivered a kick to her stomach. Kimiko felt the air rush out of her lungs as she fell to her knees. But he wasn't finished with her yet. He readied his knife to strike. "I'll teach you to mess with me, you brat."_

" _NO!" Sarah exclaimed._

 _It was too late however. He slashed at the little girl with his blade, getting a clean cut along her eyes. Kimiko screamed in pain as she brought her hands to her bleeding eyes._

" _KIMIKO!" Sarah screamed. She lunged at the man that had hurt her sister. "YOU BASTARD!"_

 _Sarah's sudden tackle caught him off guard. He was knocked back as he hit the wall of the alleyway and the knife fell out of his hands. Sarah grabbed the knife and rushed at him. The knife plunged into the man's chest. He let out a few weak gasps before his body went limp, falling down to the side._

 _Sarah quickly rushed over to her sister. "Kimiko, are you alright?! Talk to me!"_

" _It hurts." Kimiko cried. "My eyes. They hurt so much."_

 _Sarah couldn't bring herself to remove her sister's hand to get a look at her eyes. It was probably best to try and stop the bleeding by keeping them covered anyway._

" _Somebody!" Sarah shouted. "Please! Help!"_

 _It was fortunate that there had been an ambulance nearby when a passerby had called for help. Kimiko was rushed to the hospital, as Sarah sat with her sister in the vehicle. Once they arrived at the hospital, Kimiko was hurried into the Emergency Room. Sarah was forced to wait outside of the room. Once they had calmed the blonde teen down, she told them who she was and they contacted her parents._

 _It was another half hour before Sarah's parents arrived. The doctor's informed them of what had happened and told them that Kimiko was still in surgery. They sat with Sarah and comforted their oldest daughter as she cried._

 _Time passed on and on, and eventually a doctor exited the room. He started with telling the family that Kimiko was alive and her life was no longer in any danger. That had relieved Sarah and her parents greatly. Then they were informed about the bad part of the news. That Kimiko's eyes were severely damaged, and she would most likely be blind for the rest of her life._

 _Sarah couldn't even remember how long it took her to stop crying after that._

* * *

That day still haunted Sarah in her nightmares. The blonde teen took a deep breath. She was in this tournament for Kimiko. That was it. She considered herself a serious cardfighter, but she was a big sister first and foremost.

' _Don't worry sis. I'll be sure to win. For both of us.'_

"Hey." The sound of Daiki's voice caught her attention as she saw her friend walk up to her. "You ready?"

Sarah nodded her head. "Yeah. I was just… thinking about stuff."

Daiki nodded understandingly. He remembered what a wreck Sarah had been for the first few weeks after the incident. He could hardly blame her, considering what had happened. But they were going to be sure to win. They had every reason to win this semi final match. To get one step closer to helping Sarah's sister, and to put an end to Allen Demacio's twisted ambitions so no one would have to suffer like Emma and Rose both had.

It wasn't long before Marcus joined up with his teammates. Their match was starting soon so the three friends walked towards the field. Determination burned in their eyes.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Sachi announced. "It's time for the second match of the semi finals! I think I can safely say that the action from Team Cosmic Trio and Team Round Table is still very fresh in our minds, but get ready for excitement that's just as grand!" If the sound of the crowd was any indication, they were ready for the next match. "Alright then! Let me introduce our first team! Coming from Japan, they started at the bottom of the barrel by winning the Wild Card round. But through sheer determination and perseverance, they fought their way here to the semi finals! Give it up for Team Sightless Vision!"

The crowd cheered as Marcus's team walked out onto the field. But none of that mattered to them. Their only focus was on their opponents.

"Now for the other team that will fight against them! They come all the way from America! Their leader is the wielder of the powerful Conquest Empire clan! Ladies and gentlemen, I present Team Apocalypse!"

Allen and his teammates walked out from the other side of the field. The leader still had the same cocky grin as usual. Keith showed a look of indifference, while Amy seemed calm herself.

"It's just like last match folks. Team members will face off one at a time. The first team to get two victories wins." Sachi explained. "Now then, will both teams please select their first fighters?"

Daiki tightened his gloves. "Alright, wish me luck."

"Hang on." Sarah said, stepping forward. "Let me take this fight."

Marcus and Daiki glanced towards their female teammate. "Sarah? You sure?" Marcus asked.

"Positive." Sarah confirmed. "Right now, I know I can win."

Daiki and Marcus look at each other. Finally Marcus gave a nod of approval. "Alright. If you're sure about this then go for it. We're behind you."

"Thanks." Sarah said with an appreciative smile. The blonde girl walked out onto the field. On the other side, she saw her opponent, the female fighter of Team Apocalypse. Amy Runeheart.

"Let's make this a good fight." Amy said.

Sarah raised a brow, not expecting such a sportsmanlike attitude from a member of Apocalypse. "Yeah. Give me your best shot."

"It seems our first game will feature Sarah Radcliffe against Amy Runeheart." Sachi announced. "Both of these girls racked up several wins for their teams in the second round. How much girl power will these two show us here? Let's find out."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Neon Messiah!"

 **Neon Messiah**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Black Curse, Muriel!"

 **Black Curse, Muriel**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Amy said. "I ride Black Call Nakir."

 **Black Call, Nakir**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Muriel moves." Amy said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sarah(5), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "I ride Sacrifice Messiah."

 **Sacrifice Messiah**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"I move Neon Messiah back. Then with its boost, Sacrifice attacks."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Amy said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(0), Amy(1).]**

"That's it for my turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sarah(6), Amy(5).]**

"My turn then." Amy said. "I ride Black Carve, Ezezel."

 **Black Carve, Ezezel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Nurse of Broken Heart. And I'll have it attack!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Sarah said as she used a grade 1 from her hand.

"Boosted by Muriel, I attack with Ezezel."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Amy(1).]**

"I end my turn." Amy said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sarah(5), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Ride! Myga Messiah!"

 **Myga Messiah**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmision." Sarah said. "Lady Fencer attacks Broken Heart."

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

' _Going for my rear guard. She knows what she's doing.'_ Amy thought to herself as she held up a grade 1 from her hand. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Neon Messiah, Myga Messiah attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Sarah grinned when she saw the card that came to her. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger." The sight of the green icon was exactly what she needed. "Recovering one damage."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Amy(2).]**

"Turn end."

From the stands, Sophia and Team Southern Jungle watched the fight go on. "Sarah's playing smart." Maria noticed.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Bruno asked.

"She tried to go for Broken Heart. That unit can get dangerous later in the game for Angel Feather so it's best to take it out when you get the chance." Maria explained. "It's also why her opponent was willing to lose a card from her hand to guard the attack that came for it."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sarah(5), Amy(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said as she stated her turn. "Spread your wings and take flight on this battlefield! Rescue those trapped in despair! Ride! Black Shock, Gavrail Prim!"

 **Black Shock, Gavrail Prim**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Calling Black Talent, Lyla behind Broken Heart. And now with Lyla's boost, Broken Heart attacks Lady Fencer!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Sarah said as she held up the critical trigger she had gotten last turn.

"Muriel boosts. Go Gavrail Prim!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Amy said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Sarah said, getting no triggers on either of her damage checks.

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Amy(2).]**

"Over to you." Amy said as she ended her turn.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sarah(4), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said.

"So far this game has been back and forth." Sachi told the crowd. "Both have been attacking each other while trying to take out a key rear guard for their strategies. How will Sarah Radcliffe fight now that she gets the first stride?"

' _I'll show you how I'll fight.'_ Sarah thought. "With your holy light, wash away the darkness surrounding our future and let it be broadcasted to everyone! Ride! Alter Ego Neo Messiah!"

 **Alter Ego Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now, Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I lock Neon Messiah and Nurse of Broken Heart!" Sarah declared.

"Here it is! The specialty play Sarah's Messiah deck is known for!" Sachi spoke. "Unlike most Link Joker decks that focus on locking the opponent's rear guards, her deck locks her own rear guards instead! But don't go thinking of this as a handicap, because she can make some devastating plays with this strategy as she's shown throughout the tournament."

"Calling Ideal Ego Messiah and Dunamis Messiah." Sarah said. With those calls, the blonde teen only had one card left in her hand. But she knew it would be well worth it. "Ideal Ego attacks!"

 **(11000)**

Amy wasted no time in using a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Ideal Ego's skill. I soul blast and lock it. Then I look at the top three cards of the deck and call one of them as a locked card." Sarah explained. She took a look at the cards and grinned when she saw Sacrifice Messiah among them. She called it behind Ideal Ego, knowing it would come in handy later. "Lady Fencer attacks next with a boost from Dunamis. Her skill allows me to counterblast in order to soul charge and add 5000 power to her."

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Amy said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Amy(3).]**

"Lady Fencer locks herself with her skill. Then I soul blast with Dunamis Messiah's skill to unlock her and add 4000 power. In addition, since she was unlocked, Lady Fencer gains 2000 power." Sarah explained. "Now Lady Fencer attacks again! And once again, I use her skill!"

 **(9000+2000+4000+5000=20000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, holding up a trigger."

"Lady Fencer locks herself." Sarah said. "And now I attack with Integral Messiah! With its skill, I counterblast and unlock all my rear guards! Since three or more were unlocked, it gains 10000 power, and I get to draw and countercharge! In addition, I send Neon Messiah to the soul with its skill to add Alter Ego Neo Messiah from the deck to my hand."

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! Critical to the Vanguard, and power to Ideal Ego!"

"Damage check." amy said. "First check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Lyla. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard once again."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Amy(5).]**

' _Darn, that double trigger is going to be annoying.'_ Sarah thought silently. But she couldn't give up here. "Boosted by Sacrifice Messiah, Ideal Ego Messiah attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

"I guard with Nociel!" Amy said as she held up the grade 1. "With Nociel's skill, I get to exchange a card in my damage zone with one in my hand."

"I use Ideal Ego's skill to lock itself." Sarah said as she looked at the top 3 cards of her deck. "Calling Blink Messiah as a locked card. Then since Ideal Ego was locked, I use Sacrifice Messiah's skill. I lock Sacrifice to countercharge and add 3000 to Lady Fencer. And now Lady Fencer attacks with Dunamis Messiah's boost!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+7000=21000)**

' _She's not using Lady Fencer's skill. She's conserving her counterblasts for next turn.'_ Amy realized. "Guard!"

"Turn end." Sarah said. "With Alter Ego Neo Messiah's soul blast, I draw two cards."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sarah(8), Amy(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. She looked over at her opponent, seeing the fierce determination in her eyes.

' _She really wants to win. It's obvious she's fighting for something important.'_ Amy thought to herself. ' _But me… What am I fighting for? At first it was for Allen. But now that he's like this...'_

Sarah noticed the distant look in her opponent's eyes. ' _Why's she acting so distracted?'_

Amy shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _It doesn't matter right now. For now, I need to focus on this match.'_

"Stride Generation! Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden!"

 **Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I put a card from my hand into the damage zone. Then I add a card from my damage zone to my hand. The I heal a damage and perform a rescue check."

"And now it's Amy Runeheart's turn to go on the offensive with her Rescue!" Sachi called out. "By healing, she allows herself to perform damage checks for extra chances at getting triggers!"

"Rescue check. Critical trigger." Amy said. "All effects to the Vanguard."

' _She could potentially get some big numbers.'_ Sarah thought. ' _But I locked her Nurse of Broken Heart, so I shouldn't have to deal with too much.'_

"I call Nutrient Angel." Amy said. "With her skill, I counterblast and send her to the soul. Then I flip over a facedown card in my damage zone, and my locked Nurse of Broken Heart."

Sarah widened her eyes as she saw this. "What?!"

"Next I use Muriel's skill. Counterblast and send her to the soul. Place the top card of the deck into the damage zone and call the face up Black Relief, Aratoron to the rear guard. Then, since a card went to the damage zone, Broken Heart's skill adds 2000 power to herself and the Vanguard. Also, during the turn that a card was healed, Black Talent, Lyla gains 6000 power."

' _If only Broken Heart had stayed locked. I should have figured she'd have a way around my locks.'_

"Gavrail Eden's skill. Soul blast and flip a copy. Then, heal a damage and perform a Rescue check." Amy explained. "No trigger. However, Broken Heart's total boost is now 4000 to itself and the Vanguard. In addition, I use aratoron's skill to counterblast and call the Black Spark, Munkar that I healed behind Aratoron."

"Would you look at that! Without having to even call from her hand, Amy Runeheart obtained another column of rear guards to attack with!" Sachi told the crowd. "Get ready cause this girl looks serious."

"Boosted by Munkar, Aratoron attacks!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Intercept with Lady Fencer!"

"Get ready, because now Gavrail Eden is coming to attack you!" Amy called out. "Skill of Munkar! Move to the soul to add 5000 and I draw! Then I use the skill of Black carve, Ezezel in the damage zone. Call it to the rear guard, then put the top card of the deck into the damage zone face down. Then, heal a damage. Rescue check, critical trigger. All effects to Broken Heart. In addition, Broken Heart's skill triggers 2 more times, making the total power boost 8000."

' _Great so now her Vanguard and Broken Heart are critical.'_

"Gavrail Eden's skill. Call cards from the damage zone up to the number of face up cards in the G Zone, in this case 1. Calling Black Talent, Lyla behind Ezezel and add 3000 power. Lyla's skill adds an extra 6000 power. Then, put the same number of cards called into the damage zone face down from the deck. After that, I use Lyla's skill to heal and do a Rescue check once again. Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and recover one damage. Broken Heart's skill triggers two more times."

 **(26000+10000+12000=48000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Ezezel. Third check, no trigger." Amy said. "Get ready, cause Ezezel is up next, with a boost from Lyla!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+6000+3000=30000)**

"Generation guard!" Sarah called out. "Darkness That Lights Up Demise, Lacus Carina!"

 **Darkness That Lights Up Demise, Lacus Carina**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Lacus Carina. Lock Ideal Ego and Sacrifice Messiah. Then, the opponent locks cards from their back row equal to the number of cards I just locked. In other words, both your Lyla's are now locked."

Having such prominent back row units locked was not something Amy was happy about. Plus, since the boosting Lyla was locked, Ezezel's attack dropped all the way down to 17000.

"I still have one more attack left! Go, Broken Heart!"

 **(9000+12000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Sarah said as two cards fell into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Amy(4).]**

"Turn end. All of my locked rear guards become unlocked."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sarah(5), Amy(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. ' _She pushed me to the edge. I've gotta end it this turn or I could be in trouble.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Herald of light, spread your white wings! Answer my prayer and help bring me victory! Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Lady Fencer from my hand to rear guard! Then, lock Broken Heart and Blink Messiah." Sarah explained. She looked at her board. There was only two face up cards in her damage zone. ' _Maybe I went a bit too heavy on the counterblasts last turn. Oh well. I'll just have to make due.'_

"Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Dunamis Messiah! Activating Lady Fencer's skill to add 5000 power and soul charge!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, holding up a trigger she got last turn. "Also, intercept with Ezezel!"

"Lady Fencer locks herself. Then I use Dunamis to unlock her, lock itself and give her 4000 power." Sarah explained. "Now get ready for another attack from Lady Fencer! Her skill is going off once again!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard."

"Harmonics Neo Messiah attacks! Using its skill, I unlock all locked cards and add 5000 for each one! In addition, 5000 is added to each of my unlocked rear guards! And to top it all of, since 5 or more rear guards were unlocked, you can't guard with cards from your hand that are grade 1 or higher."

 **(26000+30000=56000)**

Amy looked at her hand. Guarding this would take everything she had. But at the same time, one critical trigger would put her to six damage if she let it through. It was a tough decision, but she had little choice. "No guard."

' _Here goes.'_ Sarah thought to herself. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Lady Fencer and recover one damage. Third check… no trigger."

"Damage check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Then, Broken Heart adds another 2000 power since a card went into the damage zone."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Amy(5).]**

"Ideal Ego attacks with a boost from Sacrifice."

 **(11000+5000+7000+5000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Black Seraph, Eleleth!"

 **Black Seraph, Eleleth**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Well then let's see how you handle Lady Fencer, boosted by Dunamis!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000+7000+5000=33000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Turn end. My Vanguard's soul blast lets me draw 2." Sarah said. ' _Darn. I wasn't able to finish her.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sarah(10), Amy(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. ' _I have to end this here and now. If she gets another turn, it's over for me.'_

"Gavrail Eden's skill. Counterblast as the cost to stride into a unit with Rescue." Amy explained. "Generation Zone release! For the weak and weary, step into the light and receive salvation! Stride Generation! Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden!"

 **Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Swap a card from the hand with one from the damage zone. Then heal and perform a Rescue check. No trigger. Then, call Nutrient Angel. Using her skill to counter blast and send to her soul, then countercharge two cards. Finally, call Black Shiver, Gavrail from the hand."

' _She's got two full columns of rear guards. Not to mention, two cards have been put into the damage zone, meaning Broken Heart and her Vanguard are at an extra 4000.'_ Sarah thought.

"Gavrail Eden's skill. Heal and perform Rescue. Stand trigger. Power to the rear guard Gavrail." Amy said. "And now with Lyla's boost, Gavrail attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+7000+6000=29000)**

"Guard!" Sarah said, holding up two triggers from her hand, each with 10000 shield.

"My other Lyla will boost Broken Heart's attack."

 **(9000+6000+7000+6000=28000)**

"No guard." Sarah said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Amy(5).]**

"Gavrail Eden attacks!" Amy declared. "With Eden's skill, I can call up to four cards from the damage zone! Come forth! Two Nurse of Broken Hearts! Black Call, Nakir! Battle Cupid, Nociel!"

Sarah widened her eyes. "Two Nurse of Broken Hearts?!"

"I was saving them for this moment." Amy told her. "And now with another 4 cards going to the damage zone, you know what that means."

' _Both her Broken Hearts will be going up by 8000, and her Vanguard will increase by another 16000.'_ Sarah realized.

 **(26000+22000=48000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Amy said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Broken Heart on the right. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to the Broken Heart on the left."

Sarah looked at the two rear guards staring her down. Their attacks would be coming at her with full force. ' _I… I'm not going to have enough to guard.'_

"Boosted by Nakir, Broken Heart attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+8000+7000+3000=35000)**

"Generation guard! Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer! Her soul blast adds 5000 power! Then I guard with the sacrifice Messiah in my hand!"

"My other Broken Heart will end this with Nociel's boost!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+8000+6000+3000=34000)**

Sarah let out a sigh. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(6), Amy(5).]**

"And with that, Amy Runeheart gets Team Apocalypse its first win!" Sachi announced.

Sarah clenched her fists tightly. ' _Damnit. I wasn't able to get us a win. Even after saying I was sure I could do it.'_

"Sarah, was it?" Amy's voice caught Sarah's attention. "That was a well fought game. You shouldn't feel bad."

"Th-Thanks?" Sarah said, a bit off put by the comment.

Amy walked back over to her team. Sarah gathered her cards and did the same. She frowned when she walked up to her teammates. "Sorry guys. I lost."

Marcus shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You fought well, just like your opponent said."

"Thanks, Marcus." Sarah said. She looked back over at Amy. "It's weird. Based on the descriptions I heard about Allen and their other member, I expected her to be a jerk too. But she wasn't at all. Not even in the slightest."

"I noticed that too." Marcus said. "She's a respectable player. Why would she team up with guys like them?"

"Wh-What's this?! Allen Demacio is taking to the field!" Sachi gasped.

Team Sightless Vision turned their attention to the field. As Sachi has said, the leader of Team Apocalypse stood out on the field, tightening his gloves.

"Get out here, Cersy! You wanted to face me, didn't you?!" Allen asked, smirking confidently.

"Oh wow! It seems Allen Demacio is calling out the leader of Team Sightless Vision!" Sachi said shockingly. "It's only the second game, but will we see the team leaders face off already?!"

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "I don't like this. He's planning something."

"I agree." Daiki nodded.

"Yeah. You two are probably right." Marcus agreed. "But regardless, I'm going out there."

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked.

"Positive." Marcus said. "He's right, I've been wanting to fight him and get him back for what he did to Emma."

Sarah and Daiki watched as Marcus walked out onto the field. ' _Be careful, Marcus.'_ Sarah thought silently.

Allen chuckled to himself. "Perfect. I can't wait to show the entire world what a weakling you are as I crush you in this fight."

"Keep talking." Marcus said as he glared at his opponent. "It's going to be that much more satisfying when I beat you."

 **Allen: You're a fool if you think you can beat me. With the power of Conquest Empire, I'm invincible.**

 **Marcus: Nothing's invincible. And I'm going to prove that to you here and now.**

 **Allen: Oh is that so? Let's see if that's really true, or just a bunch of hot air.**

 **Sarah: Come on Marcus. You've gotta win this. Everyone's counting on you.**

 **Next time: Flames of the Empire**


	39. Flames of the Empire

**A/N: Wow this week has gone by fast. Already the final chapter of the 5 chapter week special. Hope you're ready readers cause I saved the best for last.**

 **Also I forgot to put the skill of the G Guardian for Conquest Empire in the last chapter Allen fought in so I'm adding it in the Card Gallery for this chapter.**

The spectators gathered in the main stadium watched as Marcus and Allen stood across from each other. Usually it was customary for the team leaders to face off for the third and final game out of the match. But it was only the second game when Allen called out the leader of Team Sightless Vision for a cardfight.

"I don't like this." Aurora said. "Allen's planning something."

"What's his game? Why would he want to fight Marcus so soon?" Dan wondered as he spoke aloud.

"Isn't it obvious?" Anthony said, a serious look on his face. "He wants to show off."

' _That could very well be true. But it feels like there's something more.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Marcus… be careful. He's no ordinary cardfighter.'_

As the two competitors stood on the field, Allen noticed the glare Marcus was sending his way. He chuckled. "What's the matter? You're giving me such a scary look."

"Was it really you?" Marcus asked. "Were you the one who attacked Emma?"

"Emma? Who's she?" Allen asked sarcastically. He put a finger to his chin, pretending to think. "I do recall crushing a little girl in a cardfight the other day. She was such a weakling though. I didn't even bother to remember her name."

Marcus clenched his fists in rage. Weak? That was the last thing Emma was. He always remembered how supportive she was of Kimiko after the young girl had gone blind. She was always there for her, almost like a second sister. If there was any word to describe his sister, it was kind. And Allen had the nerve to insult her.

' _No. Calm down.'_ Marcus told himself. ' _He's trying to rile me up so I get sloppy. I have to be at the top of my game if I want to have any chance at beating him. I promised everyone. I swore I'd beat him so no one would ever have to suffer at his hands ever again.'_

"It's time for the second game to begin!" Sachi called out. "Marcus Cersy versus Allen Demacio! You may begin!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier, Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the cardfight started, their surroundings changed. At first Marcus thought it was just the Motion Figure System doing its job. But something felt off. Soon, they found themselves standing in the middle of a giant castle. It was a scenery Marcus had never seen before with the system. And it felt so much more real than the other times he had fought in it.

"Oh my goodness! It seems that the tournament organizers have unveiled a new field for this semi-final match!" Sachi said. "What an exciting twist!"

In her seat however, Yukari looked down at the fight worriedly. ' _Allen Demacio… to think he'd actually use that power for a fight like this. Especially in front of all these people.'_

"I'm first." Marcus said as he drew for his turn. "Ride! Dragon Knight, Nadel!"

 **Dragon Knight, Nadel**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conroe moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Marcus(5), Allen(5).]**

"My turn then." Allen said with a smirk. "I ride Imperial Knight, Lucas."

 **Imperial Knight, Lucas**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Riley moves back with forerunner." Allen said. "And now with Riley's boost, Lucas attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Allen said. "Well would you look at that. Critical trigger already. Lucky me."

' _Damn. To think he'd pull one this early.'_ Marcus thought. "Damage check. First card no trigger. Second- Agh!" All of a sudden, Marcus felt pain surge through his body. ' _Wh-What the heck?'_

"What's this? It seems like Marcus Cersy is in pain." Sachi said worriedly. "Is he alright?"

"You ok? You don't look so good." Allen said with a smirk. "Do you want to quit?"

' _That bastard… So this is what he put Emma and Rose through…'_ Marcus realized. "No way am I quitting! Second check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Allen(0).]**

Sarah and Daiki watched as Marcus once again let out a grunt of pain. It didn't take them long to figure out what was going on.

"Marcus…" Sarah said worriedly.

"I'll let you off with that for now." Allen said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Marcus(5), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Let's go! I ride Dragon Knight, Ysaar!"

 **Dragon Knight, Ysaar**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Dragon Knight, Mbudi. Then I use Conroe's skill. I counterblast and retire him. Then I add grade 1 Lava Flow Dragon to my hand." Marcus explained. "Mbudi, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Allen shrugged. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Allen(1).]**

Marcus noticed the twitch of pain that came from Allen as the card fell into the damage zone. ' _So he feels pain from the damage too? Usually I'd be against bringing physical pain to an opponent, but I'll make an exception with him.'_

"Ysaar attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Allen said as he held up a trigger with 10000 shield on it. "Sorry, looks like you're not passing."

"Grr… drive check!" Marcus said. "No trigger."

"Such a shame. Though even with a trigger, your attack would have been too weak." Allen said.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Marcus(6), Allen(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Allen said. "Let's see… I think I'll go ahead and ride Destruction Gunman, Barbados."

 **Destruction Gunman, Barbados**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Devoted Swordswomen, Rachel." Allen said. "Rachel attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Marcus said, holding up a grade 2.

"Boosted by Riley, Barbados will attack next."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(3), Allen(1).]**

Once again, Marcus felt a surge of pain through his body. He managed to endure it however as he stood firm. "That all you got?"

"Wasn't aware you were such a glutton for punishment." Allen chuckled. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Marcus(5), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. He looked at the copy of Blademaster in his hand. ' _Lend me your power, my friend.'_

"Draw your blade, bathed in flames! Cut through the darkness to show us our destiny! Ride! Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen"!"

 **Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _With his Conquer skill, he'll be able to take control of my front row.'_ Marcus thought to himself. ' _In that case, I'll avoid calling units to the back row for now. That way I won't lose any rear guards.'_

"Dragonic Blademaster "Kouen" attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check…" Marcus smirked at the card he saw. "Well what do you know? Looks like it's my turn to get a critical trigger. Power to Mbudi. Critical to Blademaster."

"Damage check." Allen said begrudgingly. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Marcus(3), Allen(3).]**

"Mbudi is up next!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Allen said, holding up a card from his hand.

"That's it for my turn." Marcus said. "Over to you."

"And with that, Marcus Cersy finishes his turn." Sachi announced. "But now Allen Demacio gets the first chance to stride. And you all know what that means."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Marcus(7), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Fearsome warrior! With your almighty sword, lead my forces to victory! Destroy this fool until there is nothing left of him! Ride! General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _Alexander… His ace unit.'_ Marcus thought to himself. ' _I need to be careful.'_

"Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Add 5000 power to Rachel until the end of my opponent's next turn. Then lower Mbudi's power by 5000." Allen said. "And now Rachel Conquers the circle your Mbudi is on."

"Mbudi moves to the back row." Marcus said. If he had the space, there was no way he was going to get rid of such a key rear guard.

"Activating Riley's skill. Move it to the soul. Then I search my deck for a grade 2 or lower card and call it to rear guard in the same column as the unit that just Conquered." Allen explained. "Calling Emergency Rescuer Klinger. Then from my hand, I call Supply Soldier, Collin and another Alexander. And since you have no front row rear guards in the same column as it, I'm free to Conquer it."

Marcus watched as both his front row circles were invaded by Allen's units. Over by Allen's field, he had Klinger and Collin together in his column behind Rachel.

"Skill of Collin. I get to draw a card." Allen said. "Then with Alexander's skill, I draw another card and add 5000 power to him until the end of my opponent's next turn."

"This is bad. He's got himself a pretty decent formation set up." Aurora said as she watched the fight.

"But Marcus has barely called any rear guards." Dan noted. "He's waiting for next turn to make his move."

"Doesn't change the fact that he's gonna have to deal with a bunch of attacks this turn." Aurora pointed out.

"Get ready for this. Boosted by Collin, Klinger attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Marcus said. "Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage."

"Oh my goodness! Marcus Cersy has gotten a damage trigger!" Sachi spoke. "Allen Demacio's remaining attacks are going to have a much harder time getting through now."

"Tch, fine then. Alexander will attack next!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Rachel attacks next! And don't forget, every time my rear guard on my opponent's field attacks, she gains 3000 power! This is the second attack from your field so she's plus 6000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+6000=20000)**

"I guard with Lizard Soldier, Bellog!" Marcus said. "Since the attack is successfully guarded, I retire one of your rested rear guards. I choose Rachel."

"Klinger's skill. Once per turn, when my rear guard on my opponent's field is targeted by an opponent's skill, I can return that rear guard to my hand." Allen said. He had still lost another attack for the turn, but at least Rachel was in his hand rather than the drop zone.

"Darius attacks!" Allen declared. "Darius's skill. I stand Alexander and add 5000 power to it until the end of the turn."

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger." He wasn't a big fan of seeing the trigger at this point. Even with the extra power, a restood attack from Klinger wouldn't have enough power to reach Marcus's 16000 power Vanguard. And he wasn't able to attack his rear guard in the back row with a unit on his own field. "Power to Alexander. Stand Klinger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Allen(3).]**

"Alexander, get in there!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Denial Griffin's skill. I retire your rear guard Alexander." Marcus said. "And since you can only use Klinger's skill once per turn, Alexander won't be going back to your hand."

"Turn end." Allen said, annoyed at having his attacks shut down so easily. "Sending Collin to the soul for the second part of his skill to countercharge."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Marcus(4), Allen(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. He looked over at his opponent. "You went into this fight pretty confident. But it seems you're not aware of your clan's weakness."

"Conquest Empire has no weaknesses." Allen said. "It is the ultimate clan."

"Well then, where are your units for this ultimate clan?" Marcus asked. "Your clan's main gimmick is occupying my field yet look at my front row. Yet you don't have a single rear guard there right now."

"He did it! He found a weakness for Conquest Empire!" Sarah realized with a grin. "It's weak to retire skills! And Marcus's deck revolves around retiring!"

"Conquest Empire has power up skills that last through the following turn, making it harder to call over them. But if he can retire them, then he doesn't have to worry about calling over them with units of higher power." Daiki added.

Aurora couldn't believe her eyes. The usual field swarming Conquest Empire was left to only one rear guard. "You can do it, Marcus!" she cheered.

"You think you're hot stuff, don't you Cersy?" Allen said with a scowl. "Well when this fight is over, you won't be talking so high and mighty!"

"We'll see." Marcus said. "But for now, it's time for me to turn up the heat! Stride Generation! Flare Arms, Ziegenberg!"

 **Flare Arms, Ziegenburg**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Calling Wyvern Strike, Jaugo and Dragon Knight, Nadel." Marcus said, giving himself a second rear guard in the front row, as well as a card to boost his Vanguard. "Activating Ziegenberg's skill. Soul blast and flip a copy of Ziegenburg. Then retire Klinger."

"And with that, Marcus Cersy has completely cleared out Allen Demacio's rear guards!" Sachi announced. "How will the leader of Team Apocalypse deal with this predicament?!"

"Jaugo attacks. With its skill, 2000 power is added for every open rear guard circle you have. That's five so a total of 10000."

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"Guard!" Allen said, holding up a trigger and a grade 1, totalling 15000 shield together.

"Boosted by Nadel, Ziegenburg attacks!" Marcus declared. "Nadel's blaze adds 4000 power and allows me to countercharge."

 **(26000+7000+4000=37000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Allen(5).]**

"Ziegenburg's Generation Break 3. Restand with drive minus 2." Marcus explained. "Usually I'd have to discard cards equal to the number of rear guards on my opponent's field. But since you don't have any, there's no cost. Now attack once more, Ziegenburg!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Drive check. No trigger." Marcus said. "Mbudi attacks. With its skill, I counterblast. I then get to draw a card and add 2000 power to Mbudi for each open rear guard circle you have."

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"Guard." Allen said, holding up a 10000 shield trigger.

"Turn end." Marcus said. "With the skill of Kouen, I add the Kouen in the drop zone to my hand."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Marcus(8), Allen(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Time to take back my field you liberated. Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Increase Darius's power by 5000 and decrease Jaugo's power by 5000." Allen explained. "Then I call Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army. Sending it back to the deck to give my Vanguard the skill to let me draw every time I Conquer. And now I call Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames. Conquer over the space his Mbudi is on!"

Marcus watched as Allen's dragon forced Mbudi to the back row. And the loud roar that came from it told him that his troubles were far from over.

"Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames' skill. While he's on my opponent's field, he loses Restraint and gains 10000 power. Then thanks to Drill Sergeant, I draw." Allen smirked. "Calling General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander. Conquer over Jaugo! Drill Sergeant's skill lets me draw and Alexander's skill lets me draw and add 5000 power to him."

"Call as many rear guards as you want. I'll just burn them to ash on my next turn." Marcus told his opponent.

"Not this time." Allen said. "I call Enslaved Princess, Mira! Using her skill! Soul blast and retire Mira. Now until the end of your next turn, my rear guards on your field gain 5000 power and Resist."

Marcus widened his eyes at this. "What?!"

"Tch, seems he had a counter strategy for Marcus's retiring skills." Sarah said. "Resist keeps his cards from being targeted."

"It's fine. He can still call over them next turn." Daiki said.

"Let's kick things up. Alexander, crush his Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!" Marcus said, holding up two cards from his hand.

"Enslaved Dragon, burn him to ash!"

 **(21000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Marcus said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Allen(5).]**

Taking a fifth point of damage brought its toll to Marcus's body. He let out a quick cry of pain as he fell to one knee. ' _Damnit… I can't take another hit… My body won't last.'_

The crowd gasped at seeing the black haired cardfighter in pain. "Once again, Marcus Cersy seems to be in pain!" Sachi announced. "Is he going to be able to continue?!"

"Marcus!" Sarah exclaimed. She took off running, rushing to get to his side.

"Stay back!" Marcus shouted. His yell stopped Sarah in her tracks. "I can still fight… I'm not quitting…"

"Marcus…"

"If I lose now, it's over." Marcus said, getting back up on wobbly legs. "I promised… I swore I'd do everything I could to make sure we win this."

"Oh my, someone's certainly full of spirit, isn't he?" Allen smirked. "Could it be you're fighting for something important? Like say… a family member of a teammate?"

Marcus and Sarah both widened their eyes in shock. ' _How does he know about that?'_ Marcus thought.

"Poor little Kimiko. A blind girl, unable to play Vanguard anymore. Or do anything else related to sight for that matter." Allen let out a laugh. "I can't believe such a stupid reason made you think you had a chance at winning the World Tournament!"

Marcus clenched his fist as his body shook with rage. "What was that…?"

"You know, with all that foolish bravado, maybe you're the blind one." Allen mocked. "You're nothing more than a weak loser. And that blind sister of your teammate is no different."

"That's enough!" Marcus shouted, his voice loud enough where everyone in the stadium could clearly hear him.

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?"

"How can you be so cruel? So unbelievably heartless?" Marcus asked. "You don't have a clue… You have no idea how much Sarah and Kimiko have both suffered! And yet you have the gal to mock her condition!" It was rare for Marcus to lose his temper like this. But with everything that Allen had said and done, he was never going to forgive the leader of Team Apocalypse. "I just want to know one thing… Who told you?"

"Who told me?" Allen asked. He chuckled and pointed behind him. "That would be my teammate over there."

Marcus and Sarah both gasped as they saw Allen point to Amy Runeheart. The ponytailed girl looked away, unable to look the two of them in the eye.

"She happened to overhear your teammate the other night, when she was acting all buddy buddy with some of the other participants in the hot springs." Allen explained. "Now that was a juicy piece of info."

Sarah couldn't believe it. Throughout their entire fight, she hadn't sensed one hint of malice from the female player of Team Apocalypse. But to hear that she had told Allen about it so he could mock them like this?

"How could you?!" Sarah yelled. "I thought you were different Amy! That you actually were a respectable cardfighter and person! Was I wrong?!"

Amy had no words for the girl. She turned away, unable to say anything.

"That does it." Marcus said. "Every single member of your team is heartless. And I won't forgive a single one of you."

Keith let out a chuckle as he glanced over at Amy. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you didn't actually see that coming?"

"Shut up, Keith…" Amy told him, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Well, not that this hasn't been fun, but it's time I put an end to this." Allen said. "Darius attacks! With his skill, stand Alexander and Enslaved Dragon and add 5000 to both of them!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

Everyone watched as Darius raised his two swords, preparing to swing them down at Dragonic Blademaster. With Marcus at 5 damage, one more hit would finish him.

"Marcus!" Aurora exclaimed.

"Flare Trooper, Dumjid! Perfect guard!"

Everyone gasped as the sentinel suddenly appeared on the field, holding back Darius's swords with its powerful shield. There was no chance at the attack getting through.

"Tch, triple drive!" Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger! Power to Alexander and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Allen(4).]**

"I'm not finished yet! Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000+5000=31000)**

"Another Dumjid! Perfect guard!" Marcus called out.

"Grr… Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flame! End him!"

 **(11000+10000+5000+5000=31000)**

"I already told you, I wasn't letting you win!" Marcus shouted. "Generation guard! Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam!"

 **Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Abd Salam's skill! Add 10000 to the shield for every open rear guard circle my opponent has!"

' _Impossible… I thought for sure I'd finish him that turn!'_ Allen thought as he growled with anger. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Marcus(1), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "You attacked Emma. You hurt Rose. And you mocked Sarah's sister. So don't think for a second I'm letting you off easy." A fierce glare appeared in his eyes. "Generation Zone release! Now, flames of destiny, burn brighter than ever! Blaze forth a trail to my future! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"You can do it Marcus!" Sarah cheered. "Beat him! For all of us!"

"With pleasure!"

"And exactly how do you plan on doing that?" Allen asked with a smirk. "My units are still powered up from last turn. Alexander and Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames are both at 21000 power and have Resist. Do you plan on overcoming that? With only one card in hand?"

"I don't need to. Marcus told him. "I already have everything I need."

"What?"

"Over Mbudi, I call Dragon Knight, Ysaar." Marcus said. "Ysaar attacks! With Blaze, I soulblast to add 5000 power and prevent you from intercepting!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Allen said holding up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Ysaar's skill. After the battle it attacked, I can retire all rear guards in the same column as him."

"You fool! My rear guard has Resist! It can't be retired!"

"Wrong. It can't be _targeted_." Marcus reminded him. "This skill isn't targeting your unit. It simply burns away the entire column."

Allen widened his eyes, watching as his Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames was retired along with Ysaar. ' _That damn punk…'_

"Dragonic Blademaster "Riden" attacks with a boost from Nadel. Nadel's Blaze adds 4000 power and lets me countercharge." Marcus explained.

"Big deal! 4000 power is nothing to be afraid of!"

"I wasn't finished yet." Marcus said. "Activating skill of Dragonic Blademaster "Riden". When he attacks, I can retire an opponent's rear guard, although that's impossible right now. But what also happens is that it gains 5000 power for each of your open rear guard circles. And I count five. Plus, with my Vanguard's Generation Break 3, it gains a critical and a drive since you have no rear guards on your field."

"That's 25000 power!" Aurora cheered. "You've got him Marcus!"

 **(26000+25000+7000+4000=62000)**

Allen widened his eyes. Technically he had a rear guard with Alexander, but it was on his opponent's field.

' _He actually thought this far ahead?!'_

"Burn away, along with your twisted ideas about Vanguard!"

"Unbreakable Shield, Ganon! Perfect guard!" Allen shouted, holding up the sentinel.

"Quadruple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Jaugo!"

' _A critical trigger?!'_ Allen gasped. With him at 4 damage, a critical hit would push him to six damage. ' _It can't be… Am I actually going to lose? To a weakling like this?'_

"Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger! Power to Jaugo and I recover one! Final check, no trigger." With one more attack left, Marcus set his eyes on victory. "Jaugo attacks the Vanguard! With his skill, he gains 2000 for every open rear guard circle you have!"

 **(11000+10000+15000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius! I move my rear guard Alexander to the guardian circle! Since he was on your field, 10000 is added to the shield!"

Everyone gasped as the guardians appeared on the field. Their combined shield was enough to fend of Jaugo's attack, keeping Allen from falling to six damage. But just barely.

Marcus grit his teeth. He had been so close. But his last attacks were shut down. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Marcus(4), Allen(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. It was easy to see that he was no longer enjoying himself. "You made the mistake of angering me! Now I'm going to annihilate you!" He discarded a card from his hand. "Generation Zone release! The weak bow before the mighty! Realize how truly weak you are and be crushed like a bug under the force of my power! Stride Generation!"

Marcus gasped as a new unit materialized on Allen's field. It was a gigantic dragon, bigger than any he had ever seen before. On its back and across its wings were a series of canons and other long-range weapons. It let out a powerful roar as its piercing red eyes glared at Marcus.

"Meet Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot!" Allen said. "And to make this even more poetic for you, this is the same unit I crushed that weak sister of yours with."

 **Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _This is bad!'_ Marcus realized.

"I call Rachel and Lucas! And now both of them will Conquer your empty front row!" Allen declared. "Tiemot's skill! Generation Break 3! I counterblast to allow him to gain a skill!"

Keith chuckled to himself. "Time for the grand finale."

"Tiemot attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Marcus called out.

"That's fine with me. Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Critical to Tiemot and power to Lucas! Third check, another critical trigger! Critical to Tiemot and power to Rachel!"

' _He gave his rear guards the power but kept the critical to his Vanguard.'_ Marcus thought. ' _Don't tell me…'_

"Tiemot's skill! At the end of the battle where it attacked, if I have at least 2 rear guards on my opponent's field, I retire all my opponent's rear guards!"

Marcus gasped as a powerful barrage of lasers and blasts fired off from Tiemot's wings. It bombarded his field, blasting away all of his rear guards.

"There's more. Tiemot stands back up for another attack." Allen added. "Drive minus 2."

Marcus widened his eyes as Allen's G Unit restood for another attack. Looking at his hand, he knew he didn't have enough to stop this attack.

"Go Tiemot! Get this eyesore out of my sight!"

 **(26000)**

Marcus felt every part of his body go slack. "No guard…"

Tiemot roared as it breathed a powerful stream of fire that crashed into Dragonic Blademaster, creating a huge explosion. Two final cards fell into Marcus's damage zone, ending the game.

 **[Damage: Marcus(6), Allen(4).]**

Pain unlike anything Marcus had ever experienced before wracked throughout his body. It was as if he was being burned alive by Tiemot's flames. "Ahhhhhhhh!"

"Marcus!" Sarah gasped as she brought her hands to her mouth. She saw her leader fall over and raced over to him. "MARCUS!"

Several gasps followed at seeing the leader of Team Sightless Vision on the ground. Aurora got up from her seat and motioned for Dan and Anthony to follow her. "Come on. Let's go."

Dan and Anthony nodded as they went with Aurora' hurrying to the field to help their friend.

Sarah kneeled at her leader's side. He seemed to be breathing at least so his life wasn't in any danger. But it was clear he was in a lot of pain. "Marcus, are you alright?! Talk to me!"

"Ugh… Sarah…?" Marcus moaned.

The sound of Allen's chuckling brought the blonde teen's attention over to him. "And just like a loser, he falls at my feet. How pathetic."

Rage burned in Sarah's eyes. She gently put Marcus down and prepared to charge at Allen. "YOU BASTARD!"

"Sarah don't!" Daiki yelled, holding his teammate back as she struggled against him. As badly as he knew Allen deserved it, physically assaulting someone in front of everyone like this could get them in a lot of trouble.

Tears fell from Sarah's eyes. She felt so helpless, unable to do anything after all the pain and suffering Marcus had just been put through.

"W-Well, it seems the winner is Allen Demacio." Sachi said, just as shocked by what was going on as everyone else. "That means Team Apocalypse will be going onto the finals to face Team Cosmic Trio for the championship."

Daiki lifted Marcus up on his back. "Come on. Let's get him to the infirmary."

Sarah nodded her head. "R-Right!"

Walking over to his teammates, Allen Demacio smirked at his victory. "Just one more win to go. And then the Vanguard world will bow at my feet."

"Allen, what was that?" Amy asked, a fierce glare in her eyes. "What you did back there… That was beyond cruel. And you were behind the other member getting hurt, weren't you?"

"What if I was?" Allen asked. "What will you do about it? Face me and lose like he did?"

"Allen I-"

"Let me give you some advice, Amy." Allen told her. "Don't. Cross. Me. It's for your own good."

Amy could feel her legs trembling slightly. She knew she wasn't good enough to beat Allen. Right now, she wasn't sure if there was anyone who was. And that was what scared her the most.

"Let's go." Allen said as he walked away. Keith got up from his seat and followed his team leader. Reluctantly and holding her head low, Amy went with them.

 **Sophia: I can't believe it. Marcus was so close.**

 **Dan: Allen's gone too far. He needs to be stopped.**

 **Aurora: Now it's up to us to beat him.**

 **William: Hey, why does it look like he has something else planned.**

 **Anthony: I don't like this. Can't we ever get a break?**

 **Next time: The Scarlet's Shadow**

 **Card Gallery:**

Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **ACT VC 1/Turn GB3:** CB1. If you have 2 or more rear guards on your opponent's field this unit gains **(AUTO VC 1/Turn: Discard a card from your hand. After the battle that this unit attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire all of your opponent's rear guards. Stand this unit and it gets Drive -2.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Imperial Guardian, Nerokius  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on GC, you may choose up to one of your rear guards and move it to the GC. If you do, this unit gains +5000 shield. If the unit you chose was on your opponent's field, this unit gains +10000 shield instead.


	40. The Scarlet's Shadow

**A/N: Hello readers. You ready for the finals of the Vanguard World Tournament? Well too bad. Cause there's some stuff that's gonna happen beforehand. What stuff you ask? Read the chapter and stop being lazy! Don't ask me for spoilers!**

 **On a side note, while I have said I plan on doing a special chapter for decklists after the tournament, I wanted to know if any of you would be interested in another special chapter dedicated to the lores created for the custom units of this story, similar to how you can find lores for some units on the Vanguard wikia. This wouldn't be for every custom unit, just certain ones. LEt me know through review or PM what you all think.**

 _Elizabeth rode in the fancy limo as she made her way to her new home. It was unlike anything she could have ever imagined. She had been an orphan for as long as she could remember. But just like a dream she had recently been adopted. And now she was going to live with her new family. She didn't know much about them. Apparently they were very wealthy, and they adopted a child since they were unable to have children of their own. And their choice had been Elizabeth._

 _After a long drive, they finally reached the mansion. Elizabeth gasped as she saw what would be her new home. It was gigantic, even bigger than the orphanage she had lived at previously._

" _This is your new home, Elizabeth." her adopted mother said as they walked in. "Do you like it?"_

" _It's like a dream." Elizabeth said in awe._

 _The woman put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's not a dream dear. It's reality. From this day on, your name will be Elizabeth Scarlet."_

" _Elizabeth… Scarlet…" Elizabeth said, repeating the name to herself. A large smile came to her face. "Alright then! I'm gonna be the best Scarlet ever!"_

 _Like the young girl at her side, a smile came to the woman. "I know you will Elizabeth."_

* * *

Elizabeth reminisced about that day as she laid on her bed. Ever since that day, she had always done her best to live up to the Scarlet family's expectations. But no matter what she did, it was never enough. It was like she was an outsider. A failure that had no place being among the family. Of course, her adoptive parents had never acted that way towards her. They were always kind and caring towards her. But they too had become somewhat outcasted by the family. Excellence and perfection was what the Scarlet family strove for. There was no room for failure.

So needless to say, her team losing the World Tournament was not going to sit well with her family, even if it was in the semi-finals.

Vanguard had always been the thing she excelled at the most. Once she realized her talent at the game, she practiced constantly, striving to get better. This was how she would bring honor to the Scarlet name. By being the best at Vanguard. But even that had ended in failure. In her family's eyes, a true Scarlet would be at the head of the team, acting as leader. But there was no question that William was stronger. He had every right to act as team leader. She had considered challenging William after they had won the tournament to prove her strength perhaps. A chance to show that she was the best in the world. But after losing in the semi-finals, what was the point?

' _Whether it's the Euro League, or the Vanguard World Tournament, it seems I just can't reach the top.'_ Elizabeth thought to herself. She let out a sigh. ' _I'll be returning to England as a loser. Guess I better prepare myself for more ridicule.'_

The sound of a text message coming cause Elizabeth to glance at her phone. She figured it was probably a member of her family making a snide comment about her team's loss. Or perhaps it was her mother and father telling her they were proud of her no matter what.

But the message she saw on her phone was from a number she did not recognize. She read the message, seeing what it said.

 _Hello Miss Scarlet,_

 _So sorry to hear about your team's embarrassing loss in the semi finals. Your family must be so disappointed in you. But don't worry. I have something that will grab their attention much more than your loss._

As Elizabeth wondered who this was and what this "something" they were talking about was, a follow up text came from the same sender. This one had no words however, but instead had something else. Elizabeth widened her eyes in shock as she gasped, nearly dropping her phone out of surprise.

After recovering from her shock, Elizabeth quickly sent a text back.

 _Who are you? What do you want?_

 _All in due time. For now, go to the address I'm about to send you. Come alone, and tell no one about this, or where you're going. And bring your deck._

Less than a minute later, another text came, giving her the address mentioned. Elizabeth wasted no time in grabbing her cards and walking out of her hotel room. Fire burned in her eyes as she walked down to the lobby and out of the hotel.

' _Whoever this is will regret messing with me. And for threatening the Scarlet family.'_

* * *

After moving through the streets of Rome, Elizabeth found herself at an old warehouse. No one seemed to be around, making the red haired teen even more on guard. She slowly moved around the warehouses until she came across one in particular. She double-checked the address to make sure she had the right place.

Elizabeth walked into the warehouse. It was rather dark, making it hard to see. Elizabeth considered the possibility of someone jumping her but she didn't sense anyone's presence near her. Instead however, an odd sense of foreboding lingered in the air.

"Welcome, Elizabeth Scarlet."

As the voice spoke, the lights in the warehouse all turned on. Elizabeth shielded her eyes until they adjusted to the light. She quickly saw who the other person in the warehouse was, as she noticed a hooded figure standing on one of the higher levels, looking down at her as he leaned against the guardrail.

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked. "Why did you call me here?"

To answer the girl's first question, the mystery person removed their hood. Elizabeth gasped as she saw the identity of the person. Allen Demacio.

"I'm glad to see you followed my instructions and came alone." Allen said as he flipped a switch and made the area he was standing on begin to go down towards the ground. Once he was low enough, he jumped off and stepped closer. "It seems the Scarlet family does have some honor after all."

"What do you want with me? And how did you get that information about the Scarlet family?"

"How I got the information isn't really important." Allen said. "What matters is I have it. And if I wanted to, I could make it public knowledge. About all the shady business the Scarlet family does, and the illegal activity it helps with."

Elizabeth tensed up as she heard this. She knew he wasn't bluffing. In fact, she knew all too well about the darker parts of the Scarlet family. They were a proud family that focused on being at the top. Unfortunately, that sometimes resulted in them using methods that were… less than honest to say the least. Illegal was more like it. And like any family with the wealth to use shady business tactics, they paid plenty to keep it under wraps and hold a good name on the surface. Some rumors still flowed around here and there, but there was never any good evidence to back it up. But it seemed Allen had plenty of evidence gathered up for it.

Regardless of these facts though, Elizabeth couldn't let this happen. True some of them weren't the nicest people around, but the Scarlets were still her family. She owed so much to them, her entire life practically. And if this information were to come to light, it would almost definitely ruin them. She could not allow that to happen, no matter what.

"What do you want?"

"Straight to the point I see? Very well." Allen said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his deck. "Let's settle what to do with a cardfight. If you win, I'll hand over all of the harming evidence I have on the Scarlet family. Their name will be spared, as will their vast fortune. Lose however, and it all gets publicized."

Elizabeth had no clue what Allen's game was. Why did he want to settle this with a cardfight? She knew though how dangerous he was in a cardfight. His match against Marcus Cersy in the semi-finals had shown that much. But his motives here were a mystery, and that made him dangerous. Regardless though, she didn't have the option of walking away. Not when this much was at stake.

"You're on." Elizabeth said. She pulled out her deck and held it out in front of her. "Let's cardfight."

A chuckle escaped Allen. Soon the entire scenery around them changed. Elizabeth gasped as she found herself in an entirely different world. The two of them stood in front of a large castle-like structure. It seemed so incredibly lifelike.

' _This is the same scenery from when he fought Marcus.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _Which means this is probably part of his power to make the damage players take feel real.'_

"What's wrong? You're not getting scared already, are you?" Allen asked.

"You wish." Elizabeth glared. "I'm taking you down."

A thin sheet of light appeared in front of each of them. Both Elizabeth and Allen placed thier decks on them and drew their starting hands. Together they started the game with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Pedigree Knight, Tigresse!"

 **Pedigree Knight, Tigresse**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Elizabeth said. "Here goes! I ride Darkquartz Dragon!"

 **Darkquartz Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Tigresse moves back with forerunner. Turn end." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Allen(5).]**

"My turn then." Allen said. "Ride! Enslaved Princess, Mira!"

 **Enslaved Princess, Mira**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Riley moves back." Allen said "And now with his boost, Mira attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said.

Allen smirked. "Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), Allen(0).]**

Elizabeth braced herself for the incoming pain. But to her surprise, nothing happened. She didn't feel a thing. ' _What's going on? I thought he was able to make the damage we take become real.'_

"What's wrong? You seem troubled." Allen said.

' _Maybe he's holding his powers back for now. Waiting to use them for the finals.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _Either way, right now I need to focus on winning. Not being able to feel the pain is an asset if anything.'_

"My turn's over." Allen said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Here we go! I ride Darkpride Dragon!"

 **Darkpride Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _I've never fought against Conquest Empire. But I've seen the clan in action enough to know it's playstyle.'_ Elizabeth thought to herself. ' _I'll deal with him the same way I would any other opponent.'_

"Calling Knight of Brawn, Grosne." Elizabeth said as she brought out the grade 2 to her front row. "Grosne attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Allen said, holding up a grade 1 from his hand.

"Boosted by Tigresse, Darkpride attacks!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Elizabeth said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), Allen(2).]**

"My turn is over." Elizabeth told him.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "I ride Destruction Gunman, Barbados!"

 **Destruction Gunman, Barbados**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Rachel." Allen said. "And I'll have her attack the Vanguard."

 **(9000)**

"Black-winged Swordbreaker guards." Elizabeth said, holding up the grade 1 from her hand.

"Let's see you do the same with Barbados, with Riley's boost."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Allen(2).]**

"Turn end." Allen said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Elizabeth(4), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. She looked at the Claret Sword Dragon in her hand. Ever since she had first started playing Vanguard, this was the unit that had always been with her.

' _The dragon that pursues absolute strength. And crushes those that mock its power. It fights for its own values, and no one else's.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _We really are two sides of the same coin. So please. Lend me your strength. To protect what's important to me.'_

"Dark dragon that stands at the pinnacle of strength! Annihilate all who dare make light of your power! Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Tigresse. I counterblast and retire it. Then I get to look at the top seven cards of the deck and search for up to one card with Claret Sword Dragon in its name, and add it to my hand." Elizabeth explained as the top seven cards came to her. "Adding Claret Sword Dragon Revolt to my hand. Then, since I have a Vanguard with Claret Sword Dragon in its name, I draw one card. Next I call Darkpride Dragon."

With that, Elizabeth's front row was filled up. And she was ready to go on the offensive. However, Allen didn't seem concerned in the slightest.

"Darkpride attacks."

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Allen(3).]**

"Claret Sword is up next! Attack!"

 **(11000)**

"Death-scope Sharpshooter guards!" Allen said, holding up the critical trigger from his hand.

' _Making it two triggers to pass through. Guess that's the downside of getting rid of Tigresse'_ Elizabeth thought. "Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Darkpride Dragon. And with that attack done, Grosne will move in next!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Damage check, heal trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Allen(3).]**

"Darkpride attacks for a second time! And this time it's going after Rachel!" Elizabeth declared.

Allen wasn't keen on losing a valuable rear guard. But he had a backup plan in place. "No guard. Rachel is retired."

"Turn end." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Elizabeth(7), Allen(4).]**

"My turn." Allen said. "Well then, I think it's time I took things up to the next level."

' _Here it comes. He's making his move.'_

"Fearsome warrior! With your almighty sword, lead my forces to victory! Destroy this fool until there is nothing left of him! Ride! General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I'm not done yet. Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I increase my Vanguard's power by 5000 and lower Darkpride Dragon's by 5000." Allen explained. "Next I call Wise Mage, Tibarn and another Alexander."

The new unit that appeared along with Alexander was a grade 2 unit. Its appearance was that of a sorcerer with long white robes and a book in hand. The fact that Elizabeth hadn't seen this unit before worried her.

"Tibarn's power is above Darkpride's, so I Conquer the circle it's on." Allen said with a smirk.

"Tch, Darkpride moves back." Elizabeth said.

"Tibarn's skill. When it Conquers, I draw two cards then discard one from my hand." Allen said. "Next I call Supply Soldier Collin. And then, Alexander Conquers the circle Grosne is on!"

"Grosne moves back as well." Elizabeth said, now having her front row rear guards fall back to the back row.

"Collin's skill. I draw a card. And Alexander's skill allows me to draw another card and increase his power by 5000 until the end of my opponent's next turn." Allen said. "I also use Riley's skill. Sending him to the soul, I superior call Devoted Swordswoman Rachel from the deck to the same column as the Alexander that Conquered."

Looking at the board, Allen had Tibarn and Alexander on Elizabeth's field, poised to attack. He also had Collin behind the Rachel on his field, further increasing his offensive power for the turn.

"Tibarn attacks Darkpride Dragon! Rachel's power rises by 3000 with her skill!"

 **(9000)**

' _Trying to take out a rear guard. I see what his game is.'_ Elizabeth thought. She held up a critical trigger from her hand. "Guard!"

"Alexander attacks your Vanguard next! Once again, Rachel's power goes up!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Allen(3).]**

"Darius attacks!" Allen declared. "With Darius's skill, I stand Alexander and Tibarn. Increasing both of their power by 5000 until end of turn."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Elizabeth called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Alexander. Third check, another critical trigger. All effects to Rachel."

' _That's just great. Three more attacks with two of them having a critical.'_ Elizabeth thought, cursing her luck.

"Tibarn attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Elizabeth wasted no time in holding up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Alexander swings in next!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Plotmaker's Ritual 3. 10000 is added to the shield." Elizabeth said.

"With Collin's boost, Rachel attacks!" Allen said. "And my last two attacks were from units on your field, so that's another 6000 with her skill."

 **(9000+12000+5000+7000=33000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "She watched as two more cards fell into her damage zone, pushing her to the limit.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Allen(3).]**

"That will be all for my turn." Allen said. "Now show me what you can do."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Elizabeth(2), Allen(6).]**

"Oh I'll show you plenty! Stand and draw!" Elizabeth said. "Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Darkpride Dragon! Then I search my deck for a grade 1 and call it to rear guard! I choose Black-winged Swordbreaker!" Elizabeth explained. "Swordbreaker gains the skill to be treated as 2 retires when paying a cost. Then, her soul blast allows me to draw a card. In addition, Darkpride Dragon's skill! Since it was retired for the cost of my skill, I search my deck for Darkquartz Dragon and call it!" Elizabeth called the grade 1 Darkquartz in the same column that Darkpride had been, while Swordbreaker was put behind the Vanguard. "Grosne's skill. When a unit who's grade is lower than his is called to rear guard, he gains 3000 power. Two grade 1s have been called this turn, so that's 6000 power. Darkquartz's skill also activates, increasing its own power and my Vanguard's by 3000."

"Big deal. Grosne's power still can't match Alexander's 16000. The best you can do is free the column Darkquartz is on."

Elizabeth smirked. "Are you sure?"

"What?"

"Skill of Claret Blood Dragon. I retire Black-winged Swordbreaker. Then I choose two of my opponent's rear guards to retire." Elizabeth explained. "And the one's I'm choosing are the ones invading my field. Alexander and Tibarn."

Allen widened his eyes as his two rear guards were retired in the blink of an eye. ' _She'll pay for that.'_

"Now with my field open, I think I'll take it back! I move Grosen up and call Night Sky Eagle in front of Darkquartz! Night Sky's skill increases its power by 4000!" Elizabeth said. She would have like to call more, but her hand was lacking a bit. And the retire effects of Claret Blood Dragon were needed too much in this situation to try anything else. "Grosne attacks!"

 **(9000+9000=18000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Allen(4).]**

"Night Sky is up next with a boost from Darkquartz!"

 **(7000+4000+7000+3000=21000)**

"No guard." Allen said once again. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Allen(5).]**

' _Five damage. I can finish him.'_ Elizabeth thought. "Claret Blood Dragon attacks! Claret Blood's Generation Break 3 activates! I retire three rear guards! Now you're unable to guard with grade 1 or higher cards from your hand! In addition, since at least two grade 1s were retired for the cost, Claret Blood gains 10000 power and plus one critical!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Take this!"

"Oh no! It's too powerful!" Allen gasped. A mocking smirk quickly came to his face. "Not!"

"What?!"

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius. I move my rear guard Rachel to the guardian circle. Then, 5000 is added to its shield." Allen explained. He then held up two triggers from his hand. "I also guard with these."

' _Damnit. I won't be able to break through, even with 3 triggers.'_ Elizabeth thought. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Third check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), Allen(5).]**

"Well unless I'm mistaken, I believe that's all you can do this turn." Allen said. "So hurry up and end your turn."

"Turn… end." Elizabeth said bitterly. ' _Damnit. I thought I had him. But at least I was able to get a heal trigger. Now I'm back down to four damage, plus I can use a G Guardian this turn.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Allen(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Now then, I think it's time I bring this game to an end."

"I won't let you!" Elizabeth said firmly. "Don't underestimate me! I refuse to let you destroy the Scarlet family! I'll protect their name with my life!"

Allen let out a chuckle. "You know, it's actually kinda funny. You think your compliance is even a factor. I'm going to crush you, here and now. I'll prove just what a pathetic weakling you are compared to me." He took a grade 3 from his hand and discarded it. "Generation Zone release! The weak bow before the mighty! Realize how truly weak you are and be crushed like a bug under the force of my power! Stride Generation! Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot!"

 **Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Elizabeth widened her eyes as she gazed upon Tiemot. The same unit that Allen had won the semi finals with. She knew all too well how powerful this unit was.

"Stride skill. 5000 power to Tiemot. Seeing as you have no rear guards, there won't be any power decreases." Allen explained. "Calling Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames and Wise Mage, Tibarn. And I'll have them both Conquer your front row."

Elizabeth watched as her front row was taken from her once again. Without any front row rear guards she had no way of defending it.

"Tibarn's skill. I draw 2 cards and discard one. Also, since Enslaved Dragon is on your field, it gains 10000 power at all times." Allen said. "Now go, Enslaved Dragon! Attack!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

' _I have to block the attacks from his Vanguard at all cost. So for now I'll have to take a hit.'_ Elizabeth thought. "No guard. Damage check, stand trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Allen(5).]**

"Tiemot attacks!"

 **(26000)**

' _Tiemot will restand after this battle. I have a perfect guard for that.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _So right now, I need to use my other cards to stop this attack.'_

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Ritual 3! 10000 is added to the shield!" Elizabeth said. She then held up a grade 2 from her hand. "I also guard with this!"

"Triple drive." Allen said. "First check, critical trigger." Allen looked at the state of the board before making his decision. "All effects to Tibarn. Second check, no trigger."

Elizabeth smirked. Once she used her perfect guard for the next attack, she would have 2 cards in her hand, totalling 15000 shield. Even if his next check and the single drive check he got for his next attack were both triggers, Tibarn wouldn't have enough power to break through.

"Third check, critical trigger. Once again, all effects to Tibarn." Allen said. "Tiemot's Generation Break 3. If you had any rear guards, they would be retired. But Tiemot still gets to stand up for another attack. Drive minus 2."

"Bring it! I'll handle your attacks no problem!" Elizabeth stated firmly as Tiemot's flames surrounded her.

"Oh will you now?" Allen asked. "Tiemot attacks! For a second time!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Elizabeth called out, throwing down the sentinel.

"Drive check." Allen said.

' _I've got you, you cocky asshole.'_ Elizabeth thought with a grin.

Allen however, seemed completely unfazed. Slowly he looked at the top card of his deck, smirking as he turned it for Elizabeth to see. "Stand trigger. All effects to Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames."

' _A stand trigger?!'_ Elizabeth gasped.

"Tibarn attacks."

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"Guard!" Elizabeth said, quickly holding up the grade 2 in her hand.

"And now for an attack from Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames." Allen said. "Burn her to ash!"

 **(11000+10000+5000=26000)**

"No guard…" Elizabeth said. "Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(6), Allen(5).]**

She didn't experience any physical pain from the damage, but the humiliation of losing while trying to protect her family's name hurt worse than that ever could. Elizabeth fell to her knees as the scenery around them returned to normal.

"Seems I win." Allen said. "I think we both remember our deal."

Tears formed in Elizabeth's eyes. The dripped on the floor as she held her head low. "Please… I'm begging you… Don't do it."

"Hm?"

"I owe everything to the Scarlet family." Elizabeth sobbed. "I'll do anything. Just don't ruin their name."

Allen watched as Elizabeth pleaded with him. A chuckle escaped him. "You know, I like that look of yours. Groveling at my feet, begging for mercy. It suits a loser like you." He walked up to her. "Very well then. I won't make the evidence I have against your family public." Allen said as he kneeled down in front of her with a dark smirk. "But first, you need to do something for me."

Elizabeth resigned herself to her fate. She had no choice. She would do anything to protect her family. "What is it?"

* * *

The trio of Premium Beauty stood together in the lobby of the headquarters for the Tatsunagi Corporation in Rome. Everything was coming to the closing stages. Soon, everything would be decided.

"Tomorrow's the final." Keiko said. "Aurora Fujou will face off against Allen Demacio. Star Chaser vs Conquest Empire."

"I sure hope that Aurora girl wins." Mai said with a sigh. "Otherwise, we're all screwed."

"All we can do at this point is have faith." Jasmine told her fellow idols. "Aurora Fujou has come a long way in this tournament. If anyone has the power to defeat Conquest Empire, it's her."

"That Allen guy has a serious attitude problem though." Mai said. "I mean can you believe the stuff he's pulled in this tournament? He's already hospitalized three people with that weird power of his."

"What I want to know is how Conquest Empire came into contact with him in the first place." Keiko pointed out. "It's strange."

"Girls." the sound of Yukari's voice made all three of them turn their heads towards the young girl as she walked into the room. "We have a situation on our hands."

"A situation?" Mai asked worriedly.

"It seems Allen Demacio is on the move." Yukari informed them. "He was seen exiting the hotel that the participants are staying at an hour ago. Not long after, Elizabeth Scarlet was also seen leaving, headed in the same direction."

"The girl from Team Round Table? What does she want with Allen?" Keiko questioned.

"We're not sure. But we cannot afford to let the situation grow anymore out of control than it already has." Yukari told them. "I want you to go find Allen Demacio. Locate him and prevent anything serious from happening."

"Understood, Miss Tatsunagi." Jasmine nodded. "We'll leave right away."

"Good." Yukari said. "I'll wait to hear your report."

Yukari walked out of the room, leaving the idol trio to themselves once again. All three of them looked at each other.

"Yukari seems really worried." Mai said.

"The fate of Earth and Cray is at stake. It's only natural she'd be concerned." Jasmine said. "Now then, let's get going."

"Not so fast."

The sudden voice quickly brought Premium Beauty's attention to a lone figure walking through the front door of the building. They quickly recognized him as Keith Ashton of Team Apocalypse.

"What are you doing here?" Keiko glared.

"I'm under contract to follow my client's orders." Keith said, bringing out his deck. "And right now my orders are to stop you three."

* * *

Team Cosmic Trio sat together in Aurora's room. Tomorrow was the final match where they would face off against Team Apocalypse. Needless to say, tensions were high for the three players.

"Are you both ready?" Aurora asked her teammates.

"We were born ready." Anthony grinned. "We're gonna crush those guys."

"They've gone too far with their actions this tournament." Dan said. "We have to win, no matter what."

"Everyone's double checked their decks?"

Both Anthony and Dan nodded. "We're fully prepared to take these guys down." Anthony said.

"What about you Aurora?" Dan asked. "Are you prepared to fight Allen?"

Aurora sighed. "He's no doubt going to be the toughest player I've fought yet. Conquest Empire is no joke." A fierce determination shined in her eyes. "But I'll win. For everyone that's suffered at his hands until now. And for everyone on planet Cray."

It was still hard for them to believe. That Cray was real. And right now, they were battling against the invading forces of Conquest Empire, whose goal was total universal conquest. But with everything that had been thrown at them, they didn't have much choice but to believe it all.

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door to Aurora's room, catching the attention of all three members of Cosmic Trio. Aurora got off her bed and walked over to the door. She looked out to see who it was, surprised at who she saw. She opened the door, making Dan and Anthony widen their eyes at who it was as well. Standing at the doorway was Amy Runeheart.

"The hell are you doing here?" Anthony asked with a glare.

The girl seemed hesitant to speak. But finally she found the words she needed to say and spoke to them. "I need to talk with you three. I have a favor to ask of you."

* * *

William walked through the halls of the main stadium. He couldn't help but feel something was up. Not even thirty minutes ago, he had received a text from Elizabeth. It told him she needed him to come to the main stadium field. But nothing other than that.

As he walked out into the stands, all the lights were off. It made enough sense, since no one was supposed to be here right now. Which only made Elizabeth's message all the more suspicious.

"Elizabeth?" William called out. "Are you here?"

"I'm right here, William."

All of a sudden, the lights turned on. Standing down on the field was William's teammate, Elizabeth Scarlet.

William let out a sigh of relief. A part of him had been afraid she had been kidnapped or something and the message was fake to lure him here. "Elizabeth, why did you call me here? What are you-"

Elizabeth stopped William as she pulled out her deck and held it out in front of her, facing William. "Get down here, William. Fight me."

 **William: Elizabeth, what's going on? Why do you want to fight me all of a sudden?**

 **Elizabeth: This isn't going to be an ordinary fight, William. This fight will decide everything for us.**

 **Keith: This is looking fun. I can't wait to see how this turns out.**

 **Aurora: I'm worried. I hope everyone's going to be ok when this is all over.**

 **Next time: Elizabeth's Sorrow**

 **Card Gallery:**

Wise Mage, Tibarn  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** When this unit "Conquers", draw two cards. Then discard one card from your hand.


	41. Elizabeth's Sorrow

**A/N: Hey readers? Who's ready for a long chapter? You guys are? Cool. Glad to know writing all this for one chapter wasn't in vain.**

William stared at Elizabeth, wondering if what he had just heard her say was a mistake, or perhaps she was kidding. But the seriousness in her eyes told him she was anything but kidding.

"Elizabeth what are you talking about? You want to cardfight? Here? At this hour?"

"You heard me William." Elizabeth said. "Now fight me. And when I beat you, you'll lose everything."

"What do you mean?"

"If I win this fight William, you'll retire from Vanguard. And you'll quit the Euro League."

William widened his eyes. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm deadly serious." Elizabeth said. "If I win, you'll no longer be a cardfighter. And to make things fair, if you win I'll do anything you ask."

"Elizabeth, listen to yourself for a moment! Quit Vanguard?! You love this game! We both do!" William told her. "Why would you suddenly want to have such a stupid bet like this?!"

"I'm sick of living in your shadow, William." Elizabeth said. "I'm going to prove that I'm the better cardfighter, right here and now."

"Elizabeth…" William said, unable to believe that this was the same teammate that had been with him throughout this whole tournament. "Fine. If I have to beat you to bring you to your sense then that's what I'll do."

"Music to my ears." Elizabeth said. In the back of her mind, she couldn't believe things had turned out like this. ' _William. I hope you can forgive me.'_

William walked down to the end of the stands and jumped over the railing, landing on the field. He walked over to the other side of the field. As he arrived, the Motion Figure System kicked on and a board set up for both of them.

"Let's do this, William." Elizabeth said.

"Bring it on."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Pedigree Knight, Tigresse!"

 **Pedigree Knight, Tigresse**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

As the two units appeared with the help of the Motion Figure System, Allen watched from the shadows as he sat in the stands. He chuckled to himself, curious to see how this would play out.

' _Which one will be the one to suffer? Elizabeth by losing the chance to save her family's reputation? Or William, losing the right to ever play Vanguard again?'_ Allen thought to himself. ' _I do love a good thriller show, hahaha!'_

" _You should stop playing around, Allen."_ a voice said, speaking into his mind. " _You need to crush the fighters that could become a threat. You should be down there fighting the Royal Paladin user, not that weak girl."_

"It'll be fine." Allen spoke, though no one was physically present. "Beating William Lewis wouldn't be enough. I want to watch him suffer first."

" _Just don't get overconfident."_

"Yeah, yeah." Allen said. "For now, I have a show to watch."

* * *

Keith stood at the entrance to the building, cutting off the idol trio of Premium Beauty from their main route of leaving. They had known that Allen Demacio was a dangerous fighter. But they had not expected him to gain such loyal and capable allies.

"Let us through, you jerk." Mai glared.

"Or what? You'll make my ears bleed with your singing?" Keith taunted.

"Why you arrogant-"

"That's enough." Jasmine said, stepping forward. She eyed Keith Ashton, a serious expression in her eyes. "We have a job to do. So I'll ask this once. Step aside."

"Sorry, no can do." Keith shrugged. "I wouldn't be much of a mercenary if I rolled over that easily."

"Very well then." Jasmine said, bringing out a deck from her pocket. "Then I'll have to make you move."

Mai widened her eyes. ' _Jasmine's gonna fight?'_

"Oh? This should be good." Keith said with a chuckle. "Bring it on. I'll burn you to ash."

As if by magic, two thin sheets of light appeared in front of the two fighters. Both Keith and Jasmine placed their decks on them and began the cardfight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier, Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Undying Departed, Grenache!"

 **Undying Departed, Grenache**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the match started, the scenery around the two fighters changed. They soon found themselves submerged underwater. A sunken ship could be seen in the distance. Mai and Keiko stood at the side, observing how the fight would play out.

"I'll start things off for us." Keith said as he drew for his turn. "I ride! Doom Bringer High Flame!"

 **Doom Bringer High Flame**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conroe moves back with forerunner." Keith said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Jasmine(5), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "I ride Bale the Ghostie."

 **Bale the Ghostie**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Bale the Ghostie attacks!"

 **(7000)**

Keith narrowed his eyes. ' _She's not using Grenache's forerunner skill?'_ "No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(0), Keith(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Jasmine(6), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. ' _I don't know what her game is. But either way, all I need to do is focus on my job.'_ "I ride Glow Heater Dragon!"

 **Glow Heater Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"With Glow Heater's skill, I reveal Dragonic Overlord The Destiny in my hand. As a result, there's no power loss" Keith explained.

"That's a solid defensive play." Keiko noted. "Since Jasmine doesn't have a rear guard behind her Vanguard, she'll have to call from her hand to give her Vanguard a good chance of hitting."

"I'm not done yet. Next I call Emperor Dragon Knight, Nehalem." Keith said. "Nehalem attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"I guard with Negrobone." Jasmine said as she held up the grade 1.

"Boosted by Conroe, Glow Heater attacks!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Keith smirked at the card he saw. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard, and I recover one."

"Damage check, no trigger." Jasmine said.

 **[Damage: Jasmine(1), Keith(1).]**

"That'll be it for my turn." Keith said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Jasmine(5), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "Ride! Witch Doctor of the Rotten Sea, Negrorook!"

 **Witch Doctor of the Rotten Sea, Negrorook**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Call. Rough Seas Banshee. With her skill, I send her to the soul to draw." Jasmine said. "Calling another Banshee and using the same skill once again. Then I call Tommy the Ghostie Brothers, and Witch Doctor of Languor, Negrolazy." With her field set, Jasmine started the attack. "Negrolazy attacks Nehalem!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Nehalem is retired."

"Boosted by Tommy the Ghostie Brothers, Negrorook attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(1), Keith(2).]**

"Turn end." Jasmine said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Jasmine(4), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "Dragon of forbidden power, set this battlefield ablaze! Let fire burn until there's nothing left! Ride! Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"!"

 **Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I activate Overlord's soul blast and retire Tommy the Ghostie Brothers." Keith said. "Next I call Burning Horn Evolute. With its soul blast, I reveal Overlord The Legend in my hand, and retire your Negrolazy that's in the same column as it."

"Darn. She could have used Negrolazy to intercept this turn." Mai commented. "Those Kagero retire skills are gonna be a pain to deal with."

"Relax, Mai. Jasmine can handle him." Keiko assured her.

"Using Conroe's counterblast. I retire him and add Doom Bringer High Flame to my hand." Keith said. "Next I call High Flame to rear guard."

' _With High Flame's skill, he'll be able to stride into an Overlord next turn without paying the cost.'_ Jasmine thought. ' _He knows what he's doing.'_

"Overlord attacks!"

 **(11000)**

Jasmine held up a stand trigger from her hand. "Guard!"

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. That's 5000 going to Burning Horn and I draw." Keith said. "And now boosted by High Flame, it attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Jasmine said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(2), Keith(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Jasmine(3), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "Now tremble in fear! The dark hour has begun! And nothing shall save you from her blade! Ride! Vampire Princess of Night Fog, Nightrose!"

 **Vampire Princess of Night Fog, Nightrose**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Jasmine's grade 3 appeared on the field in a vortex of water. As the black haired pirate pointed her sword at Keith and Overlord, it was clear that Jasmine was serious.

"Jasmine's usually known as the cool beauty." Mai said. "But that's only by the people that have never seen her cardfight."

Keiko nodded in agreement. "Facing her in battle is pure terror. She's undeniably savage when it comes to cardfighting."

"I will not allow you to get in our way." Jasmine said as she discarded a grade 3 from her hand. "Stride Generation! Tempest-calling Pirate King, Goauche!"

 **Tempest-calling Pirate King, Goauche**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I counterblast and call King Serpent from the drop zone!" Jasmine explained. "It gains 2000 power until end of turn! Then with King Serpent's skill, I countercharge and soul charge!"

"Big deal. Calling one rear guard won't make a difference. And your hand and drop zone aren't exactly big right now." Keith said with a shrug.

"Jasmine smirked at her opponent. "Oh? You think so?"

"Huh?"

"Skill of Goauche! I counterblast, soul blast, and flip up a copy of him from the G Zone! Then I send four cards from my soul to the drop zone! I can then superior call units from the drop zone up to the number of cards I just sent to the drop zone this way!"

"What?!" Keith exclaimed.

"Return from the dead, pirates of Granblue! I call Negrobone, Grenache, Bale the Ghostie, and Tommy the Ghostie Brothers!" Jasmine said. She put Negrobone behind Bale in her empty column, Grenache behind her Vanguard, and Tommy the Ghostie Brothers behind King Serpent. "They each gain 1000 power for every card in my G Zone. In addition, Bale's skill adds 2000 power to himself when he's called from the drop zone."

' _So that's why she didn't call Grenache at the start of the game.'_ Keith realized. ' _She was saving it in her soul for this skill. That's also why she gave up those critical triggers for defense and instead sent them to the soul.'_

"That's not all. I also Hollow Grenache."

"Hollow?"

"In exchange for retiring them at the end of the turn. The units I hollow gain a skill." Jasmine explained.

"Get this guy, Jasmine!" Mai cheered. "Show him that no one messes with Premium Beauty!"

"Boosted by the Ghostie Brothers, King Serpent attacks!"

 **(8000+2000+7000+1000=18000)**

Keith held up a critical trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Negrobone, Bale the Ghostie attacks!"

 **(7000+2000+1000+7000+1000=18000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(2), Keith(3).]**

"Negrobone's skill. After the battle that he boosts, I can retire the boosted unit. I then get to call a unit with the hollow ability from the drop zone." Jasmine explained. "I call Negrolazy and hollow it. Bale's skill. Since he went to the drop zone during the battle phase, I send him to the bottom of the deck and countercharge. Then, with Negrolazy's skill, I counterblast and soul blast to call Negrorook from the drop zone and add 2000 to Negrolazy. Hollow Negrorook, and add a total of 7000 power to him."

' _Tch, a refreshed front row just like that?'_

"I'm far from done." Jasmine said. "Negrolazy attacks!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Intercept with Burning Horn."

"Boosted by Grenache, I attack with my Vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+1000=32000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Negrorook. Third check, no trigger." Jasmine said. "Negrorook attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Generation guard!" Keith called out. "Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"No need to use its skill, since your rear guard will go to the drop zone at end of turn anyway." Keith said. "But it's more than enough to guard the attack."

"Turn end." Jasmine said. All hollowed rear guards go to the drop zone. With Grenache's skill, I countercharge twice. And then with Negrolazy's skill, I countercharge and soul charge. Then with Nightrose's Generation Break, I send the top three cards of my deck to the drop zone. I then get to revive Skeleton Cannoneer. I hollow it, then use its skill to retire High Flame and draw a card. Then, it goes to the drop zone as a result of being hollowed."

' _Darn. so much for that unit.'_ Keith thought.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Jasmine(7), Keith(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "Now get ready. Cause you're gonna burn in hellfire when I'm done with you."

* * *

Amy Runeheart sat on the bed in Aurora's room. Team Cosmic Trio was staring at her, wondering what she could possibly have to say to them.

"Start talking." Anthony said. "We're not exactly fond of you or your team, so tell us what this favor is you want. And it better be good."

Amy stayed silent for a few more moments before finally speaking. "I want you to defeat Allen tomorrow. I need you to beat him."

Hearing the girl's request, made the three of them blink in surprise. "Come again?" Dan asked.

"In tomorrow's final, you need to beat Allen, no matter what." Amy told them. "Please. I'm begging you."

"Hang on. Aren't you and Allen teammates?" Aurora asked. "Why would you want your team to lose?"

Amy frowned as she kept her gaze low. "Allen. He… He's changed recently. I know you all must see him as a monster, but he wasn't like this before. He was a lot different."

"Different how?" Dan asked.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning." Amy said. "You see, Allen and I go to the same card shop. That's where he and I first met. He loved cardfighting, but to be honest he was never really all that good at it. He lost. A lot. Whether it was regular matches or shop tournaments, he rarely won his cardfights. A lot of the other cardfighters there picked on him for that. I remember times he would leave the shop with tears in his eyes. I tried to help comfort him, but it was never really enough. He wanted to be strong. He wanted to prove to all those people that they were wrong. And then one day… everything changed."

"What happened?" Aurora questioned.

"I walked into the card shop. But I could already tell something wasn't right." Amy explained. "Everyone at the shop was utterly defeated. The only one standing was Allen. He had a new deck with him, and he used it to defeat all of the cardfighters there."

"Let me guess. Conquest Empire?" Aurora said.

Amy nodded her head in confirmation. "But it wasn't just his deck that was different, it was his personality. The once eager kind guy I used to know was gone. Instead, he was replaced by someone who seemed drunk on the power of his new deck."

"Did he ever say where he got it?" Anthony asked.

"No. He just said he was… chosen. When I saw the news about the Vanguard World Tournament, I realized he meant he was chosen by Yukari Tatsunagi to get the Conquest Empire deck, just like you were chosen to get Star Chaser, Aurora."

' _Except Yukari wasn't the one who gave out Conquest Empire.'_ Aurora thought silently. ' _Does that mean the clan itself chose him and gave him that deck?'_

"Ever since he got Conquest Empire, Allen's never been the same." Amy told them. "He won every cardfight he fought. But winning wasn't enough for him before long. Soon, all he cared about was humiliating his opponents. Crushing them until their spirit was broken. If I had to guess, I think he wanted to be the one in control, like all of the fighters that used to torment him."

"I get he had it rough." Dan said. "But that doesn't excuse the way he's acted. He's not respecting his opponents, even when they didn't do anything to him. He's even hurting them now. Regardless of what happened to him, that can't be tolerated."

"I agree." Amy nodded. "But he's become so powerful now thanks to that… that accursed clan. He thinks he's unstoppable." She looked up at the three members of Cosmic Trio. "That's why I think if he were to lose, maybe he'll snap out of this ego-trip he's been on. Maybe he'll go back to being the guy I once knew."

"Why didn't you try talking any sense into him?" Anthony asked. "You guys were friends, weren't you?"

"Believe me, I tried. But he won't listen to me." Amy said.

"So you decided to help him instead?" Dan questioned with a raised brow. "Sarah and Daiki told us. We know you were the one who told Allen about Sarah's sister."

"It's not like that!" Amy said. "I admit I overheard them! But I told Allen about it to remind him that not everyone is here simply for glory!" She clenched her fists and shook her head. "But instead, he just treated that information as a way to torture the leader of Team Sightless Vision. Even joining his team was an attempt to try and keep him in check. But I was powerless. Everything I've done has been a complete failure."

"So now you want Allen to lose? Because that's the only way you think it'll bring his old self back." Aurora said.

Amy nodded her head. "If you'd like, I'll lose my game against you guys on purpose tomorrow. If it brings back the guy Allen once was, I don't care! I'll do anything to get my friend back!"

"Lose on purpose?" Anthony said with a raised brow. "Geez, you really don't get it."

"Huh?"

"We were already planning on beating you and your team tomorrow. And that includes Allen too." Dan said. "So don't even think about giving up to give us a free win."

"We couldn't accept a victory that was just handed to us." Aurora told her. "We want to win fair and square. And when tomorrow comes, you better believe I'll beat Allen Demacio."

"I-"

"In other words, throw everything you've got at us. We'll win either way." Anthony said. "Cause if you go easy on us, we'll never forgive you for it."

Amy looked at the three of them. How could they be so… confident? Allen was undefeated so far throughout this entire tournament. And yet it was as if losing wasn't even on their minds.

Finally, Amy stood up from the bed. "Very well then. If that's the way you want it, I'll fight with everything I've got tomorrow."

"Sounds good to us." Dan grinned.

Amy walked past them and to the door of the room. She paused before walking outside. "Please. Whatever happens, you need to defeat Allen."

"We will." Aurora told her.

With that, Amy walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Team Cosmic Trio all looked at each other, each of them wondering about the story they had heard from Amy Runeheart.

"So basically Allen sucked at Vanguard, got Conquest Empire, and has been using it to do whatever he wants." Anthony said, summarizing the story. "Geez, this guy's got issues."

"Either way, our gameplan is the same." Dan said. "Beat Team Apocalypse and Allen."

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door to the room once again. Aurora walked over and opened it, finding Thomas standing at the entrance.

"Have you guys seen William or Elizabeth?" Thomas asked. "I can't find or get in touch with either of them."

Aurora turned to her teammates who both shook their heads. "Sorry, no. Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. It's just weird for them to be out this late."

"We'll help look for them." Aurora offered.

"Thanks." Thomas said. "I'd appreciate it."

* * *

The fight between Keith and Jasmine stayed ongoing. The two stood under the ocean's of Cray, with Jasmine's Granblue pirates gaining the edge over Keith's Kagero.

"That guy from Team Apocalypse only has three cards in his hand." Mai noted. "He doesn't have much to work with."

"Very true. But he is on one of the team's participating in the finals." Keiko pointed out. "He can't be underestimated."

"Let me show you why my reputation is as good as it is." Keith grinned. "Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, The Purge!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, The Purge**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _She lost her front row last turn. And even if I retire her rear guards, she'll just revive them with skills.'_ Keith thought. ' _So I won't focus too much on retiring, unless necessary.'_

"Stride skill. I retire Negrobone. Then I look at the top seven cards of the deck and add an Overlord to my hand." Keith said. "I add a copy of The Destiny to my hand. Then I call Glow Heater Dragon to rear guard."

"And now you'll use the card you added to your hand to activate The Purge's skill." Jasmine calculated.

"Smart guess. Skill of The Purge! I send an Overlord in my hand to the soul, and deal you one damage!" Keith said. "And any triggers you get from this are nullified!"

Jasmine took a damage, getting a heal trigger in the check. Unfortunately, it was completely useless to her.

 **[Damage: Jasmine(3), Keith(3).]**

"Glow Heater Dragon attacks!" Keith called out. "With his skill, 2000 power is added for every card in your damage zone!"

 **(10000+6000=16000)**

"No guard." Jasmine said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(4), Keith(3).]**

"Dragonic Overlord, The Purge attacks!" Keith declared. "Generation Break 3! His drive checks become equal to your damage! You have four so that's a total of four drive checks!"

"Seawall Banshee! Perfect guard!" Jasmine called out.

"Quadruple drive." Keith said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw. Third check, no trigger. Final check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Alright! Jasmine handled that turn no problem!" Mai grinned.

"Big deal, I got five extra cards in my hand, thanks to that." Keith said. "And next turn, your little idol friend will be finished. Seems your Vanguard skills is just as bad as your singing."

"Oh is that so?" Jasmine asked. "Why don't we find out?"

Keith suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. The vibe he was getting from the blue haired idol was far different than before. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Jasmine(5), Keith(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "I hope you're ready little boy. Because I'm about to send you to the briny deep. Your corpse will rot among the kelp."

"Oh boy. Now she's pissed." Mai said.

"Generation zone, release!" Jasmine called out. "Undead ruler of the seas, set sail into the moonlight! Make this fool regret ever setting foot in your waters! Stride Generation! Pirate King of Roseate Twilight, Nightrose!"

 **Pirate King of Roseate Twilight, Nightrose**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

As Jasmine's G Unit appeared on the field, the waters suddenly became red. Keith looked up to see it was the light of a red moon making the water appear this color.

' _Is this an indication of how powerful she is?'_

"Skill of Pirate King of Roseate Twilight, Nightrose." Jasmine explained as she counterblasted and flipped a copy of it face up in her G Zone. "I call units from the drop zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone plus one. That's four cards. So now I'll call Grenache, Negrorook, Maltreat Shade, and Bale the Ghostie. They all become hollowed, regardless of whether they have the hollow ability or not. And since I called three or more cards, my Vanguard gains a critical."

Keith looked at Jasmine's field, not liking where this was going. She had Maltreat Shade in front of Negrobone, Grenache behind her Vanguard, and Negrorook and Bale in her other column.

"I hope you don't think I'm done yet." Jasmine said with a smirk. "Negrorook's skill adds a total of 7000 power to itself. And Bale's skill adds 2000 power to itself as well. And at the start of my battle phase, I choose units up to the number of Nightroses in my drop zone, which is three right now, and add 5000 power to all of them. I choose the three in my front row." With everything set up, Jasmine started her attack. "Boosted by Bale the Ghostie, Negrorook attacks!"

 **(9000+7000+5000+7000+2000=30000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(4), Keith(4).]**

"Boosted by Grenache, Nightrose attacks!"

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" Keith called out.

"Triple drive." Jasmine said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Negrorook. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Maltreat Shade."

' _You've got to be kidding me.'_

"Negrorook attacks once more!"

 **(9000+7000+5000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(4), Keith(5).]**

"Attacking with Maltreat Shade, boosted by Negrobone! Maltreat's skill adds 2000 power for each of my hollowed units!"

 **(9000+5000+8000+5000+7000=34000)**

"Guard!" Keith said, holding up three cards from his hand, totalling 20000 shield. ' _There. That should be all her attacks for the turn.'_ Suddenly his eyes widened. ' _Wait… her grade 1!'_

"Negrobone's skill. I retire Maltreat Shade. Then I'll call Negrolazy from the drop zone and hollow it. And with Negrolazy's skill, I'll call Maltreat Shade back out once again and add 2000 power to Negrolazy!"

Keith widened his eyes. ' _She's got another two attacks now!'_

"Negrolazy attacks Glow Heater Dragon!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"No guard." Keith said bitterly. "Glow Heater is retired."

"Maltreat attacks. And with it's skill, 2000 is added for each hollowed unit."

 **(9000+8000=17000)**

"... No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Jasmine(4), Keith(6).]**

With the fight over, the setting returned to normal. Keith shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. Guess that's that."

"Seems you failed in your mission to stop us." Mai smirked.

Keith let out a chuckle. "That would be true. Except my mission wasn't to stop you. I simply needed to stall you."

"Stall us?" Keiko asked. "For what?"

"Just to let a few things happen without your interference." Keith said, turing to walk away. "Have fun chasing Allen. I'll even tell you where he is as a reward for beating me. He's at the main stadium. Better hurry though."

The idol trio of Premium Beauty watched as Keith walked away, laughing to himself. Keiko looked over at Jasmine. "Should we give chase?"

Jasmine shook her head. "No, let him go. Our main priority is stopping whatever Allen Demacio has planned."

"He said Allen was at the main stadium right? We should hurry." Mai said.

With that, the three of them ran out of the building and hurried to the main stadium. They could only pray they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

"Go, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny! Attack!"

William grunted as he took another damage, his third one so far. Elizabeth on the other hand had 2 damage herself. So far it had been a fairly even game. William just wished he knew why this fight was happening in the first place.

"My turn's over." Elizabeth said. "Now hurry up and start yours."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(5), Elizabeth(5).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Elizabeth, why are you doing this? This isn't like you at all."

"I already told you. I'm going to prove my superiority over you." Elizabeth told him. "When I win, you'll be out of my sight forever. I won't have to deal with your sickening presence ever again."

William clenched his fist. ' _Something's not right. Elizabeth would never act this way to anyone. And she certainly wouldn't make some insane wager like this for a cardfight. I only wish I knew what was making her act this way.'_

"I'm going to bring you back, Elizabeth. I don't know what's wrong with you, but I never give up on my friends." William told her.

"Friends? Don't make me laugh." Elizabeth spat. "We were never friends. I only joined this team to heighten my chances of winning the World Tournament."

"I don't believe that for a second." William said. "And if I have to beat you to bring back the old Elizabeth then that's what I'll do." He held out a card in his hand, ready to take this fight to the next level. "Warrior of light, shine forth! Bring her back from the darkness she's trapped in! Ride! Blaster Blade Exceed!"

 **Blaster Blade Exceed**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Blaster Blade Exceed. I counterblast and retire your rear guard Morion Spear." William said, removing Elizabeth's rear guard from the field, leaving her with only Black-winged Swordbreaker for a rear guard. On his own field, he had Favored Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew out next to his Vanguard.

"Stride Generation!" William called out. "Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I search my deck for Blaster Blade and add it to my hand." William explained. "Then I call Aspire Painter from my hand. With its skill, I countercharge and soul charge, as well as add 3000 power to it until end of turn. Next I call Blaster-friend, Barcgal behind Llew."

' _Setting up his field with rear guards. William's usual Royal Paladin tactics.'_ Elizabeth thought, assessing the board.

"Aspire Painter attacks!" Elizabeth declared.

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Guard." Elizabeth said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Gancelot Peace Saver attacks. With its skill, I get to countercharge and add one drive to my Vanguard."

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Quadruple drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Llew and critical to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger. Final check, another critical trigger. Once again, the power goes to Llew and the critical stays with my Vanguard."

"Damage check." Elizabeth said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to my Vanguard and I recover one. Third check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Elizabeth(4).]**

"Llew attacks next, with a boost from Barcgal! Llew's skill adds 3000 power since Barcgal is boosting him!"

 **(9000+3000+10000+7000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

William looked at the situation. He could still use Llew's skill to call Blaster Blade from the deck. But if he did that, it would most likely get retired next turn by Elizabeth's G Unit. So he opted to end things as they were. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(7), Elizabeth(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "It's time for me to crush you William. Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Claret Blood Dragon! I retire Black-winged Swordbreaker and call another! Then I retire Blaster Friend, Barcgal and Favorite Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew! My Vanguard gains 5000 power since a grade 1 was retired!" Elizabeth explained. "Next I use Swordbreaker's soul blast to draw."

Having to fight William like this hurt. She never would have wished for such a thing. But this was what Allen had told her to do. To save the Scarlet family, she had no choice.

' _Almost everyone in my family never accepted me. They treated me like an outsider.'_

"Stride skill! I retire Swordbreaker and call Darkpride Dragon. It can be treated as two retires when paying a cost this turn."

' _Even in the Euro League, I saw people treat me differently because of my name. The Scarlet name was all they cared about, not my skills as a cardfighter.'_

"Calling Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny and Darkquartz Dragon, as well as Cherishing Knight, Branwen!" Elizabeth said, calling the grade 1 behind Darkpride and Tyranny on her open front row circle.

' _But not you William. You were the first. You were the first person I met that didn't bring a person's name into Vanguard. You believed Vanguard had nothing to do with who your family was, or how rich or poor you were. Just your skill and your love for the game. And that's why… it hurts so much to fight you like this.'_

"Darkquartz's skill. 3000 power to itself and the Vanguard."

' _William… You were my first true friend.'_

"Here I come!" Elizabeth said. "Darkpride attacks with a boost from Darkquartz! Morion Spear's skill adds 5000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard!" William said, holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

"Claret Blood Dragon attacks! Generation Break 3! I retire Branwen, Darkquartz and Darkpride!" Technically she had retired four instead of the necessary 3 since Darkpride could count as 2, but Elizabeth knew what she was doing. "Now you're unable to guard with grade 1 or higher units from your hand! In addition, since at least 2 grade 1s were retired for this cost, Claret Blood gains 10000 power and plus one critical! And with Darkpride's skill, I get to call Darkquartz from the deck! Using its skill to give both it and my Vanguard and extra 3000 power!"

 **(26000+3000+3000+5000+10000=47000)**

"Generation guard!" William called out. "Holy Divine Beast, Maskkgal!"

 **Holy Divine Beast Maskkgal**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated. Since I have a front row rear guard, 10000 is added to shield! Then I intercept with Aspire Painter!" William also held up a critical trigger and a draw trigger from his hand. "I also guard with these!"

With William's current shield, Elizabeth would need 2 trigger to break through. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger." She cursed her luck at not getting the double trigger she needed but she still had one more chance. "Third check, stand trigger! I have no rear guards to stand, but I'll give the 5000 power to Tyranny!"

Allen watched Elizabeth's Vanguard attack fail to go through and cracked a grin. ' _And there's the game.'_

"Tyranny attacks! Using it's skill, I retire Darkquartz! Tyranny gains 5000 power and plus one critical!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." William said, letting 2 cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: William(5), Elizabeth(4).]**

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(3), Elizabeth(3).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Alright Elizabeth. Time to bring you back." He discarded a grade 3 from his hand, ready to end this cardfight. "Generation Zone, release! Sword of Destiny! Slice through this battlefield and carve out my future! Stride Generation! Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver!"

 **Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I add Blaster Blade Exceed from my deck to my hand!" William said. "Next I call! Blaster Blade! Blaster Blade Exceed! Floral Paladin, Flogal!"

Elizabeth looked at her hand. She barely had any cards to use to defend herself. With the field William was setting up, she had no chance of blocking all of his attacks.

"Alfred Holy Saver's skill! I grant Blaster Blade 3000 power and the ability to twin drive on his first attack of the turn!" William explained. "Now, Blaster Blade Exceed attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Elizabeth(5).]**

"Alfred Holy Saver charges in!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Blaster Blade." William said. "Now with Flogal's boost, Blaster Blade will end this!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+4000=21000)**

"... No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Elizabeth(6).]**

The Motion Figure System showed Blaster Blade leaping across the battlefield, slicing his sword through Claret Sword. The dragon let out a roar of pain as it dissolved, along with the rest of the holographic field.

Elizabeth fell to her knees, tears falling from her eyes. "Damnit… Why… Why of all people did it have to be you?!"

William walked over to his teammate. "Elizabeth, you need to explain-"

"I believe I can do that myself." a new voice said.

William gasped as he turned towards where the voice had come from, seeing none other than Allen Demacio. "What are you doing here?!"

"Just checking to see how my associate was able to handle things. Turns out, not so well." Allen said. He took a phone and tossed it over towards William. "And this is the result."

William caught the cell phone in his hands and looked at it. He widened his eyes as he saw what was on the screen. "What is this?!"

"Evidence that the Scarlet family has been trying to keep under wraps for many years now." Allen explained. "You see William Lewis, Elizabeth challenged you to this fight because it was the only way for her to save her family's reputation from going down the gutter."

"What?!"

"William!" Aurora called out as she and her teammates ran into the room, soon followed by Premium Beauty.

"Tch, unwanted company." Allen said with a frown.

"Allen, you better explain what you're doing! Now!" Aurora glared.

Allen shrugged his shoulders. "I was just taking care of a little business. And it looks like Miss Scarlet wasn't able to deliver."

"No! Please!" Elizabeth begged. "Do whatever you want with me, but I'm begging you! Leave the Scarlet family alone!"

"Too late." Allen grinned. "All the evidence I had was just released seconds ago. By tomorrow morning, I can only imagine the Scarlet family will be waking up to a very nasty surprise."

Tears rolled down Elizabeth's cheeks as she held her head low and cried. "No… I let them all down…"

"Elizabeth…" Aurora gasped. She had never seen the red haired girl in such a sorry state before.

"Well then, I guess I'd best be off." Allen said. He turned to walk away when he was suddenly stopped by a shout.

"Hold it!" William yelled. "You're not going anywhere!"

Allen turned his head towards William with an amused grin on his face. "Oh?"

William held up his deck towards Allen as he glared at the leader of Team Apocalypse. "Fight me, Allen Demacio!"

 **William: You're going to pay for what you put Elizabeth through!**

 **Allen: Oh really? Let's see you try, British champion.**

 **William: You will fall by my blade! I swear it! This is for all the people you've hurt!**

 **Next time: The Dark Conqueror**


	42. The Dark Conqueror

**A/N: Hello readers. Hope you're enjoying things so far. I know, you've seen both these characters fight recently, but good news. This is the final chapter before the finals of the tournament. Plus you might see something new for one of their decks...**

 **On another note, there's something I'm rather curious about. Between Star Chaser and Conquest Empire, which would you all play? Or would you like to try out both? Who knows, maybe Bushiroad will catch wind of this story and start printing both clans in the tcg.**

 **Probably not. But hey, nothing wrong with dreaming.**

Silence filled the stadium as everyone stared at William. It was clear the heir to the Lewis family was not in a good mood, and after everything that had happened they couldn't blame him.

"You really want to fight me?" Allen asked. "Shame. If you hadn't lost to Aurora Fujou earlier today then you could have just fought me tomorrow."

"This has nothing to do with the tournament." William said. "This is about what you've done to Elizabeth, Rose, and all the others you've hurt here."

Allen smirked. "I've gotta ask, do you hero types ever tire of spouting the same boring speech as the last one to face me?" He got no verbal answer from the heir, as William simply continued to glare his way. Finally, Allen shrugged. "Fine. This should be a good warm up for the finals tomorrow."

"Hold on." Jasmine said, stepping forward. "I cannot allow another fight like this to occur. Too much has happened already."

"I'm not entirely sure what the Tatsunagi Corporation has to do with Allen and Conquest Empire" William said. "But I humbly ask that you look the other way this one time."

"But-"

"I cannot stand idly by anymore. Allen Demacio has hurt too many people, including my teammate." William told her. "So please. Let me do this."

Aurora could see the seriousness in William's eyes. "William…"

Jasmine and William stared at each other's eyes for a long moment. Finally, Jasmine gave in with a sigh. "Very well."

"Thank you." William said with a polite bow.

Allen leaped off the railing and landed on the field. "Guess we better get started."

William looked up towards Aurora and the others. "Can I ask you to take care of Elizabeth."

"On it." Anthony said as he leaped off the railing and landed on the field. He walked over to the crying Scarlet girl and helped her to her feet. "Come on. Let's get going."

"Just leave me alone." Elizabeth moped.

"Yeah, not happening." Anthony told her as he put her arm over his shoulder and walked her towards the field exit.

Allen chuckled as Elizabeth and Anthony left their sight. "Finally that pathetic eyesore is gone."

"I want to ask one question before we start." William said. "Why did you have Elizabeth fight me? Were you afraid to face me yourself?"

"Afraid of you? You must be joking." Allen said as he laughed. "I just wanted to watch her struggle and suffer before she lost everything. Seeing losers writhe in agony brings me such joy."

"Unforgivable…" William said with a growl.

"Let's get the party started, shall we?" Allen asked as he drew his opening hand.

William did the same, gathering five cards in his hand. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the game began, the surroundings changed to the same castle-like structure that had been present for Allen's battle against Marcus. It was clear this would be another fight where the damage would be real.

"I'll start." William said, drawing for his turn. "I ride! Swordsman of Light, Blaster Rapier Laura!"

 **Swordsman of Light, Blaster Rapier Laura**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Wingal Brave moves back with forerunner." William said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: William(5), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "I ride Supply Soldier, Collin."

 **Supply Soldier, Collin**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Riley slides back." Allen said. "And now with a boost from Riley, Collin attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." William said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(1), Allen(0).]**

As the card fell into his damage zone, William felt a surge of pain go through his body. ' _So this is what the pain feels like. It's a bit more intense than I originally thought.'_

"That's good enough for my turn." Allen said. "Go on and show me what you've got, British champion."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: William(5), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. He looked at the grade 2 in his hand. ' _Please stand by me, my friend. In my hour of need.'_

"Here I go! I ride Blaster Blade!"

 **Blaster Blade**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Wingal Youth!" William said, bringing out the grade 1 next to his Vanguard. "Wingal Youth attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"Guard." Allen said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Boosted by Wingal Brave, Blaster Blade attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." William said. "Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(1), Allen(2).]**

William watched as Allen twitched with pain. "Wingal Brave's skill. Since the attack hit, I send it to the soul. Then I search my deck for a card with Blaster in its name and add it to my hand." He looked through his deck and found the card he wanted. "Adding Blaster Blade Exceed to my hand. And that will end my turn."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: William(6), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "I ride Emergency Rescuer, Klinger."

 **Emergency Rescuer, Klinger**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Now I call Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel and Wise Mage, Tibarn." Allen said, filling his front row with a line of grade 2s.

As the two rear guards appeared on the field, Anthony and Elizabeth came into the stands from the hall, finally arriving from the field. "What'd we miss?" Anthony asked.

"They're both on grade 2. William's in the lead, 2 damage to 1." Dan explained. "But it's Allen's turn and he has a full front row now."

"Well let's hope William can pull this off." Anthony said. He glanced at Elizabeth to see her looking away. "Hey, aren't you gonna support William?"

"Just shut up, and leave me alone." Elizabeth said in a gloomy tone.

Aurora widened her eyes. "What are you saying? You know William's down there fighting for you, right?"

"What does it matter?" Elizabeth said. "The Scarlet family is ruined. And it's all my fault."

"But William is-"

"I don't care!" Elizabeth shouted with tears forming in her eyes. "You don't get it! This was my only chance to help save my family! But now they'll be… they'll be…"

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Geez, I never took you for such a weakling."

Aurora and the others widened their eyes at Anthony. Elizabeth shook with rage, grabbing the teen by the collar of his shirt and glaring him in the eyes. "What was that?! You wanna say that again, jerk?!"

To everyone's surprise, Anthony showed Elizabeth a smirk. "There, now see? That's the girl I remember you being. Someone who doesn't take crap from anybody and doesn't show weakness in front of others."

Elizabeth widened her eyes as she stared at the teen. "You…"

"Now how about you let go of me, and focus on William?"

Elizabeth did just that, releasing her grip from Anthony's shirt and looking down at the stadium. ' _William…'_

"Let's start things off with Rachel, shall we? Attack Wingal Youth!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." William said, moving his rear guard to the drop zone.

"Klinger is up next, with a boost from Riley!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Allen smirked when he saw the card. "Stand trigger. All effects to Rachel."

"Damage check, no trigger." Allen said. Once again, pain surged through him, this one even stronger than before.

 **[Damage: William(2), Allen(2).]**

"Tibarn moves in to attack!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: William(3), Allen(2).]**

"Too bad Rachel can still match it! Attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" William said, holding up a grade 1.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: William(5), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Righteous warrior of legend! Bring hope to this battlefield and banish all darkness! Ride! Blaster Blade Exceed!"

 **Blaster Blade Exceed**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Having his main unit out on the field only served to strengthen William's will. He knew Elizabeth's family had been doing shady business for a long time. A lot of England's noble families did. But most turned the other way. When he had met Elizabeth though, he didn't sense malice or ill will from her though. All he sensed… was a young girl trying to prove herself.

' _Elizabeth. I never told you, but you always drove me to become stronger. Your passion for Vanguard increased my own.'_ William thought. ' _And that is why I will never forgive Allen for making you suffer through the game we both love so much.'_

"Activating skill. I counterblast and retire Rachel." William said. "Next I call New Style Blaster, Llew and Aspire Painter."

"Now William's filled up his front row too." Dan said as he watched the fight go on. "Their both going heavy on offense early on."

"He's probably aiming to take out Allen's other rear guard." Aurora guessed. "If he does that, then Allen's stride skill with Alexander won't be able to power up a rear guard to Conquer."

Proving Aurora's deduction to be correct, William went for Allen's remaining front row rear guard. "Aspire Painter attacks Tibarn!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Allen said, holding up a grade 1.

"Blaster Blade Exceed swings in at your Vanguard!"

Allen shrugged his shoulders. "No guard."

"Twin drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Llew and I recover one damage."

"Damage check." Allen said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Allen(3).]**

"New Style Blaster, Llew attacks your Tibarn!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

Allen quickly held up a critical trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

"Turn end."

"He really wanted to protect Tibarn." Mai said. "He's down to only two cards in hand."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(5), Allen(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Fearsome warrior! Draw your blade and lead my forces to victory! Destroy your foes until there's nothing left! Ride! General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now for the fun to begin! Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I increase Tibarn's power by 5000 until the end of your next turn, and decrease New Style Blaster, Llew's power by the same amount!" Allen said with a grin. "And now with that, I'll have Tibarn Conquer over your Llew!"

Tibarn rushed forward, invading William's field and forcing Llew to the back row. Allen's Conquer strategy had begun. "Tibarn's skill. When he Conquers, I draw 2 cards and then discard 1."

"No wonder he was so protective of it then." Aurora said.

"Next I use Riley's skill. I send it to the soul and superior call Collin from the deck in the same column as Tibarn." Allen said. "After that, from my hand I call Alexander. And now he'll Conquer over Aspire Painter!" Once again, William lost one of his front row circles as his unit was forced to the back row. "Collin's skill lets me draw a card, and then Alexander's skill draws me another card after that, as well as increase his power by 5000 until the end of my opponent's next turn."

"Here it comes. He's gonna go on the attack now." Keiko figured.

"Tibarn attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard."

"Alexander will swing in next!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Allen(3).]**

"And now Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius! Attack the Vanguard!" Allen called out. "Darius's skill! I restand Alexander and Tibarn, and increase their power by 5000 until end of turn."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard with Lien!" William said, paying a soul blast to completely block Allen's Vanguard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Alexander! Third check, stand trigger!" Allen didn't like getting the stand at a time where he had no rested rear guards, but at least he got a power increase. "Power to Alexander. And now Alexander will attack once again!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+10000=31000)**

"Generation guard!" William called out. "Great Flash, Iseult!"

 **Great Flash, Iseult**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Using Iseult's skill! I counterblast and gain 5000 for each of my rear guards! That's a 10000 increase!"

"Tch. Go Tibarn! Attack!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Allen(3).]**

"Turn end." Allen said. "With the second part of Collin's skill, I send it to soul and countercharge."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(2), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Stride Generation! Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I counterblast and add a copy of Blaster Blade Exceed to my hand." William said. "Next I move up Aspire Painter and New Style Blaster, Llew."

Allen raised a brow. "You're moving them up? Neither of them are strong enough to overpower the units I have there. They'll just be retired."

"True, but your units lose power equal to theirs until end of turn." William said with a smirk. "So now I can do this. Call, Star Hope Trumpeter! Liberate my circle from Tibarn!"

Star Hope Trumpeter's 9000 power easily trumped Tibarn's current power. Allen begrudgingly moved his unit back to his field with its power lowered to 0 for the turn. "Big deal. You've only got 2 cards in your hand. Even if you call one of them over my rear guard Alexander, you're hand will be even more depleted."

William smirked at Allen. "Who said I had to call from my hand?"

"What?"

"Star Hope Trumpeter's skill! I counterblast and call a card from my deck to rear guard! Superior call Blaster Blade over Alexander! Blaster Blade gains 3000 power!"

Allen's eyes widened as his remaining rear guard on his opponent's field was forced back from Blaster Blade. And William hadn't needed to touch his hand to do it.

"He got his front row back and only had to use one card from his hand!" Aurora grinned. "Go William!"

"Blaster Blade attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Allen(4).]**

"Charge forth, Gancelot Peace Saver! Attack the Vanguard!" William declared. "Gancelot's skill! I countercharge and gain a drive! In addition, since there's a face up card in my G Zone, Gancelot gains a critical!"

 **(26000)**

"You're dreaming if you think I'm letting that through!" Allen said as he held up a sentinel from his hand. "Unbreakable Shield, Ganon! Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive. William said. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Star Hope and I draw. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Star Hope and I recover one. Final check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Allen(4).]**

"Star Hope attacks your rear guard Alexander!"

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"No guard." Allen said. He hated losing such a powerful rear guard, but he couldn't afford to waste his hand to guard a rear guard at 0 power.

"My turn's over." William said.

Mai sighed. "Darn. All that and he only got one damage through."

"Maybe so, but he still did well that turn." Jasmine told her. "He rebuilt his hand and got rid of an important rear guard for Allen."

"He's gonna need that rebuilt hand, if Allen's about to use what I think he is." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(7), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Now Lewis, get ready to burn in hellfire."

William tensed up. ' _Here it comes. He's going to use Tiemot.'_

"Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot!"

 **Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Tibarn's power increases while Star Hope's power decreases!" Allen said. "Next I call Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames." He grinned to himself, having everything he needed. "Tibarn Conquers over Star Hope!"

"Star Hope moves back." William said.

"Using skill of Tibarn. Draw 2 and discard 1." Allen said. "Then I call Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames and Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel to my front row. Enslaved Dragon then Conquers over Blaster Blade!"

"Blaster Blade moves back."

"Counterblasting to give Tiemot a skill." Allen said. "And I'm sure you know by now what it is. But in case you forgot, I'll remind you. Go Tiemot! Attack!"

 **(26000)**

William looked at his hand. With 2 attacks from the Vanguard he would have to guard carefully. He took a deep breath before making his decision. "No guard."

Aurora and the others widened their eyes. "But if Allen gets 2 critical triggers in his triple drive, he'll get William to six damage."

"He's risking everything on this moment." Jasmine said.

Elizabeth looked worriedly at her team leader. "William…"

"Triple drive." Allen said. "First check, critical trigger." The leader of Team Apocalypse smirked at the sight. "Power to Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames and critical to Tiemot. Second check, no trigger. Third check…"

' _Don't get it…'_ William prayed as he and everyone awaited what the card was.

"... No trigger."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard those words, with William's relief being the biggest of all. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: William(5), Allen(4).]**

"Tiemot's skill! Since I have two rear guards on the opponent's field, I discard a card and retire all of the opponent's rear guards! Then stand back up! Drive minus 2!" Allen explained.

Tiemot roared as it bathed the area William was standing near with flames and explosions. He heard his rear guard units cry out in pain before fading. When it was all over, he was standing in a sea of flames with Tiemot staring him down, as well as Allen's two rear guards on his field.

"Tiemot attacks one more time!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard! Little Great Sage, Marron!"

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Marron's soul blast! I search my deck for a grade 1 or greater unit and call it to the guardian circle! Calling Blaster Rapier Laura! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Nice! That's enough to block it even if Allen gets a trigger!" Dan said.

"Drive check." Allen said. "Critical trigger. All effects to Tibarn. And now Tibarn will attack your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Guard!" William said, holding up a trigger from his hand with 5000 shield.

"Your pathetic resisting is futile! You're finished!" Allen said. "Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames attacks!"

 **(11000+10000+5000=26000)**

"End him!" Allen shouted, watching the flames close in on the Lewis heir.

"William!" Elizabeth gasped.

Allen's Enslaved Dragon roared as it spewed fire from its mouth. The flames shot towards Blaster Blade, ready to finish both it and William off. Right before they made contact however, two units quickly appeared and blocked off the flames.

"Arongal! Wingal Youth! I guard!" William said, holding up the two cards in his hand.

' _Impossible…'_ Allen thought. ' _He survived against Tiemot…'_

"Well? Aren't you going to end your turn?" William asked. "Or do you have some other futile moves you want to try?"

"Grr… Turn end." Allen said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: William(3), Allen(7).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Get ready, Allen Demacio. It's time for you to pay for everyone you've hurt."

"Damn you…" Allen growled. "Go ahead then! Do your worst! I'll still survive whatever you throw at me and finish you next turn!"

William showed a grin. "Yes. You probably would. But whoever said you were living through this turn?"

"What?"

"Generation Zone, release! Sword of destiny! Slice through this battlefield and carve out my future! Stride Generation! Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver!"

 **Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I add Blaster Blade from my deck to my hand! Then I call it, as well as Floral Paladin, Flogal and New Style Blaster, Llew!" William said, putting Flogal behind his Vanguard and the other two units to its right and left. "Llew's skill. I send the Blaster Blade in my drop zone back to the deck and add 5000 power to Llew."

"He's not trying to liberate his front row?" Anthony questioned.

"He doesn't have the resources for it. He just used up nearly his entire hand to call out the rear guards he did." Keiko said. "But since he can attack from the back row with his front row Conquered, he doesn't need to. He plans to end things this turn."

"Skill of Alfred Holy Saver. My rear guard Blaster Blade gains 3000 power and the ability to twin drive for its first attack of the turn." William explained.

"Alright! And with Flogal out there, Blaster Blade can attack twice!" Aurora said. "He might actually be able to do it! He can beat Allen!"

' _No… No way…'_ Allen thought. ' _I am not going to lose like this…'_

In his mind, a voice spoke to him. " _Allen… You know what will happen if you fail."_

' _Shut up! Of course I do!'_ Allen spoke back mentally to the voice in his head. ' _I refuse to lose! I am the strongest cardfighter in the world! I am not a person that can lose to someone like him!'_

Elizabeth shouted out to her team leader. "Go William! Beat him!"

"My pleasure!" William said. "New Style Blaster, Llew attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Allen(5).]**

"Now Alfred Holy Saver attacks with a boost from Flogal!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard!" Allen said, holding up the sentinel from his hand.

"Triple drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Blaster Blade! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Blaster Blade and I recover one damage!"

 **[Damage: William(4), Allen(5).]**

"Blaster Blade attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+10000=22000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius. I move Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames to the guardian circle. Add 5000 to the shield. Then, since Enslaved Dragon was on my opponent's side of the field, another 10000 is added to the shield."

"Twin drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Blaster Blade! Next I use Floral Paladin, Flogal's skill! I send her back to the deck and restand Blaster Blade!"

' _Damn… Another attack from that unit.'_

"Blaster Blade! Attack!" William called out. "Deliver his punishment!"

 **(9000+3000+15000=27000)**

Aurora and the other's watched with held breath. "Is it going to go through?!" Aurora asked.

"GUARD!" Allen shouted.

Everyone gasped as Allen threw out three cards from his hand, totalling 20000 shield.

"No way…" Aurora gasped. "He blocked it…"

William grit his teeth. He had done all he could that turn. But it still wasn't enough. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: William(3), Allen(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "It's absurd. To actually think I'd be pushed this far." He glared over at William. "I was hoping to save this for the final tomorrow to crush the Star Chaser girl. But it seems you'll be the first to fall victim to my trump card."

"Did… I just hear that right?" Anthony asked.

"He's got a card even stronger than Tiemot?" Aurora gasped.

"Generation Zone, release!" Allen shouted. "The weak bow before the mighty! Realize how truly weak you are and be crushed like a bug under the force of my power! Stride Generation!"

As Allen shouted this, a pillar of black darkness shot up around Alexander. The shockwaves emitting from it threatened to blow William away as he struggled to stand his ground. Soon, the pillar of darkness subsided, revealing a brand new G Unit. It was a large knight clad entirely in black armor from head to toe. A large sword with an eerie violet blade was gripped in its hand.

"This is my ultimate unit. Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus."

 **Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Ok, I'm not the only thing that's getting the creeps from that thing, right?" Mai asked.

William could feel the power coming from Cyrus. Every one of his instincts told him to be on high alert. ' _This is bad.'_

"Cyrus's skill. Generation Break 3." Allen said as he flipped a copy of it face up and paid a counterblast of two, giving him no more face up cards in his damage zone. "For every one of my Conquering rear guards, I retire one of my opponent's rear guards. I have 2, and you only have 2 rear guards. So you know what that means."

Cyrus stabbed his massive sword into the ground. As it began to glow, violet thorns sprouted up from the ground, piercing both Blaster Blade and Llew. The two rear guards shouted in pain before being retired.

"For each rear guard retired this way, Cyrus gains 10000 power." Allen explained. "And there's more. Since you have no rear guards, and you have four or less damage, Cyrus automatically deals you one damage."

"What?!" William gasped. Just like that, the same thorns that had struck Blaster Blade and Llew came up from below William's Vanguard and pierced it. William felt the exact pain as his own. "Ahhhhhhhh!"

"William!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"D-Damage check…" William said. "Draw trigger. Power to-"

"I don't think so." Allen said. "This damage nullifies all trigger effects."

William widened his eyes. With that, his chances of surviving the turn had just become even lower.

 **[Damage: William(5), Allen(5).]**

"One more thing I should mention. With Cyrus's other skill, he gains plus one drive if I have at least two Conquering rear guards." Allen said. "Now then, let's start things off with Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames! Attack!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"Guard!" William called out, holding up two cards in his hand. He knew however, that the next attack coming was one he could not hope to protect against.

"Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus, attack the Vanguard!" Allen shouted. "Destroy him!"

 **(26000+20000=46000)**

"No guard."

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Final chek, critical trigger." Allen grinned knowing his victory was all but assured with this. "I think we all know where this goes."

With that, the final card fell into William's damage zone. He didn't even need to take the second damage for the result to be certain.

 **[Damage: William(6), Allen(5).]**

"AAAAUUUGGHH!" William shouted as pain unlike anything he had ever felt before flowed through his body. It was too much for him to handle as he fell over onto the stadium floor.

"William!" Elizabeth gasped. She quickly leaped down onto the field and rushed over to him, quickly followed by Aurora and the others. The red haired girl kneeled down besides William. "William, are you alright?!"

"Ugh… Elizabeth…?" William said weakly. He frowned as he looked at her. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to pay him back for you."

"William…" Elizabeth muttered as tears fell from her eyes. "No… this was all my fault…"

"Well then, I guess I better be off." Allen said. "Once I win the finals tomorrow, my strength will be undeniable. The whole world will know that I'm invincible, hahahaha!"

Aurora clenched her fists in rage as she watched the leader of Team Apocalypse walk away. "ALLEN!"

Allen turned his head to Aurora. "Oh right. I forgot you were here."

"You're going to lose tomorrow." Aurora told him. "When you and I fight… I'll win. I will not let you beat me, and I won't let Conquest Empire take over Cray."

"Oh? So you know about that?" Allen asked. "Well it doesn't really matter. Because it's impossible for me to lose. Tomorrow in the finals, you'll fall just like the weak pathetic loser you are."

Allen walked away laughing to himself, leaving the rest of them alone in the stadium. His voice echoed throughout the room as he disappeared from their sight.

 **Dan: Now William's lost too.**

 **Anthony: And it seems like Elizabeth's in pretty bad condition after whatever Allen did to her. This guy needs to be stopped.**

 **Aurora: It's up to us. Let's do this, Team Cosmic Trio!**

 **Next time: Kickoff to the Final Showdown**

Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC:** Conquer  
 **ACT VC GB3 1/Turn:** CB2 & Take a facedown card from your G Zone and flip it face up. For each of your "Conquering" rear guards, choose one of your opponent's units and retire it. This unit gains 10000 power for each rear guard retired with this effect. Then, if your opponent has no rear guards on their field and they have four or less damage, inflict one damage to the opponent's Vanguard. Trigger effects are nullified.  
 **CONT VC:** If you have 2 or more rear guards on your opponent's field, this card gains +1 drive.


	43. Kickoff to the Final Showdown

**A/N: Alright readers, it's what you've all been waiting for. The final match between Cosmic Trio and Apocalypse. Get ready, cause here we go!**

 **Also for those of you that read last chapter right when it came out, I forgot to add Cyrus's skill at the end (my bad). It is there now so if you didn't see it and are confused about the specifics of the skill, feel free to give it a read.**

The morning sun rose, it's light peering in through the cracks of the curtains in Aurora's hotel room. The blonde teen yawned as she sat up from her bed. She had gotten to bed rather late last night with everything that had happened at the stadium last night. But she was more than ready for today.

Getting up from her bed, Aurora walked over to the window and opened the curtains, letting the sunlight in completely. She looked out at the city of Rome. Everything seemed so peaceful looking at the city streets and buildings in the distance. But she knew that now was definitely not a time to be described as peaceful. Today was the day she and her team would face off against Team Apocalypse, and most importantly, Allen Demacio.

Aurora walked over to the desk right next to her bed. Her deck was currently lying on it, as was her phone. Picking up her phone, Aurora saw a few texts from her father, wishing her luck in the finals. He had been sending her texts throughout the entire tournament, but she was still too angry at him to bother responding.

' _I guess I'm gonna have to work things out with him when I get back to Japan.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Either way, next time I see him, I'll have the truth about my mother.'_

As much as Aurora wanted to know the truth about her mother, she knew that there was more at stake with this final round than that. Allen Demacio had to be stopped.

Aurora grabbed her deck case and pulled out her main unit. The one that had started this all. Star of Hope, Hikari. This unit was the one that had always been by her side no matter what.

' _Hikari… lend me your power today.'_ Aurora asked silently. ' _Help me beat Allen and Conquest Empire.'_

* * *

Dan sat in his room, taking one last look at his deck. So much had happened since he walked into Card Galaxy that fateful day a couple months ago. He had even gotten the card back that he had thought was lost to him for so long, thanks to Aurora. And now he was in the finals of the Vanguard World Tournament.

He had several reasons for being here today. Sure, he wanted to win the tournament to prove his skills to the world. But he also wanted to help Aurora find out the truth about her mother. He felt a debt to her that he could never fully repay. And of course there was the ever looming threat of Conquest Empire.

' _In the semi finals, I was the only one who lost a game.'_ Dan thought. ' _I can't afford to mess up like that today. My game has to be perfect.'_

The sound of his stomach grumbling caught Dan's attention. He let out a sigh. He couldn't very well go into today's finals on an empty stomach. Gathering his cards up, Dan walked out of his room and headed to the dining area for breakfast.

' _Get ready Team Apocalypse. Cause we're going to be the tournament champions, no matter what.'_

* * *

"Yeah Aunt Maria. I'm doing fine." Anthony said.

"Oh, I'm so proud of how far you and your team has come Antonio. Your uncle and I have watched all your games."

A smile came to Anthony's face as he listened to his aunt over the phone. "Thanks. By the way… have mom and dad been watching?"

"O-Oh… Of course they have Antonio! They're just as proud as your uncle and I are!"

Anthony sighed. "You're not a good liar, you know that Aunt Maria?"

"Antonio, they're-"

"It's fine. I doubted they were going to pay much attention anyway." Anthony told her. "Thanks for supporting me through this Aunt Maria. You and Uncle Hideyoshi are the best."

"Good luck, Antonio. We'll be rooting for you and your team in the finals today."

"Thanks." Anthony said. "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

With that, Anthony hung up his cell phone. He laid on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. "At least I can always count on those two to support me with Vanguard." he said to himself. He looked over at his deck on the desk. Today would probably be the toughest challenge of his life. But he had no choice but to go out there and fight to the best of his abilities.

' _You're going down Team Apocalypse. Count on it'_

* * *

If the level of excitement throughout the Vanguard World Tournament throughout the past few days was a 10/10, then today it was 11/10. The crowd was going wild in anticipation for the final match to begin.

When the spotlight shined on the podium and Premium Beauty appeared on stage, the cheers only grew louder. All three idols shouted out simultaneously "Hello everyone! We are Premium Beauty!"

"Jasmine, you're so beautiful!"

"Mai, you're the cutest!"

"Marry me, Keiko!"

The cheers from fans throughout the crowd only went to show just how popular the three idols were. They waited for the cheers to die down just enough for them to be heard.

"Alright you cardfighting fans, get ready cause the finals of the Vanguard World Tournament are finally here!" Keiko called out.

"It's all been leading up to this moment! We've had tons of fierce cardfights so far! But today's are sure to be the fiercest of all!" Mai spoke.

"But at the end of the day, only one team will prevail!" Jasmine said. "And that team will be the best in the world!"

As the crowd cheered, Sachi took the moment to talk to the crowd. "Now then, I'm sure you're all eager for some action! So please allow me to introduce our two teams! First up we have Team Cosmic Trio!"

With their team called out, Team Cosmic Trio walked out onto the field. It was clear determination was burning in each of their eyes as cheers were heard for them.

"Go! Go! Cos-mic Tri-o!"

The sudden cheering voices caught the attention of Aurora and her teammates as they looked up at the stands and saw a familiar group of three cheering their name while holding up a banner.

Dan could barely believe his eyes. "Is that…?"

"Star Gate Sentai…" Aurora confirmed.

"They're cheering for us." Anthony said, eyes gleaming. He waved over to the three heroes. "You just watch, my hero friends! We will be victorious when this fight is over!"

"Such confidence! Truly, the mark of a hero!" White Cosmos said with a thumbs up.

Aurora sighed, but couldn't help but crack a grin. She honestly found the team of hero cosplayers rather annoying at times. But having their support here was something she was truly grateful for.

Sachi took a moment to talk about the team. "Lead by Aurora Fujou, this team from Japan has denied all the odds. They first defeated Team Genius Prodigy, the Japanese national champions, in the preliminary tournament in Japan. And in the semi-finals, they fought against Team Round Table and won with a stunning upset against William Lewis. And now here they stand, a hair's breadth away from becoming the tournament champions. But to do that, they have one more obstacle to overcome. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Team Apocalypse."

As Allen and his team walked out, cheers were heard for the American team. Like with Cosmic Trio, Sachi went into detail about the team. "This is another team with no notable high level tournament appearances until now, hailing from America. The leader, Allen Demacio, wields one of the two clans first introduced in this tournament, just like Aurora Fujou of Team Cosmic Trio. Both have shown great skill with these clans, using them to reach new heights in the tournament. Will we finally see which of these two fighters have better mastered their clan though?"

Aurora and Allen stared at each other from across the field. Aurora was glaring at him with hatred while Allen showed his usual cocky smirk.

"And before we begin, we have a special format for this exciting final round!" Sachi announced. Hearing about a special format caught everyone's attention, especially the members of the two finalist teams. "Get ready folks, cause this final match is gonna be a Relay Fight!"

"Relay Fight?" Anthony questioned.

An image appeared on the monitor, helping explain the special format as Sachi went over it. "Here's how it works. Teams will send out one member to fight for them. When that person hits five damage, the current turn immediately ends and the player swaps out with the next member of their team. Everything but the deck and face down G Zone will remain the same though. The player then draws cards from their hand equal to the number that their teammate had at the time of losing, plus 3 more. However, they will start that turn with their stand phase, meaning they do not draw that turn. The second play switches with the third when they take another 3 damage, and then the team loses when their collective damage reaches 11."

"So we'll have to best know how to use the cards our teammates have left us. An extensive knowledge of how teammate's cards work will be essential." Dan noted.

"They're really pulling out all the stops for this final." Anthony said.

"Doesn't matter. We've fought alongside each other tons of times." Aurora told them. "We've got this."

Both Dan and Anthony nodded in agreement. "Let's do this!"

* * *

Yukari Tatsunagi watched the tournament from her VIP room. This was it. The fight that would decide everything for them. If they lost, their chances at repelling Conquest Empire would become slim to none.

A knock was heard at the door as an attendant walked in. "Miss Tatsunagi, your guest has arrived."

"Very well. Please show him in." Yukari said.

The attendant politely bowed as she walked back out the door. A few seconds later, a man walked in. "I wasn't expecting you to call me here like this."

"Hello Ryuji Fujou." Yukari said. "I'm glad you were able to make it."

Aurora's father walked up next to Yukari and looked at the stadium field through the large glass window. "So why did you call me here?"

"You're daughter's been doing quite well throughout this tournament." Yukari told him, ignoring Ryuji's question entirely. "She's impressed me quite a lot."

"What are you planning?" Ryuji asked. "And what are you going to make Aurora do?"

"I'm not going to make her do anything. The choice will be entirely up to her." Yukari told him. "Of course, that all depends on if she can win this fight."

Ryuji looked down at the field. He could see his daughter standing alongside her teammates. "You should have never involved Aurora in all of this. She deserves to be happy, living a peaceful life."

"She also deserves to know the truth about her mother." Yukari told him.

"This again?"

"Ryuji, I won't criticize you on how to raise your daughter. So please do not criticize me on how I protect Cray and Earth." Yukari told him. "I know you'd rather her be out of all this craziness, but I truly believe Aurora is the only one that can save Cray from its current crisis. And I'm sure you know why."

Ryuji said nothing as he kept looking down at Aurora. Right now, she was all that mattered to him.

* * *

"Alright everybody, the time has finally come!" Sachi announced. "Will both teams please send forward their first fighters!"

Aurora glanced over at Dan. "You can do this."

"Right." Dan said. He walked forward, steeling himself for the coming fight. Between him and Anthony, his deck required the most early game setup. That made him the optimal choice for going first.

Over by Team Apocalypse, Amy walked forward as the first member of Team Apocalypse.

"You know what to do." Allen told her.

"Of course." Amy confirmed. She had mixed feelings about fighting in the finals. She had asked Team Cosmic Trio to defeat Allen and the team, which included her. But Team Cosmic Trio had insisted on her fighting to the best of her abilities. Looking over at Dan on the other side of the field, it was clear that belief still held true.

' _Very well then. If this is what you wish, I won't hold back.'_

"Here we go, folks! First up are Dan Kisha and Amy Runeheart!" Sachi announced. "Say it with me people! Stand up!"

"Vanguard!" the crowd shouted, along with Dan and Amy.

"Happiness Collector!"

 **Happiness Collector**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Black Curse, Muriel!"

 **Black Curse, Muriel**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." Amy said. "Stand and draw. I ride Black Call, Nakir."

 **Black Call, Nakir**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Muriel moves back." Amy said, sliding it behind her Vanguard. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "I ride Cutie Paratrooper!"

 **Cutie Paratrooper**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Happiness Collector moves back." Dan said. "And now with her boost, Cutie attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Amy declared.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(0), Amy(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Dan said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(6), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "Ride! Black carve, Ezezel!"

 **Black Carve, Ezezel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Black Relief, Aratoron." Amy said. "Aratoron attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, holding up a grade 1.

"Boosted by Muriel, Ezezel attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Dan said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Amy(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(5), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Ride! Flying Peryton!"

 **Flying Peryton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Happiness Collector, Peryton attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, heal trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Amy(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(6), Amy(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. She looked at her hand. ' _The first player to five damage loses. I'll need to play carefully.'_

"Spread your wings and take flight on this battlefield! Rescue those trapped in despair! Ride! Black Shock, Gavrail Prim!"

 **Black Shock, Gavrail Prim**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Go Aratoron! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding a card up.

"Gavrail Prim is coming in next!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Amy said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." dan said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Amy(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(5), Amy(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _I have to get us the first win. It'll give my team the momentum we need.'_

"The moon shines a spotlight on the stage, signaling for the show to begin! Time for the star of the show to make his appearance! Ride! Masked Phantom, Harri!"

 **Masked Phantom, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now for my first trick! Harri's skill!" Dan explained. "I look at the top 2 cards of the deck, add one of them to the soul, and put the other on the bottom of the deck. And now Stride Generation! Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Flying Peryton from the soul! Next I use Happiness Collector's skill to send itself to the soul to draw and soul charge! Then I use Peryton's magia to call out Happiness Collector! After that, I call Peryton from my hand!" Dan smirked "You know what's coming, don't you?"

' _Damnit.'_ Amy thought.

"Peryton's skill. Soul charge and call Cutie Paratrooper. Then I use Cutie's skill to soul charge and call nothing. But Happiness Collector's skill will activate once again getting me another draw and soul charge."

"Alright, he's adding plenty of cards to his hand!" Aurora grinned. "Go for it, Dan!"

"I call Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty behind my other Peryton." Dan said. "And now with its boost, it attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, holding up a trigger with 10000 shield.

"With Cutie's boost, my other Cutie Paratrooper attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Amy said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Amy(3).]**

"Get ready. Lyrica is coming in!" Dan said. "Skill of Lyrica. I send all my rear guards to the soul. She gains 3000 for each one, for a total of 12000. In addition, since at least four were sent to soul, she gains a drive."

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!" Amy called out.

"Quadruple drive. First check, a grade 1. With Lyrica's skill I draw, soul charge, and call Flying Peryton form the soul. Then I use his magia and call Happiness Collector." Dan said. "Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Peryton. Third check, heal trigger. Once again, power to Peryton, though I don't heal since I have less damage. Final check, grade 2. Lyrica's skill. This time, I call Cutie Paratrooper. Happiness Collector's skill adds to my soul and draws me a card, while Cutie uses her magia to call out Crescent Moon Juggler. With Crescent Moon's magia, I call Masquerade Bunny behind Peryton. 2000 is added to both of them."

"And just like that, Dan Kisha uses a flurry of skills to add to his hand and get four rear guards back out!" Sachi called out to the crowd. "This is the kind of tricky play we've come to expect from his Pale Moon deck!"

"With Masquerade Bunny's boost, Flying Peryton attacks!"

 **(9000+10000+7000+2000=28000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Amy(4).]**

"Crescent Moon now attacks with a boost from Cutie Paratrooper!"

 **(9000+2000+7000+5000=23000)**

"Generation guard! Holy Seraph, Parashel!"

 **Holy Seraph, Parashel**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Dan said. "All my rear guards return to the soul from being called by magia."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(12), Amy(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. She looked at her hand. ' _I need to focus. I can't take another barrage like that. One more damage and I'm finished.'_

"Stride Generation!" Amy called out. "Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden!"

 **Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I put a card from my hand into the damage zone and add a card from the damage zone to my hand." Amy explained. "Then I heal one damage and take a damage. Rescue check, no trigger."

"And here it is! Amy Runeheart's Rescue!" Sach announced. "By healing and dealing herself damage, she increases her chances for triggers! Will it pay off?!"

"Skill of Aratoron. Since Black Talent, Lyla was put into the drop zone from the damage zone, I can counterblast and call her to rear guard behind her. Then I use Lyla's soul blast to heal. Rescue check, critical trigger. All effects to Aratoron. Next I call Nurse of Broken Heart from my hand."

"She doesn't have a lot of cards in her hand. But by manipulating the damage zone, she can call units from there instead." Aurora realized. "She's trying to save as much of her hand as possible for her teammates."

"Dan's got lots of cards in his hand though. He can block her no problem." Anthony told her.

"I sure hope so." Aurora said.

"Muriel's skill. Counterblast and send her to the soul. I put the top card of my deck into the damage zone and call Black Spark, Munkar from the damage zone. Since a card was put into the damage zone, Broken Heart's skill adds 2000 to itself and the Vanguard." Amy looked over at her opponent. "I hope you didn't get too attached to that hand you built up last turn. Cause I'm going to chip away at it until there's nothing left."

"Bring it on." Dan said.

"Skill of Gavrail Eden. Soul blast and flip a face down card from the G Zone face up. Heal one and perform a Rescue check. Stand trigger. Power to Broken Heart. And Broken Heart's skill will add another 2000 to herself and the Vanguard." Amy explained. "Boosted by Lyla, Aratoron attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+6000=27000)**

' _Her Aratoron has the critical from the rescue trigger before. I can't afford to take 2 damage like this.'_ Dan thought. "Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill. I look at the top three cards of the deck." Dan explained. He took a look at the cards and selected one. "Sending Masked Magician, Harri to the soul. Since he's grade 1 or higher, 5000 is added to the shield."

"Broken Heart attacks next with a boost from Munkar!"

 **(9000+4000+4000=17000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding a grade 0 up.

"Take this! Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden attacks!" Amy called out. "Skill of Munkar! Send her to the soul to draw and add 5000 power to the Vanguard! Then I use Gavrail Eden's skill! I call cards from the damage zone up to the number of face up cards in the G Zone, which is currently 2! So now I call Black Shiver, Gavrail and Nurse of Broken Heart to the front row! They both gain 3000 power! Then the same number of cards go from the top of the deck to the damage zone face down! Eden's skill activates twice!"

 **(26000+8000+5000=39000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Amy said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Broken Heart. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Broken Heart and I heal one. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to Lyla."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Amy(3).]**

"Take this! Gavrail attacks with Lyla's boost!"

 **(11000+3000+7000+6000+5000=32000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, holding up 3 cards from his hand, totalling 25000 shield.

"Broken Heart is up next!"

 **(9000+4000+3000+10000=26000)**

"No guard." Dan said, having 2 cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Amy(3).]**

"Turn end." Amy said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(5), Amy(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Flying Peryton. Then I use its magia to call Happiness Collector." Dan said. "After that, I call Face Magician, Lappin from my hand. Using her counterblast to call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul. Happiness Collector's skill activates. Sending her to the soul to draw and soul charge. Cutie allows me to soul charge, but I won't call anything out."

Dan looked at the board. Amy's rear guards were a problem with how much they could gain power due to Rescue, Broken Heart especially. But with her at 4 damage, all he had to do was deal her 2 damage. Once Amy was out of the picture, her Angel Feather rear guards would stay on the field but they would be a lot less threatening.

' _In that case, it's an all out offense against the Vanguard.'_

"Flying Peryton attacks! And since I have 2 face up copies of Dragon Masquerade, Harri in my G Zone, Masquerade Master increases the power of all my magia rear guards by 6000!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"No guard." Amy said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Amy(4).]**

"Cutie Paratrooper boosts! Attack, Lappin!" Dan declared. "Lappin's skill. Soul charge. Since the card doesn't have magia, only 2000 is added!"

 **(9000+5000+2000+6000+7000+6000=35000)**

"No guard."

Anthony raised a brow. "She's not guarding? But she's at four damage."

"Damage check." Amy said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Amy(5).]**

"And that's it! Amy Runeheart now has five damage!" Sachi announced. "As a result, she now switches off with her next teammate!"

Amy took her hand and remaining deck and face down G Zone and walked back over to her team. She walked past the next member in Team Apocalypse's lineup, Keith.

"You could have done a little better than that, you know?" Keith said.

"Sorry. It was harder than I thought to keep him at bay until I could get him to four damage." Amy told him.

Keith shrugged. "Well whatever. I can still make due with what you've given me."

"The next member coming up is Keith Ashton!" Sachi told the crowd. "His Kagero clan is known for its retiring effects. However, due to Dan's magia skills, he only has one rear guard out!"

Keith smirked as he placed his deck on the terminal. "Relation Vanguard." Amy had ended with six cards in her hand. So Keith's hand total became nine.

"I don't get it. Why didn't Amy guard?" Anthony said. "And after we told her not to go easy on us too."

"She wasn't going easy on us, Anthony. This was probably their strategy from the start." Aurora told him.

"Huh?"

"Think about it. When swapping out, the next member's starting hand is dependent on what their teammate had when they lost. So if Amy had tried to guard Dan's attacks and still lost, what would have happened?"

Anthony widened his eyes as he realized what Aurora was trying to tell him. "So she didn't guard in order to give Keith a bigger hand when his turn came."

"She was actually saving up her hand quite a lot throughout her last turn. She probably planned on letting Dan's first two attacks finish her off." Aurora explained. "Plus it stopped before Dan attacked with his Vanguard, meaning he lost out on triple drive. And with Dan at four damage, Keith only has to deal him one damage to finish him off."

"So they were adding to their hand while keeping Dan's hand at a minimum." Anthony realized. "This Relay Fight is pretty tricky."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(6), Keith(9).]**

"Here we go." Keith said. "Ride! Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"!"

 **Dragonic Overlord, "The Destiny"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Next up is this! Stride Generation!" Keith called out. "Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Retire Lappin. Then I get to check the top seven cards for an Overlord." Keith explained. "Adding a copy of The Legend to hand."

Dan's eyes widened. ' _He's going into The Purge! Then he's planning to-'_

"Skill of The Purge." Keith said. "I send The Legend in my hand to the soul. Then since my opponent has four or less damage, on damage is dealt to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check…" Dan said. "Heal trigger."

"Too bad. This damage nullifies trigger effects." Keith smirked.

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Keith(5).]**

"Oh my goodness! Just like that, Keith Ashton takes out Dan Kisha! Now both teams have lost a member!" Sachi spoke.

' _So that was their plan.'_ Dan deduced. ' _Push me to four damage and keep their hand at a good size. That way, Keith could finish me off with The Purge once they swapped out and still have a good hand size to defend after losing triple drive.'_

Keith smirked at his opponent. "Seems I don't need to explain what happened to you."

Just like Amy had done seconds ago, Dan took his cards and walked over to his teammates. "Sorry guys. They played me."

"Don't worry about it. You got us the first win." Anthony said, putting a hand on his teammate's shoulder as he walked past him. "Leave this loser to me."

Keith chuckled as Anthony walked up. "So you're my next opponent, huh?"

Anthony placed his deck on the table. "Relation Vanguard." After drawing his cards, he grinned over at Keith. "Hope you're ready. Cause I'm gonna crush you."

"Big talk. Let's see you back it up." Keith said.

Up in the stands, another group of three were keeping their eyes glued to the fight. The team of Genius Prodigy. Like Star Gate Sentai, they were here to watch the finals, praying for Cosmic Trio's victory.

"Looks like the Narukami user is up." Yuma said. He glanced to Akari. "What do you think will happen."

"He's gotten a little better I guess." Akari shrugged. "But it's the finals of the World Tournament. He'll need to do more than a little better to win."

"I'm rather interested to see how he's improved." Yuma said.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Anthony(9), Keith(7).]**

' _With the soul Dan built up, Aurora and I can soul blast to our heart's content.'_ Anthony thought. ' _Plus he kept counterblasts to a minimum. I should have more than enough resources to do what I need, even if my field's empty right now.'_

"Get ready, cause your about to be hit by a thunderbolt! Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher, "SPARKING"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher, "SPARKING"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Anthony called out. "Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind a card from your drop zone! Then, since VBUSTER has the Thunderstrike skill, retire and bind one of your rear guards!"

"And now we get to see Anthony Ferges's style of play! Retiring his opponent's rear guards while binding them to build up his Thunderstrike! But with such a late start to his strategy due to going second in the lineup, will he be able to make use of his cards?"

Anthony watched as Keith bound a card in his drop zone and the Lyla on his field. Right now, Keith only had 2 cards face up in his bind zone, far from a favorable position for Anthony.

' _I knew this would be the case going in. I've just gotta make due with what I have.'_ Anthony thought. ' _Luckily, I got just the hand I needed.'_

"Call! Dragon Dancer, Fatine and Martial Arts Dragon!" Anthony said. "Fatine's Thunderstrike 2! Soul blast and draw! Next I use VBUSTER's skill! Soul blast and then you bind one rear guard and a card from your drop zone!"

"Tch. Bind Gavrail." Keith said as a third and fourth card went to his bind zone.

"The second part of VBUSTER's skill. Since I have more rear guards than you do now, I add 3000 to three of my units. I choose the three units currently on my field." Anthony explained. "Next I call Plea Lightning, Helena! Helena's Thunderstrike 3! I counterblast to draw and add 2000 to Helena!"

"Nice! He's calling out a field while keeping his hand size at a good amount!" Dan grinned.

"He's really come a long way." Aurora noted. "Before, he barely thought about strategy at all, outside of just binding as many cards as he could. But now he's comboing off his skills right to make for a combination of offense and defense." She grinned as she watched. "That guy really is one of a kind."

"Looks like you could only get me to 4 cards in the bind zone. Too bad." Keith grinned. "You're G Unit's Generation Break 3 requires you to be at Thunderstrike 7."

"Then it's a good thing I won't need it." Anthony said. "Boosted by Fatine, Martial Arts attacks Broken Heart!"

 **(9000+3000+6000+3000=21000)**

"Interesting. Our heroic friend is attacking the rear guard with such a rather large number." Blue Lightning spoke as he watched.

"Seems he finally started to learn how to use that head of his." Akari said. "Nurse of Broken Heart adds power to itself and the Vanguard whenever a card is put into the damage zone. It doesn't even specify needing to have a specific Vanguard. So if he hit the Vanguard, Nurse of Broken Heart would only power it up."

"No guard." Keith said. He couldn't afford to waste too much of his hand guarding a rear guard, even if it was a useful one.

"VBUSTER attacks!" Anthony declared.

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"Perfect guard!" Keith said, holding up a sentinel.

"Triple drive." Anthony said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Helena! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Martial Arts!"

"And Anthony Ferges gets a double trigger! Now he has two more attacks, with one of them being critical!"

"Let's go! Helena attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Keith said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Martial Arts comes in once again!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Keith(6).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Anthony(6), Keith(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "Skill of The Destiny. I soul blast and retire your Helena. And now, Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Martial Arts Dragon! Then, I get to check the top seven cards of the deck for an Overlord." Keith said. "Adding The Destiny to my hand. Then I call Burning Horn Evolute and Lizard General, Conroe. With Evolute's soul blast, I reveal an Overlord in my hand and retire your Fatine that's in the same column as it. Then I use Conroe's skill to retire itself and give a skill to my Vanguard."

"Giving yourself only one rear guard? Not exactly a strong formation." Anthony said. "Scared of fighting someone that can retire even more than you can?"

"Don't make me laugh." Keith grinned. "The Purge's Generation Break 3. My drive check becomes equal to your damage. You have five damage, so I get five drive checks."

Anthony widened his eyes. ' _Five drive checks with one attack?!'_

"The Purge attacks!" Keith called out. "Countercharge twice with the skill gained from Conroe!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Anthony yelled.

"Quintuple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Evolute. Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, heal trigger. Recover one damage and power to Evolute. Final check, draw trigger. Power to Evolute and I draw."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Keith(5).]**

"Anastasia's skill. Thunderstrike 4. After she's done guarding, I draw."

"Evolute attacks! With its skill, it gains 2000 for each damage you have!"

 **(9000+10000+30000=49000)**

' _If this hits, I'll take 2 damage, forcing me to the edge.'_ Anthony thought. He looked over at his damage. Only one face up card. ' _It's risky… but no pain, no game.'_

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(7), Keith(5).]**

"I'll leave things at that." Keith said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 12. Hand: Anthony(5), Keith(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "SPARKING's Thunderstrike 4. I countercharge, soul charge, and then you bind a card from your drop zone. And now Stride Generation! Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad!"

 **Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind a card from your drop zone and one of your rear guards!" Anthony said. Keith's only rear guard was Burning Horn Evolute, so he had little choice but to choose it. "Also, Baal-Hadad's Generation Break 4! Whenever one of your cards is bound face up, my front row gains 3000 power. So now Baal-Hadad gains 6000 power since 2 have been bound."

"Big deal."

"Oh it's a very big deal." Anthony smirked. "I call Grizel, Chatura, and Hardrod Dracokid!"

Keith widened his eyes, seeing Hardrod. "That unit…"

"That's right." Anthony smirked. "Hardrod's skill. I rest him and then you bind a card from your drop zone. Then, Baal-Hadad gives 3000 to my front row once again. Speaking of which… I activate Baal-Hadad's other skill!" Anthony paid the cost of a counterblast and flipping a copy of it. "The opponent chooses cards from their drop zone and rear guard collectively and binds cards equal to the number of face up cards in the G Zone plus 1. There are currently eight face up, so that's nine cards getting bound."

Keith grit his teeth as he took nine cards from his drop zone and bound them. He knew what was coming next.

"Nine more cards were bound. So that's 27000 power going to my front row. In addition, since at least one card was bound from the drop zone, I draw." Anthony said with a grin. With the collection of power from Baal-Hadad, his Vanguard was being boosted by 36000 power, while his rear guards each had an extra 30000 power.

"Incredible!" Sachi exclaimed. "Anthony Ferges has gone on a binding spree with his opponent's cards, and at the same time has added a massive amount of power to his own field!"

"Alright, let's kick things off with Chatura!" Anthony said. "Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(8000+3000+30000=41000)**

"Generation guard!" Keith called out. "Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Denial Griffin! Retire the attacking rear guard!"

"Let's see how you handle Baal-Hadad then!"

 **(26000+36000=62000)**

"I'll handle it just fine! Perfect guard!"

"Alright then. Triple drive." Anthony said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Grizel!"

' _Damn. It would be a critical, wouldn't it?'_

"Here we go! Grizel attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+9000+30000+5000=53000)**

"No guard." Keith said. Two cards went into his damage zone, bringing the damage count to a tie.

 **[Damage: Anthony(7), Keith(7).]**

"Both players are at their limit!" Sachi announced to the crowd. "The next one to take a damage and receive that fateful eight card in the damage zone will lose and swap out with the next player! But who will it be?!"

"Turn end." Anthony said. "Now do your worst."

 **[Turn 13. Hand: Anthony(6), Keith(6).]**

"Don't get too cocky now." Keith said. "It's time for you to be swallowed up in flames! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, "The Purge"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire your Hardrod Dracokid! Then I search the top seven cards of the deck for an Overlord to add to hand!" Keith checked the top seven cards, but found nothing. "No such luck. No matter. Because you now have seven cards in your damage zone."

' _His Generation Break 3. His drive check is equal to my damage.'_ Anthony realized. ' _Seven drive checks. Is this guy trying to set a record or something?'_

"Calling a pair of Glow Heater Dragons." Keith said. "They both have a skill to gain 2000 for each card in your damage zone. But first thing's first. My Vanguard attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"As if I'd let that through! Perfect guard!" Anthony said.

"Septuple drive." Keith grinned. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Glow Heater on the left. Third check, another critical trigger. All effects to Glow Heater on the right. Fourth check, no trigger. Fifth check, draw trigger. Power to left Glow Heater and I draw. Sixth check, no trigger. Final check, critical trigger. All effects to Glow Heater on the left."

"Unbelievable! Four triggers, just like that!" Sachi announced. "Not to mention that Keith Ashton has now added a total of eight cards to his hand!"

"Time to burn you to ash! Glow Heater on the left, attack!"

 **(10000+14000+15000=39000)**

"Not happening! Generation guard!" Anthony called out. "Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Bulwark! Thunderstrike! Add 10000 to the shield! Then I intercept with Grizel!" Anthony explained. "And at the end of the battle, for every four cards in your bind zone, a rested rear guard of yours is retired. You only have one though, so we'll just have to retire that Glow Heater."

"Then I'll just have to finish you with my other Glow Heater!"

 **(10000+14000+5000=29000)**

"Don't think so!" Anthony said, holding up two triggers, totalling 20000 shield.

"Turn end." Keith growled. ' _Calm down. It's fine. I have 12 cards in hand. There's no way he can finish me off.'_

 **[Turn 14. Hand: Anthony(2), Keith(12).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "Get ready. Cause you're about to be in a world of hurt. Thunderstrike of SPARKING! Bind a card from your drop! Then I countercharge and soul charge!"

"Bind as many as you want. You won't break through my defense."

"Let's test that theory, shall we?! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Glow Heater is bound, as is a card from your drop zone!" Anthony said. He took a card from his hand and called it out. ' _This is gonna be my last turn. You better make use of what I give you Aurora.'_

"Calling Fatine! Using her soul blast to draw! And now with her boost, VMAX attacks!"

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"Perfect guard!" Keith called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger! All effects to VMAX!" Anthony said. "And now take this! VMAX's Thunderstrike 5! At the end of the battle it attacked, if there are no rear guards, deal one damage to the Vanguard!"

Everyone watched as a bolt of lightning came from the sky and struck Overlord. When the smoke cleared, an eight card could be seen in Keith's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Anthony(6), Keith(8).]**

"That's that, everybody! Keith Ashton has eight damage! Which means he now switches off with the leader of Team Apocalypse, Allen Demacio!" Sachi said.

Allen stepped forward, walking past Keith. "I was expecting better."

"Give me a break. I did my job, getting you the hand size you needed." Keith told him. "You can finish him easily. And then once we win, I'll be expecting that paycheck."

"You'll get it. There's no way these weaklings can beat me." Allen said. He walked up to the terminal and placed his deck. "Relation Vanguard."

 **[Turn 15. Hand: Anthony(5), Allen(13).]**

' _Geez, that's one big hand.'_ Anthony thought as he stared down the leader of Team Apocalypse.

"I hope you're prepared." Allen told him. "Because when this is over, you'll be groveling in the dirt where you belong."

 **Allen: You won't win. It's impossible for me to lose.**

 **Anthony: Big talk. But let's see you back those words up, you jerk.**

 **Allen: I'll do more than that. Once I deal with you, your leader's next.**

 **Aurora: I'm not scared of you Allen. I'm taking you down. This ends now.**

 **Next time: Aurora vs Allen**

 ***Note: I know in the anime, the rotation rules for Relay Fight did not work the way it is in this fic. I instead used the official rules from the Vanguard wikia.**


	44. Aurora vs Allen

**A/N: Well readers, it's been a long road through this tournament. Hope you've enjoyed it so far cause we plan to end this tournament with a bang. It's the final fight!**

… **. or is it?**

 **On another topic, there is a moment in this fight where you'll notice a suggestion to play a certain song. You don't have to, but I personally feel it makes the moment that much better.**

 **In any case, hope you enjoy the final fight of the Vanguard World Tournament.**

Anthony and Allen stood across from each other. The damage count was 6 to 8. Two more damage was all that was allowing to keep Allen from Aurora. As for their hand size, it was absurdly clear who had the advantage.

"You could make this easier on yourself and just give up." Allen suggested.

"Sorry, that's not really my style." Anthony told him. "Besides, my teammates and I promised everyone we'd take you down."

"Very well then. Finishing you off this turn shouldn't prove too difficult. After all, you only have one measly rear guard behind your Vanguard. The rest of your field is empty."

"If you think I'm gonna make it that easy for you, you've got another thing coming." Anthony told him.

"We'll see." Allen said. "You decided not to surrender, knowing I was your opponent. Now you'll face his almighty blade! Ride! General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Now witness this! Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"There won't be any need to use the stride skill." Allen said as he held up multiple cards from his hand. "But why don't I invite some guests to liven up this party? Call! Wise Mage, Tibarn! Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel! Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army! Supply Soldier, Collin! Enslaved Princess, Mira! Next I use Drill Sergeant's skill! I return it to the deck and give my Vanguard a skill to let me draw whenever I Conquer this turn! And I'll go ahead and do so right away! Tibarn! Rachel! Conquer his front row!"

The Motion Figure System quickly showed Vanquisher being surrounded by Allen's units. It had the same look of concern that Anthony had.

"I draw two cards thanks to Drill Sergeant, and another thanks to Collin. Then I use Tibarn's skill to draw two cards and discard one." Allen explained. "Next I soul blast and retire Mira for her skill. Both Tibarn and Rachel gain 5000 power and Resist until the end of my opponent's next turn. And now I call another Rachel and Alexander to my front row."

"He's completely swarming the field. This is bad." Dan said.

"Let's see. Who should start?" Allen questioned. "How about Tibarn! Both my Rachels gain 3000 power since my unit attacked from your field!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Generation guard!" Anthony called out. "Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma!"

 **Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Brahma. I bind two cards with different grades from my bind zone and add 10000 to the shield. I bind Dragon Dancer, Fatine and Dragonic Vanquisher, SPARKING."

"Big deal. The Rachel on your field will cut you down then."

 **(9000+5000+6000=20000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(7), Allen(8).]**

"Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(8), Allen(8).]**

"And just like that, Allen Demacio ties it up!" Sachi spoke to the crowd. "Now it's all up to Aurora Fujou! It's finally time to see these two leaders clash!"

Anthony walked over to his team. "I did what I could."

"You did great, Anthony." Dan told him with a nod.

Aurora walked past her teammate. Anthony glanced over to her. "Take him down."

"You know I will." Aurora assured him.

The crowd watched as Aurora walked up and placed her deck on the terminal. "Relation Vanguard." Drawing a total of seven cards, Aurora readied herself for what would no doubt be the toughest fight of her life.

 **[Turn 16. Hand: Aurora(7), Allen(8).]**

Aurora looked at the field. Two cards were now in her bind zone. ' _Thanks Anthony. The reason you used that G Guard last turn was to help set me up for my lack of bind zone cards.'_ She looked at her hand, seeing Hikari in it. ' _Let's do this, Hikari. It's up to us.'_

"I finally get to fight the wielder of the Star Chaser clan." Allen smirked. "And you'll fall before me, just like everyone else."

"Don't be so sure." Aurora said. "Cause _we're_ going to stop you! Ride! Star of Hope, Hikari!"

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra from my deck and call it to my back row!" Aurora explained. "She gains 3000 power! Then at the start of my main phase, I can bind a card from my deck with Libra's skill. I choose Pride of the Stars, Leo."

"Aurora Fujou feverishly tries to set up her bind zone, being late into the game." Sachi announced. "But with Allen Demacio's units Conquering her front row, what can she do with her limited hand?"

"I move Libra up towards Rachel!" Aurora declared.

Allen shrugged. "Fine. Rachel's power is 14000 right now so she's still perfectly fine."

"Maybe so, but she's down 12000 power now." Aurora said with a grin. "And that's all I need her to be for this next move."

"Huh?"

"Skill of Cosmos Pegasus! I call cards from my bind zone up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone!" Aurora said. "I've only got three cards in my bind zone, and I think we both know I have at least that many face up in my G Zone. I call Dragonic Vanquisher SPARKING, Dragon Dancer, Fatine, and Pride of the Stars Leo!"

"What's this?! Aurora Fujou uses the cards in her bind zone left by her teammate by calling them to the field!" Sachi spoke to the crowd. Dragonic Vanquisher was called over Rachel, with Fantine being placed behind her Vanguard. Leo was put in the back row of her other column, right behind Tibarn. Allen was forced to move Rachel back to his field, giving him a column of two Rachels.

"The called units each gain 5000 power. And since I called two or more, Pegasus gains a critical. And with Fatine's soul blast, I draw." Aurora said. "Leo's skill also gives him 10000 power."

"So that's her game plan! She's not trying to liberate Tibarn so he can't reclaim that circle with it next turn and activate Tibarn's skill!" Dan realized. "She was really paying attention to when William and Marcus fought Allen!"

"You go for it, Aurora!" Anthony cheered.

"Tch, call as many ragtag units as you want. It won't change anything." Allen told her.

"They're more than a bunch of ragtag units. They're the units of me and my friends." Aurora told him. "And we're going to show you our power!"

"Bring it on."

"Go Leo! Cut this guy down to size!"

 **(11000+5000+10000=26000)**

"No guard." Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(8), Allen(9).]**

"Pegasus attacks with a boost from Fatine!"

 **(26000+6000+5000=37000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius. Move Tibarn to the guardian circle. A total of 15000 shield is then added, in addition to the 5000 shield from Tibarn." Allen explained. "I also guard with Collin from my hand."

' _I'll need three triggers to break through.'_ Aurora thought. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Vanquisher and I draw! Third check, no trigger. And now Dragonic Vanquisher SPARKING will attack!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(8), Allen(10).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 16. Hand: Aurora(10), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Stride Generation! Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot!"

 **Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Increase the Rachel in my front row by 5000 power and lower Vanquisher's power by 5000!" Allen said. "Now Rachel Conquers over Vanquisher!"

"Vanquisher moves to the back row." Aurora said.

"I move my other Rachel up, Alexander back, and call Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flame. I then move it up to your field. It's skill adds 10000 power to itself. Then I move Alexander back up to my front row." Allen explained. "Tiemot's skill. Counterblast and discard. Since I have 2 cards on the opponent's field, it gains a skill."

' _This isn't good.'_ Aurora thought.

"Enslaved Dragon attacks!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Papillion's skill! Soul blast 2 and bind the attacking rear guard!" Aurora said.

"Tch. Fine! Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a grade 1 from her hand.

"Tiemot attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora said, holding up a sentinel.

"Triple drive." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Rachel on my field. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Rachel once again and I heal." Allen was far from finished however. "Tiemot's skill! Retire all opponent rear guards! Then restand with drive minus 2!"

"Here it is! The terrifying skill Allen used to defeat Marcus Cersy in the semi-finals!" Sachi spoke. "Can Aurora Fujou withstand it?!"

"Tiemot attacks once again!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check. No trigger." Allen said.

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(9), Allen(9).]**

"The Rachel on your field attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+6000=20000)**

"Guard!"

"My other Rachel attacks next!"

 **(9000+6000+10000=25000)**

Once again, Aurora blocked Allen's attack. "Guard!"

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 17. Hand: Aurora(5), Allen(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Draco Nova!"

 **Nebula Beast, Draco Nova**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind Libra and call it! Add 3000 power! Then with Libra's skill, I bind Pisces "Paidi" from my deck." Aurora said. "Next I call Aquarius over Rachel. Aquarius is retired, but Rachel loses 7000 power! And now I activate Draco Nova's skill! I bind Libra from the field, Masked Phantom, Harri from the drop zone, and Leo from my hand! Then I call Leo and Libra from the bind zone!"

"Rachel moves back from Leo being called over her." Allen said, moving his rear guard back to his field.

"Calling Pisces "Mitera" and Ursa from my hand!" Aurora said. "And with Draco Nova's Generation Break 3, all my rear guards called from the bind zone this turn and my Vanguard gain 3000 power for each card in my bind zone. There's 2 in there right now, so that's 6000 power. And Pisces "Mitera" gains 5000 power and boost since "Paidi" is in the bind zone."

"It's probably not as big as she'd like, but she did manage to get a strong formation out." Dan noted.

"Let's hope it's enough." Anthony said.

"Here goes! With Ursa's boost, Libra attacks! Ursa's skill binds a card from the top of my deck to gain 3000 power!"

 **(9000+9000+7000+3000=28000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(9), Allen(10).]**

"Draco Nova attacks!"

 **(26000+9000=35000)**

"Perfect guard!" Allen said, holding up a sentinel. "You'll have to do better than that to beat me."

"Quadruple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Leo! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Libra! Final check, no trigger."

"Aurora Fujou now has 2 more attacks after her Vanguard's drive checks!" Sachi spoke. "Will they be enough to finish off Allen by getting that final point of damage?!"

"Go Libra! Attack!"

 **(9000+9000+5000=23000)**

"Guard!" Allen said, holding up a trigger. "Rachel will also intercept."

"Leo attacks with Pisces "Mitera"'s boost! Go!"

 **(11000+10000+9000+5000+9000+5000=49000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With its skill, I send Rachel to the guardian circle and add 5000 to the shield." Allen said. He then held up two other cards with a combined 15000 shield. "I also guard with these!"

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 17. Hand: Aurora(6), Allen(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "It's finally time. I hope you're prepared to suffer at my hands a humiliating defeat."

Aurora tensed up. ' _He's going to use it. The card he used to defeat William.'_

"Generation Zone, release! The weak bow before the mighty! Realize how truly weak you are and be crushed like a bug under the force of my power! Stride Generation! Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus!"

 **Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Alexander gains 5000 power, and Leo loses 5000 power!" Allen said. "Next I call Wise Mage, Tibarn! And now both Tibarn and Alexander will Conquer your front row!"

Aurora watched as Allen's two units invaded her field. They struck down Leo and Libra. With her back row filled up in both columns, she had no choice but to retire them.

"Alexander's skill. It gains 5000 power and I draw. Tibarn's skill lets me draw 2 and discard one." Allen said. "Next I call. Destruction Gunman, Barbados. Enslaved Princess, Mira. High Morale Soldier, Simon."

"Allen Demacio has just emptied out his hand! He truly plans to end it here!" Sachi called out to the crowd.

"Mira's soul blast. I retire her and add 5000 to my units on the opponent's field." Allen said. "And now Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus's skill! I retire one of your rear guards for each of my units on your field! I have 2, so both of your remaining rear guards are retired! Then, Cyrus gains 10000 power for each one!"

Dan tensed up. "Since Aurora doesn't have four or less damage, she won't be forced to take a damage. But Cyrus is still at 46000 power on his own."

"Come on Aurora…" Anthony begged. "Win this…"

In the spectator seats, Sophia looked on in fear. "Is Aurora gonna be ok? Allen's got so many units out."

"She can do it." Sarah said. "She has to."

"Aurora's no pushover, that's for sure." Rose told them. "That girl's something special."

"Of course she is. She beat William after all." Elizabeth chimed in.

"Boosted by Simon, Barbados attacks!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to Hikari."

 **[Damage: Aurora(10), Allen(10).]**

"Aurora Fujou is on the edge! One more damage, and it'll all be over!" Sachi exclaimed. "Can she survive this fierce barrage of attacks?! Or is all hope lost for the wielder of Star Chaser?!"

"I think we all know the answer to that question." Allen said. "You're finished."

"Not yet…" Aurora said. "I'm still in this."

"I think it's time I shut you up once and for all! Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a grade 0 and grade 1 from her hand, totalling 15000 shield.

"Cyrus attacks! Simon's skill allows me to send him to the soul to add 5000 power and draw! And with Cyrus's skill, he gains a drive since I have 2 rear guards on your field!"

 **(26000+20000+5000=51000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora shouted. ' _Thank god I saved this during his last turn.'_

Allen grit his teeth as he clenched his fists. "Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Tibarn. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Tibarn once again! Final check, critical trigger!"

The entire crowd gasped. "Three critical triggers?!" Anthony exclaimed.

' _I will win this… I will crush her…'_ Allen told himself.

A voice spoke to Allen in his head. " _You better not fail. You remember our deal."_

' _Shut up! I know!'_ Allen told the voice in his head. "Tibarn attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+15000=29000)**

"END HER!" Allen shouted.

"Aurora!" Dan and Anthony exclaimed.

"Generation guard! White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus!"

 **White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Every person in the stadium gasped as they saw Cygnus appear. The white swan spread out its wings, protecting Hikari and Aurora from Tibarn's attack.

"Skill of Cygnus! I bind Dragonic Vanquisher SPARKING from my soul! This allows me to flip two face down cards in my damage zone face up! And since Hikari is my Vanguard, 5000 is added to the shield for every grade of the bound card! SPARKING is grade 3 so 15000 is added!"

"I-Impossible…" Allen gasped. "My power… there's no way I could lose…"

Amy widened her eyes as she watched the match. ' _That Aurora girl… Is she actually going to do it?'_

Keith growled as he watched the situation turn against Allen. "That idiot better not screw this up. This job better not have been for nothing."

Dan and Anthony both sighed in relief. "That girl really had me worried for a second." Anthony said.

"She's not in a great position though." Dan said. "Her field is still Conquered. And she's only got one card in her hand. Not to mention, Allen has five cards in hand and 2 intercepts."

"There's still one thing that can save her though." Anthony reminded him.

Dan nodded. "It all depends on whether or not she can stride."

 **[Turn 18. Hand: Aurora(1), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She took a card in her hand and revealed it. "Aquarius's skill. When paying the cost to stride, it counts as a grade 3.

' _Damn her…'_

"This ends now, Allen!" Aurora shouted. "Generation Zone, release!"

 **(A/N: Play "Believe in My Existence".)**

At Aurora's call, a shining pillar of light surrounded Hikari. It's brightness shined across the entire stadium. Aurora felt its warmth on her, while Allen shielded his eyes.

Watching from the VIP room, Ryuji could barely believe his eyes. "Aurora…"

"This is proof, Ryuji." Yukari told him. "Proof of Aurora's bond with Star Chaser."

"Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future!" Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Sophia gasped. "A stride version of Hikari?!"

"To think she had something like this up her sleeve." Rose smirked. "That girl… I may have beaten her in the second round, but I think that wouldn't be the case anymore."

The new version of Hikari was a grown up version of the teenage swordswoman. Her blonde hair flowed down her back, shining even more brightly than before. She held two swords now, instead of just one. But more importantly than anything, she held the same gaze of confidence that Aurora had.

"Stride skill. I bind Hikari from my deck and call her over Alexander. She goes to the drop zone and Alexander loses 11000 power." Aurora said. "Next I call Gemini from my hand over Tibarn. Gemini is retired and Tibarn loses 9000 power."

"Are you really such a fool?! You have no cards in hand! Now how will you get units on your field."

"You're about to find out." Aurora said. "Skill of Constellation of Light, Hikari. By paying the cost of a counterblast and a soul blast, I can call a card from the bind zone and increase its power by 5000. And I can do this as many times as I wish."

"What?!"

"First up is our leading performer! I call Masked Phantom, Harri!" Aurora said. "Then I use the skill one more time! Bow down before the almighty ruler of the skies! Dragonic Vanquisher, SPARKING!"

Allen gasped as Harri and Vanquisher appeared on the field. "No… This can't be happening…"

"Hey Alexander and Tibarn." Aurora said. "Beat it!"

Harri and Vanquisher clashed with Allen's Conquering rear guards, forcing them back to Allen's field. The leader of Team Apocalypse looked worriedly at Aurora's field.

"Incredible! Aurora Fujou has called out the main grade 3 units of both Dan Kisha and Anthony Ferges!" Sachi exclaimed.

"You know… It's kinda like Dan and Anthony are fighting down there with her." Sophia said.

"It's pretty fitting, I'd say."

The group all turned their heads to see William and Marcus standing by them. Sarah and Elizabeth both ran over to their team leaders.

"What are you doing here?! You should be in bed!" Sarah said.

"You too, William! You're still hurt!" Elizabeth said.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Marcus assured them.

"We came to watch." William said. "After all, I had an odd feeling that Aurora would be the one to pull off a miracle like this."

"That sounds like Aurora all right." Yuma said, walking over to the group with his team.

"Team Genius Prodigy?" Marcus said in surprise.

"You were in the Wild Card round, right?" Rose asked.

"That's right. We lost to Marcus and his team." Yuma told them. "But before that, we lost to Team Cosmic Trio."

"Those three have always defied predictions." Kenta said.

"Yeah. They're pretty strong." Akari admitted.

"Indeed! They are true heroes!"

The sound of Team Star Gate Sentai caused the group to turn their attention to them. White Cosmos looked on towards Aurora. "Aurora Fujou saved me from the darkness and returned me to my heroic form. There is no one more worthy of winning this tournament than her."

Despite the childlike antics of Star Gate Sentai, no one could disagree with the one fact they all knew. Aurora was something special.

Allen listened to the crowd cheering in excitement. Cheering for Aurora. ' _Calm down… Calm down! Sure she has a full front row, but I have five cards in hand! I've even got a sentinel! There's no way she can beat me!'_

"Constellation of Light, Hikari's other skill. Generation Break 3." Aurora said. "I counterblast. Hikari gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill. Whenever one of my units attack, I can send a card in my bind zone to the drop zone. The opponent is unable to guard with cards from their hand of the same grade as the sent unit until the end of the battle."

"What?!"

"Masked Phantom, Harri attacks!" Aurora called out. "I send Ursa in my bind zone to the drop zone and prevent grade 1s."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Grr… Guard!" Allen shouted, holding up a grade 2 in his hand. "Tibarn also intercepts!"

"Dragonic Vanquisher SPARKING is up next!" Aurora called out.

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Constellation of Light, Hikari attacks!" Aurora said. "I send Star Child, Pisces "Paidi" from the bind zone to the drop zone. It's grade 1, so that means you can't use grade 1s to guard this attack."

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

Allen looked at his hand. He didn't have enough. Not even to keep her at one trigger to pass. "No guard…"

"Go Hikari!" Aurora shouted. "Finish this!"

Hikari leaped into the air, holding up her two swords. Allen and Alexander both widened their eyes as she came down, slashing her blades into the general. Alexander let out a cry of pain as his body dissolved into scattering dust.

 **[Damage: Aurora(10), Allen(11).]**

"It! Is! Over!" Sachi exclaimed. "After an exhilarating series of battles, we finally have the champions of the Vanguard World Tournament! Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Aurora Fujou and Team Cosmic Trio!"

Aurora listened to the cheering of the crowd. The realization of what she had just done was still setting in. She had actually done it. She had led her team to victory to become the best in the world.

"Aurora!"

Aurora heard Dan and Anthony calling out to her as she turned and saw them running to her. Huge smiles were on both of their faces.

"That was freaking epic!" Anthony said. "You actually did it!"

"We won, Aurora! We won the tournament!" Dan told her.

A smile came to Aurora's face. "Yeah. We really did it."

Anthony noticed a tear starting to form in his team leader's eye. "Are you crying?"

"Sh-Shut up!" Aurora told him. She pulled both of her teammates in for a hug. "Thank you both so much! I never would have made it this far without the both of you!"

"Of course." Anthony said.

Dan nodded. "What are friends for?"

Over by Allen, the leader of Team Apocalypse was shaking. How could this be possible? He had lost? Allen fell to his knees, refusing to accept what had happened.

"This has to be a joke. A cruel joke." Allen told himself. His eyes caught sight of his cards. They were beginning to disintegrate.

"No… No! You can't abandon me like this!" Allen begged. "I need your power! Please! Give me another chance!"

His pleas were unanswered however as the Conquest Empire deck he had treasured so much vanished into thin air.

As Team Cosmic Trio continued to celebrate their victory, the idol trio Premium Beauty walked up to them. It was clear they were pleased with the result.

"Congratulations on your victory." Keiko said.

Anthony smirked at Mai. "Heh. What do you think of us now, squirt?"

Mai rolled her eyes at Anthony. "Well I guess you were pretty good."

As Anthony and Mai shot daggers at each other, Jasmine stepped forward. "You have done quite well, Aurora Fujou. Miss Tatsunagi wishes to see you."

Aurora knew what Jasmine was referring to. She had completed her end of the deal by winning the World Tournament and beating Allen. Now she could finally get what she had been fighting for since the start.

She could finally find out the truth about her mother.

* * *

Team Cosmic Trio walked together through the hallway, led by Premium Beauty as they made their way to Yukari Tatsunagi. Finally they came up to a set of fancy looking doors.

"Miss Tatsunagi is waiting for you inside." Jasmine said as she gestured towards the door. "Please. Go in."

Aurora took a deep breath. ' _It's finally time. Time for me to learn about my mother.'_

"Well you better get going." Anthony said.

Aurora turned to her teammates. "You're not coming?"

"It's your mother. You should be the one to find out about it first." Dan told her. "You can give us the details later."

Aurora nodded to her teammates. "Thanks guys. I'll see you in a bit."

Dan and Anthony stood in the hall as Aurora walked through the doors. She walked inside, finding Yukari at the center of the room.

"Congratulations, Aurora Fujou." Yukari told her. "You defeated Allen Demacio and won the Vanguard World Tournament. You should be very proud of yourself."

"Yukari…" Auror said. "Will you finally tell me? About my mother? Who she was and where she's been?"

"Of course. I made a promise to you after all." Yukari nodded. "I suppose I should begin with-"

"Hold it."

The sudden voice caused Aurora and Yukari to both turn to one of the ends of the room, where a man was standing. As he walked into the light, Aurora widened her eyes, recognizing who it was.

"Dad?"

"Aurora… If you're going to find out anyway, it should be me who tells you the truth." Ryuji said. "It's time I reveal everything to you. About who your mother is."

 **Next time…**

 **A month has passed since the Vanguard World Tournament. Ever since the end of the tournament, Aurora has been gone. Even her teammates know nothing of where she is or what she's doing. The only ones that seem to know about where she is are Yukari and Ryuji. But when Aurora suddenly finds herself in peril, it'll be up to Dan and Anthony to help her out. Together with friends made during the World Tournament, they'll have to go help Aurora and end the threat of Conquest Empire from Cray once and for all. And there's only one way for them to do it. A trip to Planet Cray itself.**

 **Stay tuned for the next arc of Cardfight Vanguard: Bonds Beyond the Cosmos. Cray Rebellion.**

 ***Note: Next chapter will be the decklists of most of the main characters (as of the end of this chapter). It should be up within the next few days at most.**

 **Card Gallery:**

Constellation of Light, Hikari  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC GB3 1/Turn:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G zone and flip it face up. This unit gains +10000 power, +1 crit, and **(AUTO: When your unit attacks, you may send a face up card from your bind zone to the drop zone. If you do, your opponent cannot call units from their hand to GC with the same grade as that unit until the end of the battle.)** until the end of the turn.  
 **ACT VC:** CB1 & SB1. Choose a face up card from your bind zone and call it to RC. The called unit gains +5000 power.


	45. SPECIAL: Decklists

***SPECIAL CHAPTER: CHARACTER DECK LISTS***

 **This is a list of the deck lists of all characters that were participants of the Vanguard World Tournament. This does not include characters that were not in the tournament, and players that were only in the prelims. If any of you are really interested in decks for certain characters, let me know. If enough people speak up, I'll update this. Also, these lists are their decks as of the end of last chapter. Some may have changed throughout the tournament's progression (namely Cosmic Trio).**

 **Also, keep an eye on your notifications. I may have something special for you all tomorrow (hint, hint).**

Aurora Fujou

Grade 3:

Star of Hope, Hikari (x4)  
Pride of the Stars, Leo (x3)

Grade 2:

Galaxy Sabre, Gemini (x3)  
Planet Smasher, Scorpius (x3)  
Celestial Scale Maiden, Libra (x4)  
Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera" (x3)

Grade 1:

Star Child, Pisces "Paidi" (x3)  
Star Beast, Ursa (x3)  
Cosmos Storm, Aquarius (x3)  
Nebula Shield, Orion (x4)

Grade 0:

Twinkle Maiden, Virgo (x1)  
Sun Smasher, Apollo (x4)  
Warphole Commander of the Starship Fleet (x4)  
Cosmo Nurse (x4)  
Gravity Gunner (x4)

G Zone:

Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus (x4)  
Galaxy Dragon, Meteor Shower Dragon (x3)  
Nebula Beast, Draco Nova (x4)  
Constellation of Light, Hikari (x1)  
Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda (x2)  
Nebula Best, Warphole, Papilion (x1)  
White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus (x1)

* * *

Dan Kisha

Grade 3:

Masked Phantom, Harri (x4)  
Masked Magician, Harri (x3)

Grade 2:

Flying Peryton (x4)  
Darkside Princess (x3)  
Crescent Moon Juggler (x3)  
Face Magician, Lappin (x3)

Grade 1:

Cutie Paratrooper (x3)  
Moonlight Melody Tamer, Betty (x4)  
Lovely Companion (x4)  
Masquerade Bunny (x2)

Grade 0:

Happiness Collector (x1)  
Darkside Swordmaster (x4)  
Silver Thorn Assistant, Dixie (x4)  
Prankster Girl of Mirrorland (x4)  
Psycho Magician, Coulthard (x4)

G Zone:

Masquerade Master, Harri (x4)  
Dragon Masquerade, Harri (x2)  
Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica (x4)  
Scream Dragon Master, Droll Kimberly (x1)  
Curtain Call Announcer, Mephisto (x1)  
Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival (x2)  
Doting Harlequin, Maja (x1)  
Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard (x1)

* * *

Anthony Ferges

Grade 3:

Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING" (x4)  
Dragonic Vanquisher (x1)  
Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant "Sigma" (x3)

Grade 2:

Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel (x4)  
Martial Arts Dragon (x3)  
Plea Lightning, Helena (x3)  
Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura (x2)

Grade 1:

Smash Boxer Dragon (x3)  
Dragon Dancer, Fatine (x3)  
Mighty Bolt Dragoon (x3)  
Summon Lightning Dancing Princess, Anastasia (x4)

Grade 0:

Hardrod Dracokid (x1)  
Lightning of Triumphant Return, Reseph (x4)  
Dragon Dancer, Vianne (x4)  
Eradicator, Yellow Gem Carbuncle (x2)  
Eradicator, Drag Phoenix (x2)  
Meditate Dracokid (x4)

G Zone:

Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER" (x4)  
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "Voltage" (x4)  
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX" (x2)  
Conquering Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad (x2)  
Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon (x2)  
Spiritual Wisdom Creator, Brahma (x1)  
Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon (x1)

* * *

Allen Demacio

Grade 3:

General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander (x4)  
Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames (x4)

Grade 2:

Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel (x3)  
Destruction Gunman, Barbados (x3)  
Wise Mage, Tibarn (x3)  
Emergency Rescuer, Klinger (x3)

Grade 1:

Unbreakable Shield, Ganon (x4)  
Imperial Knight, Lucas (x3)  
Supply Soldier, Collin (x3)  
Enslaved Princess, Mira (x3)

Grade 0:

Imperial Scout, Riley (x1)  
High Morale Soldier, Simon (x4)  
Death-scope Sharpshooter (x4)  
Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army (x4)  
White Witch of the Imperial Army (x4)

G Zone:

Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius (x4)  
Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot (x4)  
Desolation Conquerer, Cyrus (x4)  
Imperial Guardian, Nerokius (x4)

* * *

Amy Runeheart

Grade 3:

Black Shock, Gavrail Prim (x4)  
Black Shiver, Gavrail (x4)

Grade 2:

Black Relief, Aratoron (x4)  
Nurse of Broken Heart (x4)  
Black Carve, Ezezel (x4)

Grade 1:

Black Talent, Lyla (x3)  
Black Call, Nakir (x3)  
Black Prepare, Arakiba (x4)  
Battle Cupid, Nociel (x3)

Grade 0:

Black Curse, Muriel (x1)  
Black Spark, Munkar (x4)  
Nutrient Angel (x4)  
Eradicate Celestial, Raviel (x4)  
Surgery Angel (x4)

G Zone:

Black Seraph, Gavrail (x2)  
Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden (x4)  
Holy Seraph, Altiel (x2)  
Holy Seraph, Raphael (x2)  
Holy Seraph, Raziel (x1)  
Black Seraph, Eleleth (x1)  
Holy Seraph, Oriphiel (x1)  
Holy Seraph, Parashel (x1)  
Holy Seraph, Suriel (x2)

* * *

Keith Ashton

Grade 3:

Dragonic Overlord, The Destiny (x4)  
Dragonic Overlord, The Legend (x3)  
Dragonic Overlord, The End (x2)

Grade 2:

Burning Horn Evolute (x4)  
Glow Heater Dragon (x4)  
Emperor Dragon Knight, Nehalem (x4)

Grade 1:

Doom Bringer High Flame (x4)  
Lizard General, Conroe (x4)  
Protect Orb Dragon (x4)

Grade 0:

Lizard Soldier, Conroe (x1)  
Blue Ray Dracokid (x4)  
Embodiment of Spear, Tahr(x4)  
Gatling Claw Dragon (x4)  
Dragon Monk Genjo (x4)

G Zone:

Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord The Purge (x4)  
Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord The Ace (x4)  
Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Vortex Desire (x2)  
Transendence Divine Dragon, Nouvelle Vague L'Express (x2)  
Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin (x2)  
Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam (x1)  
Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Defeat Flare Dragon (x1)

* * *

William Lewis

Grade 3:

Blaster Blade Exceed (x4)  
New Style Blaster, Llew (x3)

Grade 2:

Blaster Blade (x4)  
Favored Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew (x3)  
Star Hope Trumpeter (x3)  
Aspire Painter (x3)

Grade 1:

Blaster-friend, Barcgal (x3)  
Wingal Youth (x3)  
Maiden of Divine Spring, Lien (x4)  
Swordsman of Light, Blaster Rapier Laura (x3)

Grade 0:

Wingal Brave (x1)  
Floral Paladin, Flogal (x4)  
Arongal (x4)  
Margal (x4)  
Yggdrasil Inheritor, Elaine (x4)

G Zone:

Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver (x2)  
Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver (x4)  
Holy Dragon, Myriad Soul Saver (x2)  
Holy Dragon, Religious Soul Saver (x2)  
Transmigratory Dragon, Holy Squire Dragon (x2)  
Great Flash, Iseult (x1)  
Holy Beast, Divine Maskkgal (x1)  
Little Great Sage, Marron (x2)

* * *

Elizabeth Scarlet

Grade 3:

Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny (x4)  
Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon (x3)

Grade 2:

Dark Pride Dragon (x4)  
Morion Spear Dragon (x4)  
Knight of Brawn, Grosne (x3)

Grade 1:

Darkquartz Dragon (x4)  
Blue Espada Dragon (x2)  
Night Sky Eagle (x2)  
Cherishing Knight, Branwen (x2)  
Karma Collector (x4)

Grade 0:

Pedigree Knight, Tigresse (x1)  
Taboo Mage, Cafar (x4)  
Death Feather Eagle (x4)  
Mage of the Rouge Eye, Arsur (x4)  
Emancipating Revenger, Allyl (x4)

G Zone:

Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon (x3)  
Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed (x1)  
Supremacy True Dragon, Claret Sword Helheim (x4)  
Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon (x4)  
Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon (x3)  
Dragwiser, Bronach (x1)

* * *

Thomas Ainsworth

Grade 3:

Bluish Flame Liberator, Percival Azure (x4)  
Bluish Flame Liberator, Prominence Core (x4)

Grade 2:

Oath Liberator, Aglovale (x4)  
Ajargal Liberator (x4)  
Taciturn Liberator, Brennius (x4)

Grade 1:

Liberator, Improve Falcon (x4)  
Easgal Liberator (x3)  
Starry Skies Liberator, Guinevere (x3)  
Liberator, Board Andalusian (x3)

Grade 0:

Young Lion Liberator, Romanus (x1)  
Ascendant Liberator, Barbtruc (x4)  
Steel Blade Liberator, Alwilla (x4)  
Liberator, Lucky Charmy (x4)  
Liberator, Shaggy Rabbit (x4)

G Zone:

Bluish True Flame Liberator, Prominence Inferno (x4)  
Bluish True Flame Liberator, Holy Flame (x4)  
True Liberator, Solemn Glitter (x4)  
Golden Beast, Sleimy Flare (x1)  
Sacred Heaven Prayer Master, Reia (x2)  
True Liberator of Healing, Ellise (x1)

* * *

Rose Orchards

Grade 3:

Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta (x4)  
White Clover Musketeer, Mia Reeta (x3)

Grade 2:

Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila (x4)  
Prunus Serrulata Musketeer, Tessa (x4)  
Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia (x3)

Grade 1:

Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca (x3)  
Budding Musketeer, Amelia (x3)  
Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne (x4)  
Artemisia Musketeer, Kiara (x4)

Grade 0:

Calluna Musketeer, Elma (x1)  
Baby-blue-eyes Musketeer, May Len (x1)  
Marigold Musketeer, Rachel (x4)  
Gardenia Musketeer, Alain (x4)  
Blue Rose Musketeer, Ernst (x4)  
Anthurium Musketeer, Nikla (x4)

G Zone:

Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia (x4)  
Rubellum Lily Splendorous Musketeer, Myra (x4)  
Midsummer Flower Princess, Lieta (x4)  
Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero (x2)  
Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon (x2)

* * *

Juliet Noir

Grade 3:

Illusion Weaving Witch, Fianna (x4)  
Mesmerizing Witch, Fianna (x4)

Grade 2:

Reality Witch, Femme (x3)  
Witch of Intelligence, Dehtail (x3)  
Witch of Secret Books, Adra (x3)  
Inspection Witch, Diedre (x4)

Grade 1:

Little Skull Witch, Nemain (x4)  
Witch of Precious Stones, Dana (x4)  
Witch's Familiar, Kuroma (x4)

Grade 0:

Witch of Bats, Catherine (x1)  
Witch of Black Doves, Goewin (x4)  
Black Crow Witch, Eine (x4)  
Witch of Goats, Medb (x4)  
Witch of Heresy, Jeliddo (x4)

G Zone:

Witch Queen of Seduction, Fantina (x4)  
Witch Queen of Transfiguration, Sinclair (x4)  
Dark Dragon, Phantom Blaster Diablo (x4)  
Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon (x2)  
Dragwiser, Bronach (x1)  
Witch Queen of Iniquity, Jeliddo (x1)

* * *

Iris LeBlanc

Grade 3:

Warm Hearted Jewel Knight, Elaine (x4)  
Pure Heart Jewel Knight, Ashlei (x4)

Grade 2:

Pure Wind Jewel Knight, Kymbelinus (x4)  
Jewel Knight, Swordmy (x4)  
Fellowship Jewel Knight, Tracie (x4)

Grade 1:

Flashing Jewel Knight, Iseult (x4)  
Jewel Knight, Prizmy (x3)  
Heat Wind Jewel Knight, Cymbeline (x3)  
Calling Jewel Knight, Christine (x3)

Grade 0:

Desire Jewel Knight, Heloise (x1)  
Blazing Jewel Knight, Rachelle (x4)  
Straight Jewel Knight, Bartram (x4)  
Jewel Knight, Glitmy (x4)  
Jewel Knight, Hilmy (x4)

G Zone:

Brilliant Jewel Knight, Ashlei (x4)  
Climax Jewel Knight Lord, Evangeline (x4)  
Aerial Divine Knight, Altmile (x4)  
Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon (x1)  
Vivid Sacred Staff, Andragius (x2)  
Holy Beast, Divine Maskkgal (x1)

* * *

Sophia Perez

Grade 3:

Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox (x4)  
Star-vader, Infinite Zero Dragon (x3)

Grade 2:

Companion Star-vader, Photon (x4)  
Star-vader, Globuladia (x4)  
Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton (x4)

Grade 1:

Twin-bladed Star-vader, Binary Star (x3)  
Star-vader, Shadow Butterfly (x3)  
Barrier Star-vader, Promethium (x4)  
Clearout Star-vader, Buromin (x2)  
Eclipse Star-vader, Charcoal (x2)

Grade 0:

Involution Star-vader, Carbon (x1)  
Star-vader, Paradigm Shift Dragon (x4)  
Star-vader, Meteor Liger (x4)  
Star-vader, Quark Shoebill (x4)  
Star-vader, Magellanic Stream (x4)

G Zone:

Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon (x4)  
Death Star-vader, Quintessence Dragon (x4)  
Death Star-vader, Glueball Dragon (x4)  
Genesis Beast, Destiny Guardian (x1)  
Genesis Machine Deity, Desthergen (x2)  
Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath (x1)

* * *

Maria Ricudo

Grade 3:

Goddess of the Eternal Moon, Tsukiyomi (x3)  
Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukiyomi (x4)  
Evil-eye Princess, Euryale (x1)

Grade 2:

Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukiyomi (x4)  
Miko of the Daybreak Moon, Akizuki (x4)  
Shrewd Concierge (x4)

Grade 1:

Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukiyomi (x4)  
Arbitrator, Ami-no-Sagiri (x4)  
Virtuoso Housekeeper (x3)  
Divine Sword, Ame-no-Murakumo (x2)

Grade 0:

Godhawk, Ichibyoshi (x1)  
Psychic Bird (x4)  
Battle Sister, Muffin (x4)  
Houser, Dario (x4)  
Lozenge Magus Fine (x4)

G Zone:

Moon Deity Who Governs Night, Tsukiyomi (x4)  
Lord of Guidance, Wakahirume (x2)  
Still Water Festival Deity, Ichikishima (x4)  
Spiritual Deity of Benevolence, Ame-no-Sagume (x1)  
Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu (x2)  
Excite Battle Sister, Bavarios (x1)  
Sunrise-on-high Godhawk Ichibyoshi (x1)  
Perservering One, Lozenge Magus Apex (x1)

* * *

Bruno Rodriguez

Grade 3:

Amber Dragon, Eclipse (x4)  
Amber Dragon, Midnight (x4)

Grade 2:

Amber Dragon, Dusk (x4)  
Lava Arm Dragon (x4)  
Armor of the Flame Dragon, Bahr (x4)

Grade 1:

Amber Dragon, Daylight (x4)  
Dragon Dancer, Marcel (x3)  
Dragon Partner, Monica (x2)  
Escort Dragon Attendant, Reas (x4)

Grade 0:

Amber Dragon, Dawn (x1)  
Blue Ray Dracokid (x4)  
Magnum Shot Dracokid (x4)  
Gattling Claw Dragon (x4)  
Dragon Monk, Genjo (x4)

G Zone:

Amber Dragon Solar Flare (x4)  
Ascend Grave Dragon (x4)  
Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Vortex Desire (x4)  
Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin (x2)  
Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam (x1)  
Flame Emperor Dragon King, Asyl Orb Dragon (x1)

* * *

Marcus Cersey

Grade 3:

Dragonic Blademaster, Kouen (x4)  
Wyvern Strike, Jaugo (x3)

Grade 2:

Dragon Knight, Ysaar (x3)  
Dragon Knight, Mbudi (x4)  
Dragon Knight, Shakur (x3)  
Dragon Knight, Nadim (x3)

Grade 1:

Lava Flow Dragon (x3)  
Flare Trooper, Dumjid (x4)  
Lizard Soldier, Bellog (x2)  
Dragon Knight, Nadel (x4)

Grade 0:

Lizard Soldier, Conroe (x1)  
Dragon Knight, Jannat (x4)  
Blue Ray Dracokid (x4)  
Dragon Dancer, Nilda (x4)  
Dragon Monk, Genjo (x4)

G Zone:

Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster, Riden (x4)  
Flare Arms, Zigenburg (x4)  
Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster, Taiten (x4)  
Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin (x2)  
Flame Emperor Dragon King, Asyl Orb Dragon (x1)  
Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam (x1)

* * *

Sarah Radcliffe

Grade 3:

Alter Ego Neo Messiah (x4)  
Ideal Ego Messiah (x3)

Grade 2:

Lady Fencer of Matter Transmission (x4)  
Myga Messiah (x4)  
Arrestor Messiah (x3)

Grade 1:

Prayer Child of Steady State, Cosmo (x4)  
Sacrifice Messiah (x4)  
Dunamis Messiah (x4)  
Destiny Dealer (x3)

Grade 0:

Neon Messiah (x1)  
Blink Messiah (x4)  
Star-vader, Paradigm Shift Dragon (x4)  
Star-vader, Megnetor Hedgehog (x4)  
Light That Lights up Demise, Carina (x4)

G Zone:

Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah (x2)  
Genesis Dragon, Basaltis Messiah (x4)  
Genesis Dragon, Flageolet Messiah (x3)  
Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah (x1)  
Genesis Dragon, Amnesty Messiah (x1)  
Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath (x1)  
Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer (x1)  
Genesis Beast, Destiny Guardian (x1)  
Death Star-vader, Demon Maxwell (x1)  
Darkness That Lights up Demise, Lacus Carina (x1)

* * *

Daiki Izumi

Grade 3:

Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil (x4)  
Arboros Dragon, Sephirot (x3)

Grade 2:

Arboros Gardening Dragon, Illya (x4)  
Arboros Dragon, Timber (x4)  
Warden of Arboros, Airi (x4)

Grade 1:

Arboros Sprouting Dragon, Rootile (x4)  
Arboros Dragon, Branch (x3)  
Screen of Arboros, Aila (x3)  
Cherry Blossom Blizzard Maiden, Lilga (x4)

Grade 0:

Arboros Dragon, Ratoon (x1)  
Maiden of Zephyranthes (x4)  
Agave Knight (x4)  
Maiden of Daybreak (x4)  
Cherry & Blossom (x4)

G Zone:

Arboros Dragon, Eden (x4)  
Arboros Dragon, Ain Soph Aur (x4)  
Dream-spinning Ranunculus, Ahsha (x2)  
Midsummer Flower Princess, Lieta (x2)  
Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon (x2)  
Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero (x1)  
Sacred Tree Dragon, Rainbow Cycle Dragon (x1)


	46. One Month Later

**A/N: Hey readers. Glad to hear all the positive feedback from the conclusion of the first big arc of this fic. Now we're moving onto the second arc, and we hope you like it just as much as the first one. And since it's Thanksgiving, I thought I'd show how much I appreciate all you readers with a special chapter early. Don't worry, next chapter will also be up tomorrow. So you guys get 2 chapters in one week.**

 **Also for any of you wondering where the chapter filled with unit lore is, that will be coming after 2 more chapters. You'll see why we're putting it there when it comes out.**

The Vanguard World Tournament had been quite an exciting time for Dan. When he had first walked into Card Galaxy, he never would have imagined everything that happened to him during that time. Now he was considered one of the best cardfighters in the world. Of course, so were Anthony and Aurora. Anthony took the fame in stride, acting even cockier than usual at times. It took some getting used to for most, but anyone that knew him beforehand was able to adjust quickly.

As for Aurora… Dan only wished he knew where she was.

He still remembered it. The last time he and Anthony saw Aurora, right before she went through those doors to talk with Yukari and find out the truth about her mother. After a long wait, they were surprised to see only Yukari exit the room.

The explanation they were given was vague at best. Apparently, once Aurora had found out the truth about her mother and where she was, she had gone off in search of her. Alone. Dan and Anthony had at first been sceptical of the sudden action, but when Ryuji confirmed it they had little choice but to believe it. After that, they returned to Japan and waited for Aurora to return after finding her mother.

That was a little over a month ago.

' _Where are you Aurora?'_ Dan wondered.

"Hey Dan. Can you help me over here?"

"Sure thing." Dan said as he walked over to Ryuji. With Aurora gone, Dan had ended up working part-time at Card Galaxy. Besides having an excuse to come to the shop daily, the money he made was also nice. After all, he hadn't really gotten any of the prize money from winning the tournament.

When they had been presented with the prize money, both Dan and Anthony knew what the right thing to do was. As much as the money would have been nice, they knew that Sarah's sister needed it more. Team Sightless Vision had at first been hesitant to accept it, since they hadn't won it themselves, but the two members of Team Cosmic Trio insisted. Sarah thanked them for the money, since this had put them very close to the amount they needed for her sister's surgery. They had contemplated giving some to Sophia to help renovate the orphanage she lived at, but the leader of Team Southern Jungle insisted that it all go to Sarah's sister, who needed it far more.

Dan came up to Ryuji, who was opening a large box. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yup. The new set's finally in." Ryuji confirmed. "Now we just need to stock them on the shelves."

As Dan went to work unloading the box, Anthony walked through the door. "Yo! What's up?!"

"Hey Anthony." Dan greeted.

"Hey man." Anthony replied with a wave. One look at his teammate was all Anthony needed to know that Aurora still hadn't returned or sent any word to them. If they were being honest, it hurt a little. They were a team. They understood how important Aurora's mother was to her, but to not hear from her at all in over a month?

The day went on as Dan helped out with the shop and Anthony fought against customers. Hours passed by until it was finally beginning to get near closing time. At this point, it was just Dan, Anthony, and Ryuji in the store.

"So how's your family been?" Dan asked Anthony.

"Well my aunt and uncle are still proud of me for winning the World Tournament. Aunt Maria especially praises me a lot." Anthony told him. "My folks are… still on the fence about cardfighting."

Dan nodded understandingly. To Anthony's parents, Vanguard was nothing more than a simple game. And with Anthony nearing his last couple years of high school, they felt it was time to move away from such things. They didn't understand how important Vanguard was to him.

"Phew. Well I think that'll about do for today." Ryuji said. "You can head out if you want Dan. Tell your mom hi for me."

"Sure thing." Dan said. He went to the employee room to change, but the sound of the bell signalling the door opening caused him to turn around and see who it was. His eyes widened, as did Anthony's and Ryuji's, when they saw who was walking into Card Galaxy.

"Hello." Yukari greeted. "It's been awhile."

"Yukari Tatsunagi?" Anthony asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you hear something from Aurora?" Dan asked, wondering if that was the reason for her sudden visit.

Yukari shook her head. "No. Actually, that's the reason I'm here today."

"What do you mean?"

Yukari walked further into the shop. "When the Vanguard World Tournament ended… I told you that Aurora went off in search for her mother. However, that was only half true."

"Ok… Then what's the whole truth?" Anthony asked, not understanding what the young girl was trying to say.

"As I'm sure you remember, Conquest Empire is still at war, trying to invade Planet Cray and take it over." Yukari explained. "I sent Aurora on a mission to defeat Conquest Empire once and for all. Finding her mother simply ended up aligning with that."

"Wait, what? I'm so confused." Anthony said. "What does beating Conquest Empire have to do with Aurora's mother?"

"And if she's off trying to defeat them, then where is she?" Dan asked.

Yukari stayed silent for a few moments as she thought to herself. "To be honest, I'm not sure you two are ready to know that."

"... Come again?"

"I'm going to put this simply for you. Aurora's in trouble." Yukari told them. "I lost contact with her a few days ago."

"What?!" Dan and Anthony gasped.

"Yukari…" Ryuji said, not liking where this was going.

"I know what you're going to say Ryuji, but remember it was her choice to do this." Yukari told him.

"Hold on…" Dan said, turning to Aurora's father. "You _knew_ about this?! Why didn't you tell us anything?!"

"Dan I-"

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?! Aurora just suddenly goes off on her own without saying anything, and we're supposed to be _ok_ with that?! We haven't heard anything from her in over a month!"

"If you're going to get mad at someone, Ryuji isn't the right person." Yukari told him. "He was never in favor of the plan from the start."

Dan turned to Yukari with a glare. "Tell us where Aurora is. Now."

"And what will you do with that information?"

"Go and help her of course! What else?!"

Yukari stared at Dan, seeing the fire in his eyes. "And what if I feel you aren't strong enough to help her?"

"I don't care what you think." Dan told her. "You leave us in the dark for this long. The first thing you decide to tell us is that Aurora's in trouble. And now you're saying we're not ready?!" The teen pulled out his deck and held it out. "I'll show you we're more than ready. Fight me, Yukari!"

Yukari raised a brow. "You want to cardfight?"

"That's right." Dan told her. "And when I win, you tell us everything."

A few moments passed before Yukari cracked a small grin. "Very well then." She looked at Dan as her eyes began to glow. "Let me see just how strong you are."

In an instant, the scenery around them became distorted. Dan and Anthony watched as they soon found themselves in space, along with Ryuji and Yukari. Thin sheets of light appeared in front of each of them.

Yukari placed her deck on the sheet of light. "Are you ready?"

Dan took his cards and did the same. "You bet."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Happiness Performer!"

 **Happiness Performer**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Prophecy Child, Atmos!"

 **Prophecy Child, Atmos**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Yukari raised a brow when she saw Dan's unit. It seemed to be a new version of Happiness Collector, with a small winged cat at her side. "A new starter?"

"I'm not the same player I was back at the World Tournament. I've gotten a lot stronger since then." Dan told her. "And this isn't the only new card I have. Watch! I ride Miracle Juggler, Lance!"

 **Miracle Juggler, Lance**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

The unit Dan rode was a male with blue-green hair. He wore a blue and white top hat, with clothes of the same color. Hooked around his body were two straps with several knives in them. He pulled them out and held them in between his fingers, showing their sharpness.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Yukari(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Yukari said. "I ride New Star, Atmos."

 **New Star, Atmos**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Since I rode New Star over Prophecy Child, I get to look at the top seven cards of my deck and search for Potential Element, Atmos or Prophecy Element, Atmos and add it to my hand." Yukari explained. She looked at her cards and revealed the grade 2 version of Atmos before adding it to her hand. "Also, since Prophecy Child is in the soul or face up in the G Zone, New Star's base power is 8000."

' _So this is the Cray Elemental deck she uses that Aurora told us about.'_ Dan thought.

"New Star, Atmos attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(8000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Yukari(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(5), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Get ready for another new performer! I ride Spotlight Star, Elen!"

 **Spotlight Star, Elen**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

Dan's new Vanguard was a blonde girl with blue eyes. Her dress was a mix of red and orange, having an appearance similar to flames. In her hand was a long rod with a bright yellow star on the end.

"Elen attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Dan said. "Critical trigger. All effects to Elen!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Yukari(2).]**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(6), Yukari(6).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Yukari said. "I ride! Potential Element, Atmos!"

 **Potential Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Like with New Star, Potential Element's power rises by 1000 when all other versions are in the soul or face up in the G Zone." Yukari explained. "I also call Thunder Element, Volt and Air Element, Fwarlun. Potential Element attacks."

 **(10000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up the critical trigger from his hand that he had gotten last turn.

"Drive check." Yukari said. "No trigger." Her Vanguard's attack had been blocked, but she still had another one left. "Boosted by Fwarlun, Volt attacks."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Yukari(2).]**

"That's all for my turn." Yukari said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(5), Yukari(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. He looked over at Yukari. "You have a lot of nerve keeping us in the dark all this time. Why didn't you let us go with Aurora?"

"Why didn't I let you go?" Yukari asked. She chuckled to herself. "That wasn't my decision. Aurora was the one who decided to not tell you two anything."

Dan's eyes widened as he heard this. "What?"

"You start this fight, thinking I was the one to keep the truth hidden from you. Yet in reality, it's Aurora who chose this." Yukari told him. "You may have helped win the Vanguard World Tournament, but in the end all you are is a headstrong fool."

Dan didn't want to believe it. Aurora was his friend. Why would she not want to tell him or Anthony anything. But at the same time, he knew deep down that Yukari was probably telling the truth. She had no reason to lie.

"Fine then. I guess I'll just have to ask her when I see her." Dan said. "But first I've gotta beat you."

"The question is, _can_ you though?"

"It's not a matter of if. I will beat you. And then I'll go after Aurora." Dan said. He held up a card from his hand. "Say hello to the newest star of my show! Leaping out onto the stage! Ride! Masked Illusionist, Harri!"

 **Masked Illusionist, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

As Dan rode to grade 3, the new Harri appeared on the field. His outfit was a different color, now a violet and red. He kept his black and red cape, and his top hat was now a black color. At his side was a small purple dragon.

"Hope you're ready for my new Harri. Cause he's better than ever." Dan said. "But don't take my word for it. Masked Illusionist, Harri, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Yukari said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Harri and I recover one!"

"Damage check." Yukari said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Yukari(3).]**

"Over to you." Dan said.

"Dan's got a pretty good lead on her." Anthony said.

"Maybe for now." Ryuji said. "But now Yukari's going to begin her attack."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(5), Yukari(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Shining protector of Cray! Shine your light upon this world and empower those that fight for peace! Ride! Prophecy Element, Atmos!"

 **Prophecy Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Atmos. With all other forms of Atmos in the soul or face up in the G Zone, the cards I use for the cost to stride can be sent to the G Zone face up instead. So now I'll send Sacrifice Element, Totem to the G Zone." Yukari explained. "Stride Generation! Cosmic Element, Paleos!"

 **Cosmic Element, Paleos**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I can call up to one grade 3 or lower card from the G Zone to rear guard, though I won't be doing that." Yukari explained. "But I also get to choose one of my rear guards. That unit can become Beaconed this turn without paying the normal cost. I choose Volt."

' _Beacon…'_ Dan thought. If he recalled correctly from what Aurora had told him and Anthony before, it was the skill her deck revolved around. By binding face up cards in the G Zone for the turn, she could gain power and skills.

"Volt's skill. When it becomes Beaconed, I can look at the top two cards of my deck, choose any Cray Elementals among them, and place them in the G Zone face up." Yukari said. "Both are Cray Elementals, so I'll put both there. Then I call Potential Element, Atmos and New Star, Atmos. I bind the Fwarlun and Gororo in the G Zone to Beacon both of them. Next I use Paleos's skill." Yukari paid the cost of a counterblast and flipping Paleos face up. "I look at the top seven cards of the deck and place as many cards among them as there are cards face up in the G Zone into the G Zone face up. There are 2 right now so I get to place up to 2." Yukari looked at the cards and quickly chose 2 cards to put into her G Zone. "In addition, until end of turn, any Beaconed rear guards I have gain 1000 power for every face up card in my G Zone."

"This is insane. I've never seen a strategy like this before." Anthony said.

"Yukari Tatsunagi is the guardian of both Cray and Earth." Ryuji said. "It's only natural her deck would be special."

"With Fwarlun's boost, Volt attacks!" Yukari said. "Fwarlun's skill allows it to gain 1000 power for every face up Cray Elemental in my G Zone."

 **(9000+4000+7000+4000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill! Look at the top three cards of the deck, add one to soul, and put the rest on the bottom of the deck in any order!" Dan explained. "I add Cutie Paratrooper to soul! Since she's grade 1 or higher, 5000 is added to the shield!"

"Paleos is up next! Attack!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! Power to Potential Element and critical to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Dan said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Yukari(3).]**

"Potential Element, Atmos attacks with a boost from New Star, Atmos." Yukari declared. "New Star's skill adds 1000 power for every face up card in the G Zone."

 **(9000+4000+7000+4000+4000=28000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Yukari(3).]**

"Skill of Potential Element. Since it hit, I send it to the G Zone face up. Then I call Sacrifice Element, Totem from the G Zone. It has the Beaconed skill, so it automatically becomes Beaconed, meaning it gains the power boost from Paleos." Yukari explained. "Attack!"

 **(11000+4000=15000)**

"Guard!" Dan called out, holding up a grade 2 from his hand.

"Turn end." Yukari said. "The two cards sent to the G Zone with Paleos's effect go to the drop zone. However, with the other skill of Paleos, I can choose cards among them up to the number of face up Paleos in my G Zone and add them to my hand. With the copy I flipped up, and the one that was my Vanguard this turn, there are two, so I add both cards to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(5), Yukari(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Get ready cause it's time for the show to begin! Stride Generation! Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I counterblast and soul charge. Then I call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul!" Dan said. "Since she has magia, I get to countercharge!"

"Interesting. So by calling a magia unit, the skill is essentially free." Yukari observed.

"That's right! And now I activate the magia skill of Happiness Performer in the soul! Whenever I stride, I can call her to rear guard. And if the G Unit I strode into has magia, I get to draw a card." Dan explained. "And now with her other magia skill, I get to soul charge and call a unit from my soul! Come on out, Miracle Juggler, Lance! Since he has magia, I draw! And now I use the magia skills of both Cutie Paratrooper and Lance! With Cutie's skill, I soul charge and call Masked Phantom, Harri from the soul to rear guard. Add 5000 power. Then I soul blast and use the same skill with Lance! Calling Spotlight Star, Elen!"

Just like that, Dan had his formation set up. He remembered using Cat Knight in High Boots and Happiness Collector in his deck long before he stuck solely to Happiness Collector to improve his deck. But with this new version of Happiness Collector, he had the power of both. He lost a bit of draw potential, but it was more than worth it to him.

"Since I have a Vanguard with magia or Harri in the name, Lance and Elen gain 1000 power and Resist during my turn."

"Not bad." Yukari said with a smirk. "But you'll need to do better if you wish to beat me."

"I'm just getting started! With a boost from Cutie Paratrooper, Masked Phantom, Harri attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+7000+3000=26000)**

"No guard." Yukari said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Yukari(4).]**

"Elen is up next with a boost from Lance!"

 **(9000+1000+7000+1000=18000)**

"Guard." Yukari said, holding up a critical trigger."

"Get ready. Cause Lyrica's attack is next!" Dan said. "Lyrica's skill. All my rear guards go to the soul, and she gains 3000 for each one. And since four or more were sent, she gains a drive."

"Perfect guard with Stone Element, Ballista."

"Quadruple drive. First check, grade 1. Lyrica's skill activates. I soul blast and flip Dragon Masquerade, Harri face up. I get to draw, soul charge, and call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul. Using her magia, I call Spotlight Star, Elen. Add 5000 power. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Elen. Third check, grade 2. Once again, Lyrica's skill activates. This time, I'll call Happiness Performer behind the Vanguard. Using her skill to call Lance, and draw since he has magia. Then I use Lance's skill to call out Masked Illusionist, Harri in front of him. Final check, grade 1. Skill of Lyrica. I soul charge and draw, but call nothing."

"Quite the little circus band you have together." Yukari said.

"This circus is about to give you a show you won't forget anytime soon." Dan said "Boosted by Lance, Harri attacks!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"Generation guard. Protection Element, Barrios."

 **Protection Element, Barrios**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Barrios. I call up to two face down copies of Barrios from my G Zone to my front row. They gain the skill to intercept. Any rear guards currently on those circles are sent to the G Zone until end of turn."

"Wait so she gets a G Guardian and two 15000 shield interceptors?!" Anthony exclaimed.

' _Her defense and offense are both flawless.'_ Dan thought. ' _No wonder she beat Aurora.'_

"Boosted by Cutie, Elen attacks!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+5000+7000=27000)**

"Intercept with Barrios. Then guard." Yukari said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Activating Elen's magia. At the end of the battle that she attacked, counterblast and send her to the soul. Then I call Crescent Moon Juggler in the space Elen was on." Dan explained. "Next I use Crescent Moon Juggler's magia. I call Purple Trapezist over Harri. Both of them gain 2000 power. Then I use Tapezist's skill. I send Lance back and call Masquerade Bunny from the soul behind it." With his field rebuilt for another attack, he continued his barrage. "Crescent Moon Juggler attacks!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"No guard." Yukari said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Yukari(5).]**

"Boosted by Masquerade Bunny, Purple Trapezist attacks!"

 **(6000+2000+7000=15000)**

"Intercept with the other Barrios."

"Turn end." Dan said. ' _I got her to five damage. All I need to do is survive this next turn and I can finish her off.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(15), Yukari(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "I assume you think you have this game won. Unfortunately for you, I'm about to unleash my full power."

Anthony could sense Dan tensing up. ' _Dan's got a ton of cards in hand. Yet Yukari seems so confident in her victory. What's she planning.'_

"Generation Zone, release!" Yukari called out. "Being of purity and light, shine down on this world and guide me to the future! Stride Generation! Savior Element, Atmos!"

 **Savior Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call the New Star, Atmos in the G Zone to rear guard." Yukari said, placing the unit behind her Vanguard. "It becomes able to become Beaconed this turn without paying the cost. And New Star's skill increases its power by 1000 for each face up card in my G Zone. There are eight right now, so that's 8000 power. Next I bind three of them to Beacon Potential Element, Atmos, Thunder Element, Volt, and my other New Star, Atmos. Volt's skill activates when he's Beaconed. I look at the top two cards of my deck and send any Cray Elementals among them to the G Zone face up. I send both."

Dan could see the shining light emanating from Yukari's Beaconed units. But it wasn't just light. He could feel an overwhelming power coming from them.

"Potential Element attacks with a boost from New Star."

 **(9000+7000+7000=23000)**

Dan quickly held up two cards from his hand. "Guard!"

"Volt attacks next, with a boost from Fwarlun."

 **(9000+7000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Yukari(5).]**

"Boosted by New Star, Savior Element, Atmos attacks!" Yukari declared.

 **(26000+7000+7000=40000)**

"Skill of Savior Element, Atmos. Generation Break 3!" Yukari paid a counterblast of two and flipped a copy of Atmos face up in the G Zone. "I send any number of Beaconed rear guards to the G Zone. Then I call cards that are face up in the G Zone, up to the number of Beaconed rear guards I sent, and call them to rear guard." A smirk appeared on her lips. "And just so you know, this includes G Units."

Dan widened his eyes. ' _She can call G Units to the rear guard?!'_

"I send Potential Element and New Star behind it, as well as Volt to the G Zone! Then I call 2 Cosmic Element, Paleos units and Savior Element, Atmos!" Yukari said, calling the G Units to where the units she sent had been. "They each gain 5000 power and the ability to attack from the back row. In addition, since there are three or more G Units on my rear guard is three or more, my Vanguard gains a drive an the ability to prevent grade 1 or higher units from being called from the hand to guard for this battle."

Dan widened his eyes. He had a perfect guard in his hand, but now that was cut off. And with Yukari's Vanguard at such a high power, that severely limited his options. Yukari had Paleos and Savior Element in her left column, and her other Paleos in front of her currently rested Fwarlun.

' _I've got no choice. I need to do everything I can to block this.'_

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Coulthard. There are four units of different grades in the soul, so 15000 is added to the shield." Dan said. He then held up two trigger units. "I also guard with Darkside Swordmaster and Silver Thorn Assistant, Dixie!"

"Quadruple drive." Yukari said. "First check, stand trigger. I stand Air Element, Fwarlun and give the power to Paleos in my back row. Second check, critical trigger. Both effects to my rear guard Savior Element. Third check, no trigger. Final check, heal trigger. I recover one and give power to my rear guard Savior Element."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Yukari(4).]**

Dan looked at his hand. ' _I burned through most of my triggers guarding her attacks so far. I don't have much left.'_

"Boosted by Fwarlun, Paleos attacks."

 **(15000+5000+7000+7000=34000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"I've still got more! My other Paleos attacks!"

 **(15000+5000+5000=25000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up two grade 1s and a grade 2.

"Finally my rear guard Savior Element attacks!"

 **(15000+5000+10000=30000)**

"Guard!" Dan shouted, holding up a stand trigger, and a pair of grade 2s.

"Not bad. You managed to survive." Yukari said. "But can you end it?"

"Holy cow… She burned through almost all of Dan's hand." Anthony said. "If he hadn't stocked up on defensive cards last turn, he would have been wiped out."

"The question is, what's his next move." Ryuji said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(2), Yukari(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Skill of Masked Illusionist, Harri. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can soul blast to add a card with magia from my soul to my hand. I add Masked Phantom, Harri."

"So you secured the cost to stride." Yukari noted. "Very well then. Show me what you can do."

"With pleasure." Dan said. ' _I know just the card to help me through this. The card that connects me to Aurora the most.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Now let the spotlight shine on the future that leads to the shining stage! Stride Generation! Scream Dragon Master, Droll Kimberly!"

 **Scream Dragon Master, Droll Kimberly**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Anthony widened his eyes. "It's Dan's GB8 unit!"

"Stride skill! I call Miracle Juggler Lance! Using his magia to call Crescent Moon Juggler! Then I use Happiness Performer's skill to call herself from soul! And with her magia, I call Cutie Paratrooper! And finally with Cutie's magia, I call Harri! Add 5000 power!"

Yukari looked at the field and her current hand. It was clear that Dan was throwing everything he had at her this turn. "So this is your resolve?"

"It is." Dan told her. "Like I said, it's not a matter of if I can. Whatever trouble Aurora's in, I _will_ help her. Because she's my best friend."

Yukari cracked a small grin. ' _Maybe these two do have what it takes after all.'_

"Crescent Moon attacks with a boost from Lance!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Cutie, Harri attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Yukari said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Yukari(5).]**

"Droll Kimberley attacks!" Dan declared. "Skill of Droll Kimberly. I call five units from soul to rear guard. They each gain 5000 power and become Abyss Dragons. Then Kimberly gains 10000 power for each Abyss Dragon rear guard I have. I call Masked Illusionist, Harri, Spotlight Star, Elen, Masquerade Bunny, Lovely Companion, and Darkside Swordmaster!"

 **(26000+50000=76000)**

"No guard."

Droll Kimberly flew across the field with her dragon at her side. Atmos was blasted by a powerful stream of fire before Kimberly went in for the finishing blow, giving Yukari the final sixth damage.

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Yukari(6).]**

With the fight over, the scenery returned to normal and the group found themselves back in Card Galaxy.

"Congratulations. You win." Yukari said.

Dan looked at the Tatsunagi girl. "So will you finally tell us where Aurora is?"

"Yes. I did promise you after all." Yukari said. "I suggest you both take a seat. This will be a long story."

Dan and Anthony took a seat in two of the chairs at a table. Yukari sat in the chair across from them.

"As I told you before, I sent Aurora on a mission to defeat Conquest Empire once and for all." Yukari began. "There was only one place where she could do so."

"And that would be where exactly?" Anthony asked. "She beat Allen. Where else does Conquest Empire have a hold on Earth?"

"They don't." Yukari said. "I never told you the place she was at was on Earth, did I?"

Dan and Anthony both widened their eyes, slowly realizing where their friend was. "You don't mean…"

"Indeed I do." Yukari nodded. "Aurora is currently on Planet Cray."

Both teens stared blankly at Yukari. Anthony was the first to find the words to speak. "Ok, time out! How did she even get to Cray?!"

"That was my doing." Yukari explained. "You see, as the head of the Tatsunagi Corporation, my job is also to act as the guardian of both Cray and Earth. As a result, it gifts me with a few special powers. One of those, is being able to send people to Cray."

"So… you're like a fast pass to Planet Cray?!"

"It's not as easy as it sounds." Yukari explained. "For starters, it's extremely taxing for me to send anyone to and from the planet. In addition, for someone to go, they need to have a strong connection to a lifeform from the other planet. In Aurora's case, that would be Star of Hope, Hikari."

"Hang on." Dan interrupted. "You said this mission you sent Aurora on coincided with her finding her mother. How could she do that when she's on Cray?"

"A good question." Yukari said.

"Wait a minute…" Anthony said as a thought came to his mind. "You're not gonna tell us Hikari is Aurora's mother, are you?"

Yukari shook her head. "No. Hikari is not Aurora's mother."

Anthony breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok good. Cause that would have been all kinds of weird."

"Hikari is Aurora's sister."

"... WHAT?!"

 **Anthony: Ok, hold on. This makes no sense!**

 **Yukari: Where should I start? Well I suppose-**

 **Anthony: I mean really! Aurora and Hikari are sisters?! That doesn't make any sense!**

 **Yukari: Well if you'll let me explain, I-**

 **Anthony: What is going on?! I can't make sense of anything that's going on anymore!**

 **Yukari: *sigh* It seems this will take longer than I thought.**

 **Next time: Ryuji and Elara**

 **Card Gallery:**

Happiness Performer  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 **Magia ACT GB1:** When this unit is called to RC by a magia skill, SC1 and call a card from soul to RC. If the called unit has Magia, draw 1 card. At the end of the turn, send the unit called with this effect to the soul.  
 **Magia ACT GB1 (soul):** When your G Unit STRIDE, you may call this card to RC. If the G Unit has Magia, draw 1 card. Send this card to soul at the end of the turn.

* * *

Miracle Juggler, Lance  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with magia, or has "Harri" in its name, this unit gains +1000 power and Resist.  
 **Magia AUTO RC GB1:** SB1 When this unit is called to RC due to the skill of one of your units with Magia, you may pay the cost. If you do, SC1, choose up to one card from your soul and call it to RC. That unit gains +5000 power. At the end of the turn, send the unit called with this effect to the soul.

* * *

Spotlight Star, Elen  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with magia, or has "Harri" in its name, this unit gains +1000 power and Resist.  
 **Magia AUTO RC GB1:** CB1 and send this card to soul. At the end of the turn this unit attacked you may pay the cost. If you do, select one card from your soul that has magia other than Spotlight Star, Elen and call it to the RC this unit was at. At the end of the turn, send the called unit to the soul.

* * *

Masked Illusionist, Harri  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** SB1. At the beginning of your ride phase, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to one card in your soul with magia and add it to your hand.  
 **Magia AUTO VC:** CB1. When your G Unit with Magia STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, SC1 and select up to one card from your soul, call it to RC, and it gains +3000 power. If the called unit has Magia, CC1. At the end of the turn, send the unit called with this effect to the soul.


	47. Ryuji and Elara

**A/N: Hey readers. It's a Black Friday special sale! Two chapters in one week! Get it while it's new!**

 **In any case, I'm sure you guys have some questions after the end of last chapter. Well this chapter should hopefully answer most if not all of them. Enjoy.**

" _Wait a minute…" Anthony said as a thought came to his mind. "You're not gonna tell us Hikari is Aurora's mother, are you?"_

 _Yukari shook her head. "No. Hikari is not Aurora's mother."_

 _Anthony breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok good. Cause that would have been all kinds of weird."_

" _Hikari is Aurora's sister."_

" _... WHAT?!"_

Neither Dan nor Anthony could fully believe what they had just heard from Yukari. Frankly this whole explanation so far had been beyond their belief. Aurora was currently on Planet Cray? And to top it all off, Hikari was her sister?

And Anthony had a… unique way of stating his feelings on the subject.

"How?! You need to explain this crap right now!" Anthony told her. "How can Hikari and Aurora be sisters?!"

Dan looked over at Ryuji for confirmation, and the man nodded. "It's true. Hikari is Aurora's sister."

"I'm sure you remember the story I told you of how Star Chaser was created. About how the clan ventured out and visited hundreds of planets throughout the universe." Yukari said. "One of those planets they visited was Earth."

"Wait, so Star Chaser came here?" Dan asked. "Then how does no one know about this? Lifeforms from another planet should be groundbreaking history."

"That would be due to my predecessor, the previous Tatsunagi head." Yukari explained. "As per her job, the truth about the link between Cray and Earth had to be kept top secret, except in special cases. She was able to make contact with Star Chaser using her power before they came into view of any space probes in orbit from the world's countries. Agreeing to not cause a huge panic, they sent a few of their human members down using warp technology."

"And since they resembled Earth's humans, no one suspected them." Dan figured.

"Precisely. My predecessor allowed them to roam free for the most part, with a few rules to make sure the secret didn't get out." Yukari said. "One of those human members of Star Chaser was the leader of the clan. A woman named Elara. And that woman is Aurora's mother."

Dan and Anthony widened their eyes. Both of them turned to Aurora's father.

Anthony was the first to speak. "So you and her…"

Ryuji let out a sigh as he smiled back reminiscently. "She just happened to come into Card Galaxy one day."

* * *

 _Ryuji stood by the counter, watching the customers he had in his store. Card Galaxy had never been a large shop, but he oddly liked that about this store that he had opened. It wasn't especially large, but it had a nice homey feel to it. People of all kinds would come, playing different card games. But by far, the most popular one among them was Vanguard. He could see why. Even he himself was a big fan of the game._

" _Mr. Manager?" one of the customers, a young boy asked. "Can you give me some advice for my deck?"_

 _Ryuji smiled at the boy. "Of course. Let me take a look."_

 _The boy nodded and spread out his units on the counter. Ryuji took a look at them. "Hmm… So you play Royal Paladin."_

" _That's right. The boy said. I'm trying to figure out what would be some good units to help me use this card."_

" _Fang of Light, Garmore." Ryuji looked at the card. "Well… Your best bet would probably be-"_

 _Ryuji was cut off as he heard the door to the shop open. He noticed a young woman with blonde hair that fell just about halfway down her back walk in._

" _Excuse me for a second." Ryuji told the boy as he walked over to the woman. "Hello. Welcome to Card Galaxy. Can I help you?"_

 _The woman looked oddly at him. "This is a… card shop, correct?"_

 _Ryuji nodded his head. "Yup. That's right."_

" _I'm looking for someone who plays a game. What was it called again…" the woman said as she thought to herself. "Van...guard?"_

" _Ah, you must mean Cardfight Vanguard." Ryuji said. "Yes, there are several players here."_

" _I see." she said. She looked around the store, noticing the young boy by the counter. She took a look at the cards there. She widened her eyes as she looked at them. "This must be Vanguard."_

" _Good guess." Ryuji said. "I was just helping him make some changes to his deck."_

" _I'm trying to boost the power of my Fang of Light, Garmore." the boy said._

" _Garmore…" the woman said. "Then how about this?" She grabbed a card from the pile to the side and placed it with the ones in the deck._

" _High Dog Breeder, Akane?"_

" _Hm?" Ryuji raised a brow in surprise._

" _Let's see… With her skill, I can call a High Beast from my deck. I get it! Then I can call Snowgal or Brugal and increase Garmore's power!" the boy realized._

" _That's right." the woman said with a smile._

" _Thanks so much miss!"_

" _No problem. Glad I could help."_

 _The boy gathered his cards and ran over to the other kids in the shop. "Hey Jin! Fuka! Check out this cool combo play I learned!"_

 _The woman giggled to herself. "Such a nice boy."_

" _How did you do that?" Ryuji asked in amazement._

" _Huh?"_

" _Your advice. It was spot on." Ryuji told her. "But it sounded at first like you'd never played Vanguard."_

" _Truth be told, I haven't." the woman said. "It was just… a feeling."_

" _A feeling?" Ryuji asked. He let out a chuckle. "You're an interesting girl, you know that?"_

" _Why thank you." she said._

" _What's your name?"_

" _My name?" she asked. "Elara."_

" _Well then Elara, would you like to learn how to play?" Ryuji offered. "With those instincts you have, you might end up being a really good player."_

 _Elara smiled at him. "That sounds lovely. Thank you… um…"_

" _Ryuji. That's my name."_

" _Ok then. Thank you Ryuji." Elara said._

* * *

"So what happened after that?" Dan asked.

"She came back to the shop each day. Elara was a natural at Vanguard." Ryuji said. "She became a regular at my shop, helping out others with their deckbuilding. Little did I know the real reason for her intuition regarding the units of Cray."

"Sounds like she became a regular at more than the shop." Anthony teased with a knowing grin.

"Watch it." Ryuji warned.

"So how did things progress from there anyway?" Dan asked.

"She and I grew closer as we talked." Ryuji explained. "Admittedly, it didn't take long before I began falling for her." He smiled as he thought back to that time. "Those were the days."

"You're starting to sound like an old man, Mr. Fujou." Dan told him.

"Dude, he is an old man." Anthony said.

"Hey, I'm not that old." Ryuji said. "Anyways, one night she stayed at the shop late. She said it was a long distance to where she lived, so I offered to let her stay the night at my house."

Dan and Anthony widened their eyes. "Was that when…"

"No." Ryuji answered with a shake of his head, knowing where they were going with that. "However, she did tell me at that time her secret."

"An act which got her in a lot of trouble with my predecessor, might I add." Yukari mentioned with a grumble. "She had vowed to keep her identity of being from Planet Cray a secret."

"In any case, I now knew about the connection to the two worlds." Ryuji said. "Yukari's predecessor filled me in on the rest of the details. As such, I vowed to keep it a secret. In return, they allowed Elara to live with me for the time being."

"And then?" Dan asked.

"Well, a couple months later, after a... particular night together… I soon found out that Elara was pregnant." Ryuji explained. "Since she wasn't from Earth, that complicated things."

"That's putting it mildly." Yukari told him. "The Tatsunagi Corporation had to take several measures to keep the secret of Cray as a result of that."

"So then she gave birth to Aurora?" Anthony asked.

Ryuji shook his head. "No. That was when she gave birth to Hikari."

* * *

" _Hngh!" Elara tried to hold back the screams of pain as she laid on the bed. She and Ryuji were currently in a room at the Tatsunagi headquarters where doctors were working with Elara through childbirth._

" _Hang in there, Elara." Ryuji said, holding her hand as he stayed by her side._

" _I can see the head." the doctor said. "Alright, give us another push."_

 _Elara took a deep breath as she struggled, praying for her child to be born soon. After several pain-inducing moments, she finally heard the crying sound of a baby._

" _Congratulations. It's a girl." the doctor said._

 _Elara breathed a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The doctor soon brought the baby over. She cried as she laid in a blanket held by her mother._

" _She's beautiful." Elara said._

 _Ryuji smiled as she looked at the girl. "Just like her mother." He looked at Elara. "So what should we name her?"_

" _Hm…" Elara thought to herself as she looked down at her baby. "I've traveled to countless planets and galaxies. But no matter where I go, I've never seen anything prettier than the stars. They're like beacons of light. I want my child's name to reflect on that beautiful light."_

" _In that case, how about Hikari?" Ryuji asked. "It's a name that means light after all."_

" _Hikari…" Elara thought. A smile came to her lips. "It sounds like a perfect name."_

 _The baby girl cooed, as if agreeing with the name. Ryuji and Elara both smiled as they looked at their baby._

* * *

"So Hikari was born first then?" Dan said. "How long after that was Aurora born?"

Ryuji chuckled as he let out a sigh. "Elara actually became pregnant with Aurora a few months after Hikari was born."

"Geez, so you broke taboo twice, huh?" Anthony said.

"I can't say that the head of the Tatsunagi Corporation was exactly happy about it." Ryuji admitted. "But in any case, Aurora was born not long after."

"Ok then. So where was the rest of Star Chaser during all this?" Anthony asked. "I mean, at least a year had to have gone by, right?"

"Aurora was actually born roughly a year and a half after I met Elara." Ryuji explained. "During that time, Star Chaser was exploring the various planets in the galaxy. They were curious about the ecosystems there." He let out a sigh. "Unfortunately… that didn't last for long. Eventually, it was time for Star Chaser to move on."

"So why didn't Elara stay?" Dan asked.

"Believe me, I wanted her to. But she was the leader of the clan. As such, she had a responsibility." Ryuji said. "I still remember the day she left."

* * *

 _Ryuji and Elara stood in front of the Tatsunagi headquarters. Today was finally the day. The day that Star Chaser would return to its search for Planet Cray. And the day that Elara would have to leave Earth._

" _Do you really have to go?" Ryuji asked._

" _Ryuji, we've been through this. I have a responsibility." Elara told him. "Nothing in the entire cosmos will change the way I feel about you, but I need to stay with my clan. I still wish to return home. And you have your own family here, plus the card shop. I can't ask you to leave all that behind."_

 _Ryuji let out a reluctant sigh. "It seems I can't stop you. In that case, I can only wish you good luck."_

" _Thank you Ryuji. For everything." Elara told him. "And there's one thing I want to leave behind with you."_

" _What's that?" Ryuji asked._

 _Taking one of the two babies in the stroller, Elara held out the younger one towards Ryuji. "Take her."_

" _Aurora?!" Ryuji said in surprise. "But why?"_

" _Do you remember why I chose the name Aurora for her? When I saw the rainbow colored lights at the northern parts of the world on tv, you said they were called an aurora."_

" _I remember. You said they were the most beautiful thing you had seen on Earth." Ryuji recalled._

 _Elara nodded her head. "Yes. we named Hikari after the light of the stars, but Aurora's name came from something here on Earth. That's why I wish for her to stay here." She smiled at Ryuji. "And this way, a part of me will remain here with you."_

" _Elara…"_

" _Well? Will you accept her?"_

 _Tears came to Ryuji's eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. "Of course." He took Aurora from Elara's arms and held his daughter in his arms. The baby girl giggled, being held by her father._

" _See? She likes the thought of staying with you too." Elara told him. "I know you'll be a wonderful father, Ryuji."_

" _She's going to want to know one day about who her mother is." Ryuji said._

" _I know. But she can't know about how Planet Cray exists." Elara said. "So please… tell her I'm dead. It'll be the simplest."_

" _Dead? But Elara-"_

" _It's what I wish. I don't want her wasting her life away trying to reach me." Elara told him. "I want Aurora to live her life and be happy. To find the same joy I did in life."_

 _Tears fell from Ryuji's eyes. "I'm going to miss you."_

" _I'll miss you too." Elara told him. The two of them leaned in and shared a kiss. After they parted, Elara picked up Hikari from the stroller and turned to walk away._

" _Goodbye Ryuji." Elara said. "I'll never forget our time together."_

 _Ryuji watched as Elara walked away, going into the Tatsunagi building. That was the last time he had seen the woman from Cray that he had fallen in love with._

* * *

"And that's about it." Ryuji said. "Elara took Hikari with her to raise, while I raised Aurora."

"So you never saw her again after that?" Dan questioned.

"No. I still remember her face clearly though." Ryuji told the two teens. "She was such a remarkable woman. Sometimes I regret not going along with her."

"I'm sure she wanted to keep you away from Planet Cray. Even before Conquest Empire's invasion, it was never a peaceful place to begin with." Yukari said. "In any case, now is where I take over for the story."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you. Why the hell did you send Aurora to Cray?" Anthony asked. "Sure she's a good cardfighter, but I'm pretty sure they don't settle things on Cray with a friendly card game."

"True, but there is another factor. Her bond with the units of Cray." Yukari explained. "Their power can manifest itself in many ways. Vanguard is simply one of them. I believe the only force that can defeat Conquest Empire's power is the clan that has power collected across the entire universe. Star Chaser. I believed Aurora going to assist them would help Star Chaser gain the power they needed to take down Conquest Empire's main force."

"So she's been on Cray for the past month, fighting with Star Chaser against Conquest Empire?" Dan questioned.

Yukari nodded her head. "Yes. Although… it seems a problem has occured."

"What kind of problem…?" Dan asked, not liking where this was going.

Yukari stayed silent for a few moments before finally speaking. "At the end of one of the battles she was involved in, both Aurora and Hikari went missing. The battle was a devastating loss to Cray, but they never found either of them."

Hearing this information made all three of them go cold. "They can't find them?" Dan questioned. "What the hell do you mean they can't find them?!"

"That's all the information I was able to obtain from Atmos." Yukari told them. "At the very least, I believe it's safe to assume both of them are still alive."

"And we're supposed to be _happy_ because of that?!" Dan shouted, slamming his hands on the table. "We don't know where Aurora is! That's not a definite that she's alive, she could be dead!"

"I won't deny that it is indeed a possibility." Yukari confirmed. "But if I had to guess, Aurora and Hikari have most likely been captured and are being held prisoner by Conquest Empire." She caught notice of the glare coming from Ryuji as he tried to hold his anger in. "I'm sorry Ryuji. I know you were hoping for better news when you heard from me."

"Why did you have to do it?" Ryuji asked. "Why did you have to get her involved in this mess?"

"We all know the threat Conquest Empire poses not only to Cray, but to Earth as well. They needed to be stopped before Cray could fall." Yukari said. "Unfortunately, with Hikari missing, Star Chaser has become severely weakened."

"What about Aurora's mother? Elara?" Dan said. "Isn't she the leader of the clan."

Yukari held her head down. "I already told Ryuji this back at the Vanguard World Tournament… but Elara was defeated in battle by Conquest Empire before I even gave Aurora the Star Chaser deck. I'm not entirely sure whether or not she survived that battle. In any case, if she is alive, no one knows where she is. After losing Elara, Hikari took over leadership of the clan. But now she's been captured, along with Aurora." Yukari let out a sigh. "Needless to say, morale isn't exactly at its peak right now within the clan."

Dan and Anthony clenched their fists, both of them worried about Aurora. "We should have gone with her." Dan said.

"I offered to let you both come, but Aurora insisted on going alone. She said it was her fight." Yukari said. She frowned and held her head low. "And me being the fool I was decided to respect her wishes."

"Well then there's only one thing to do." Dan said as he stood up. "You sent Aurora to Cray right? Then you can do the same with us."

"Indeed. That is what I originally came here for." Yukari said. "However, I need to remind you that this will be dangerous. You can help influence the power of your clan, but you are still going into a warzone. There's no guarantee you'll be able to make it back."

"That doesn't matter to us." Anthony said. "We're going."

"And you can't stop us." Dan added.

Yukari nodded her head. "Very well. I see you're both determined." She got up from her seat. "I'll need some time to prepare, especially since I'm transporting more than one person. Come to the Tatsunagi headquarters in Japan in two days. I'll send you to Cray then."

"Go it." both teens nodded.

"I'm sorry to have to put you in such danger." Yukari told them. "But this may be our last hope at defeating Conquest Empire."

With that, Yukari walked out of the store and left Aurora's father and teammates to themselves. The three of them sat in silence for a short bit, processing everything.

Anthony was the first to speak up. "So… Aurora's half alien, huh?"

Dan looked at his teammate in disbelief. "Really? That entire story, and _that's_ what you decide to take away from it?"

"Look, I know this is really bad and all, but I've known Aurora since we were kids! Of course I'm gonna be surprised about the fact that she's half alien!" Anthony argued.

Ryuji let out a sigh. "I'm sorry about keeping you kids in the dark about this. But now all I can do is trust you to save her."

Dan gave Aurora's father a thumbs up. "Don't worry. We'll save Aurora for sure. And then we'll bring her home where she belongs."

"After we beat the crap out of Conquest Empire." Anthony grinned.

After saying goodnight to Aurora's father, the two teens walked out of the shop. They looked up at the sky, knowing what they had to do.

"So, you really ok with going all the way to Cray?" Anthony asked.

"If it's what has to be done to help Aurora, then yes." Dan nodded. "Can I count on you to watch my back if things get rough there?"

Anthony grinned as he raised his hand for a fist bump. "We'll have each other's backs."

Dan bumped his fist with Anthony's as the two teens walked off in separate directions. Both of them were fully determined to save their friend, and nothing was going to stop them.

' _Hang on, Aurora. We're coming.'_

 **Anthony: Get ready Planet Cray! Here we come!**

 **Dan: Things are gonna get rough. Hopefully we'll be able to give the assistance Cray needs.**

 **Anthony: You better believe we will. Can't wait to meet Vanquisher in person.**

 **Dan: I'll be able to meet Harri too. Come to think of it, I wonder what it'll be like on Cray.**

 **Anthony: Heads up, Dan. Looks like we might have an obstacle keeping us from Cray.**

 **Next time: Allen's Last Stand**


	48. Allen's Last Stand

**A/N: Yo readers, what's up. Here's another chapter of Bonds Beyond the Cosmos. Get ready for a some of the new stuff from another character.**

 **Also the lore chapter will be up in a couple of days. Keep a lookout for that if your interested.**

The city streets in America were far different than what Allen had seen in Rome. They were far more crowded, and busy. It didn't bother him much though. He drowned out the noise around him, wallowing in self pity.

A large monitor could be seen next to the street Allen was on. It was the news showing a Vanguard comercial. He could hear bit and pieces of gossip going around from the people watching it.

"The Vanguard World Tournament was a month ago, but it's still all over the news."

"Yeah. There were so many awesome players there!"

"Remember the finals? That Aurora Fujou was so cool!"

"Whatever happened to her opponent? Allen… something or other?"

"Who cares? It's obvious Star Chaser was better."

Allen turned a corner, walking into an alleyway. He growled in frustration as he slammed his fist against a building.

"Damnit!" he shouted. "It's the same… I've turned into the same loser I was before."

He still remembered that fateful day. When he had mysteriously gotten the Conquest Empire deck. He had been told by a voice all the secrets about Vanguard. About Cray's existence. And Conquest Empire's superiority over them. And then it asked him the easiest to answer question of his life.

" _You want power don't you?"_

Power. It was what Allen craved. It was what he _deserved_. He had been treated like garbage for so long. Finally, he had the power to crush everyone that had mocked him. He would be the one on top, pushing all others into the dirt where he belonged. It was all so easy with the power of Conquest Empire in his grasp.

All he had to do was obey Conquest Empire's orders. It was so simple. Yet it had all been taken away in an instant from him. By the girl that had been the primary target of Conquest Empire. The one wielding Star Chaser.

"Damn you… Aurora Fujou…" Allen growled. "I'll make you pay one day. I swear it. You'll pay for humiliating me back then."

" _Oh will you now, Allen Demacio?"_

' _What?'_ Allen widened his eyes as he looked around where he was standing. He saw no one looking at him, let alone talking to him. ' _Did I… imagine that?'_

" _You haven't forgotten my voice after such a short amount of time, have you?"_

The realization hit Allen as his surroundings suddenly changed. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a massive spaceship. Its appearance almost resembled that of a fortress. Allen recalled this very same thing happening to him once before. The day he had received the Conquest Empire deck.

"This is…"

"It's been quite some time, Allen Demacio."

Allen looked towards the entrance to the ship as a figure walked towards him. It was a woman with pinkish-violet skin and long black hair. She wore a hood, which cast a shadow that covered her eyes from view.

"Do you remember me, Allen?"

"You're… Lilith…" Allen recalled.

"Very good." she said as she came close to Allen. She reached out and touched him. It felt so cold on his skin. "I must say, I was quite disappointed in you. Failing to defeat the Vanguard of Star Chaser."

"I can defeat her! I promise! Just give me another chance!" Allen told her. "Please! Just give me another chance to defeat her! I'll crush her!"

Lilith let out a giggle. "As it stands, we no longer need Aurora Fujou defeated. We've taken care of that ourselves."

"What?" Allen gasped. "Then why are you-"

"There is another task that Conquest Empire could use your help with, however." Lilith told him. "We've dealt with Aurora Fujou, but the Tatsunagi girl from your world is persistent. She plans on sending her reinforcements. Her teammates from the World Tournament to be precise."

"Those two that were always hanging around Aurora Fujou?"

"That's right. We need them dealt with. Crush their hope. Make them unable to stand up against us ever again." Lilith told him.

"And… you'll let me have that power again?"

"Of course. You'll be the Vanguard of Conquest Empire. Our link to Earth." Lilith told him. "Destroy those two, and your previous failure will be forgiven."

"I'll do it." Allen said. "Defeating them will be a simple task."

"I should hope so." Lilith said. "And keep in mind, my emperor does not tolerate those that fail the empire for a second time. I am the same."

Allen swallowed hard at those words. He had never seen Lilith in battle, but he could tell just by standing in her presence that she was dangerous. "Just leave it to me."

"Good." Lilith said. "I'm counting on you, Allen Demacio."

With a snap of her fingers, Allen once again found himself back on Earth. He breathed deeply, his mind coming back to reality. As his senses slowly returned, he felt something in his hand. He looked down and saw a deck case. Taking out the cards inside, Allen recognized it as his Conquest Empire deck.

' _I will not be humiliated again.'_ Allen thought to himself. ' _Aurora Fujou's teammates… They will be crushed under the weight of my power.'_ He walked out of the alleyway and walked through the city streets. ' _Time to take a little trip to Japan.'_

* * *

Anthony sat in the kitchen of his house. Tomorrow was the day he and Dan were supposed to meet at the Tatsunagi headquarters. The day they would be off to Cray to go and save Aurora. And of course there was one small thing they had to take care of before they left.

Explaining the situation to their parents.

Doing so would be anything but easy though. Their parents weren't even aware of the fact that Cray existed. Add onto the fact that they were going there to fight an intergalactic empire and end a war didn't exactly help the situation.

Dan and Anthony had agreed to try and get their parents to go to the shop and explain things as a whole to them together. Ryuji would also be able to confirm the story if they went there. But the question was, would they be able to convince their parents that they weren't crazy. And more importantly, would they be able to convince them to allow them to go.

If it was his aunt and uncle, it would probably be much easier. They at least understood how important Vanguard was to Anthony. But with his parents, they were never fans of the game to begin with. Which made chances all the slimmer.

' _Guess I better get it over with.'_ Anthony thought. "Hey mom! Dad! Can I talk with you guys for a sec?"

Both parents looked up from the tv to their son. He had an unusually uneasy expression on his face which made them curious, if not concerned. "What is it, Antonio?"

"It… well it has to do with Vanguard." He could see their faces relax into a sighing motion but he pressed on. "I know you want me to give it up but this is something important that needs to be talked about."

"Antonio, you know we only want what's best for you." Helena eased into the conversation. "I know this game is something you love but studies are going to only become more important."

"I know but… Look, I just need you both to come with me to Card Galaxy. I've got something important to tell you with the owner."

His father's look hardened at the implications of the statement. "Antonio, you didn't get into any trouble did you?"

' _Well it is trouble. Just not the kind you're probably thinking of.'_ Anthony thought before shaking his head. "No, but it's something that easier to explain with him around. Come on, can't you do it for me just this once?"

Both the mother and father looked to each other for a few moments. Their son hardly ever directly asked for anything important from them. They could only assume that the manager wanted to talk about the benefits of Vanguard or something along those lines. While they were set on what sort of future they wanted for their son, they at least owed what time they had here to listen to him. "Okay, we'll go. But afterwards we really do need to have a talk about the future of this hobby."

Knowing that this was the best he was going to get, Anthony didn't push the issue anything further. He thanked them both as they got their shoes on, ready to head out to the shop. The teen quickly went upstairs to his room and grabbed his deck. Giving a quick stare to his Dragonic Vanquisher.

' _Hang in there for the both of us, buddy. I'll be on the way to help soon enough.'_

* * *

Once Anthony arrived at the shop, he saw Dan was already there with his mom. With all of them there, now was the time for the moment of truth.

"Is this one of your friends, Antonio?" Helena asked.

Dan answered with a nod of his head. "I'm Antho… Antonio's teammate. Dan Kisha."

"Nice to meet you. I hope my son hasn't been too much trouble." his mother said.

' _His personality could use a bit of work at times.'_ Dan silently thought, but he kept that to himself as he shook his head. "Not at all. He's a great guy."

"Now that we're all here…" Dan's mother said, cutting in. "Do you two boys mind explaining why you asked us to come here?"

"I was wondering that myself." Anthony's father said.

Dan and Anthony looked at each other. Dan rubbed the back of his head. "You should probably sit down. It's a bit of a long explanation."

Time passed as Dan and Anthony explained the situation to their parents. As they expected, it wasn't easy considering it sounded almost as far-fetched to them as it probably did to their parents. At multiple points in the story, their parents understandably wondered if they were making this whole thing up. But the confirmation from Ryuji showed them that they were serious. As for whether they would believe it, that was another story entirely.

"-And that about sums it up." Dan finished.

Dan's mother and Anthony's parents looked at each other, both equally perplexed by the story their children had told them. Dan's mother was the first to speak.

"Dan… do you really expect us to believe this story of yours?"

"To be honest, no." Dan admitted. "We barely believe it ourselves. But nonetheless, it's the truth."

"This is absurd." Anthony's mother said with a shake of her head. "I never would have thought Vanguard would twist your mind this much, Antonio."

"Mom, we're telling the truth. We-"

"Enough. It's clear to us that this Vanguard nonsense is hurting you more than we thought. I'm afraid I have to put my foot down this time. You can't waste your life playing this make believe game anymore."

"Will you listen to me?! Look, I know this is a crazy story, but it's the truth! Aurora is in danger and we have to-"

"Oh my, am I interrupting?"

The sudden voice caused all heads to turn to the front door of the store. Dan, Anthony, and Ryuji all widened their eyes in shock at who they saw.

Standing at the door to Card Galaxy was Allen Demacio. The leader of Team Apocalypse.

"Allen Demacio…" Dan gasped. He glared at the teen. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by." Allen shrugged. "And come visit the team that stopped me from claiming my title as the strongest cardfighter on Earth."

"What's the matter? Aurora kicking your butt once wasn't enough for you?" Anthony asked.

Allen glared at Anthony. "Your leader merely got lucky in our fight, nothing else. And regardless, I already know she isn't here."

"Then what are you here for?"

"Simple." Allen said as he pulled out his deck and held it out. "I'm going to crush the both of you personally. In the name of Conquest Empire."

Both teens tensed up as they heard this. "So you're still acting as Conquest Empire's lapdog?" Dan asked.

"What's so wrong about being on the winning side?" Allen said. "With the power of Conquest Empire, I'm invincible. And I'll prove it by crushing anyone who gets in my way. And you two are at the top of that list."

Dan reached for his deck. "Bring it on you-"

"Hold on, Dan." Anthony said, stepping forward. "I'll handle this."

Dan glanced at his teammate. "You sure?"

"Yeah. This guy's asking to get his butt kicked. And I'm just the guy to do it."

Helena got up from her seat. "Now hold on Antonio. We are still-"

"Mom, stand back." Anthony said. The seriousness in his voice surprised her. "Just let me take care of this first."

Dan motioned for everyone to stand to the side. "We should probably move."

Allen let out a chuckle as his eyes flashed. In an instant, the surroundings of the card shop became distorted. They turned into the scenery Dan and Anthony were familiar with. The castle area that Allen always used with his mysterious power.

' _In other words, the damage of this fight is going to be real.'_ Dan thought. ' _Be careful Anthony.'_

"Wh-What is this?!" Dan's mother asked. "What happened? Where are we?"

"It's a temporary field for this fight." Dan explained. "And it has a few… unique properties."

"What kind of properties?" Helena asked.

Dan hesitated about answering that question. "Just watch for now."

A thin sheet of light appeared in front of both Anthony and Allen. The leader of Team Apocalypse placed his deck on the sheet in front of him. "You ready? Once I'm done with you, your friend over there is next."

"Heh, don't make me laugh." Anthony told him, placing his deck down as well. "You wouldn't even be able to beat Dan. And if you can't beat him, there's no way you'd beat me."

"Hey!" Dan called out.

"Just sit back and watch. I'll send this guy packing." Anthony assured his friend.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Thunderwarning Dracokid!"

 **Thunderwarning Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Dan looked at the new unit that materialized on the field against Allen. It was a blue colored dracokid with bright red armor and a tattered brown capes fluttering in the wind. In his hands was a handle of a large sword in the shape of a dragon's head with a large pillar of lightning forming the blade.

"I'll start this off." Allen declared as he drew for his turn. "I ride Supply Soldier, Collin!"

 **Supply Soldier, Collin**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Riley moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony (5), Allen (5).]**

Anthony quickly drew his opening card and looked to his hand. He glanced over the new units that he added in during Aurora's absence. He wanted her to be the first real tough opponent he wanted to test them on. It almost made him sick that he had to waste their debut against Allen of all people. "I ride Thunder Pillar Dragon!"

 **Thunder Pillar Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

The unit that materialized was a medium sized dragon that had multicolored scales of red, yellow and blue and glowing wings made of plasma. The dragon wore a striking vermillion armor that covered his chest and a helmet that protected his face.

"Thunderwarning moves back with forerunner. And with it's boost I attack the vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

Allen grunted a bit as he performed his damage check. The pain grazing him in an annoying fashion.

 **[Damage: Anthony (0), Allen (1).]**

"I end my turn."

 **[Turn 3. Anthony (6), Allen (5).]**

"I draw!" Allen grabbed two cards out of his hand and tossed the first one onto his vanguard. "I ride Emergency Rescuer, Klinger!"

 **Emergency Rescuer, Klinger**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

He threw down the other unit to the right column of the vanguard. "I then call Destruction Gunman, Barbados! Barbados attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Anthony threw down a grade 1 to block the attack.

"With a boost from Riley, Klinger attacks the vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

Allen smirked as he performed his drive check. "Critical trigger! All effects to my vanguard!"

"Damage check. First, no trigger." Anthony flinched at the pain from the first damage check. "Second… no trigger…"

 **[Damage: Anthony (2), Allen (1).]**

Anthony gasped out in pain, making Allen all the more smug at the sight. "Look at how pathetic you are to a little pain. I'll let you off easy with that but trust me when I say the worst has yet to come."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony (5), Allen (5).]**

Helena widened her eyes when she saw her pain. "What's going on? Is he hurt?"

"That's the effect of fighting in this field." Dan said with a serious expression. "The damage players take is felt by the cardfighter."

"What?!" Both of Anthony's parents widened their eyes as they looked at their son. Helena was about to rush to her son's side, but Dan blocked her path. "What are you doing?! He's hurt!"

"I get how you feel, but you need to stay back." Dan said. "Anthony knew what he was getting into. He can handle this."

"But-!"

"Mom, it's fine." Both his parents looked to see their son stand tall and give them a thumbs up. His usual smirk adorning his face. "You guys don't have to worry. This loser won't be able to dish out anything I can't handle."

That remark ticked off the American player as he let a snarl loose. "You think I'm gonna let you get away with that remark!?"

Anthony gave a cold look to his opponent and scoffed at his threat. "Please, trash like you isn't worth getting mad over. You're nowhere near as scary as some of the people I know in my life." Aurora in particular came to mind with a few others peppered in the back. "So I should end this quick so I don't have to look at you anymore. I ride Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs!"

 **Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

The unit that rode of the vanguard was a large wyvern that dwarfed the size of Allen's units. Its blend of orange scales with dark red armor made the figure look imposing and threatening. Especially with the armored spines trailing on its back and its red eyes surrounded by purple lightning.

"I then call another to the side! Now boosted by Dracokid, I attack Barbados!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

' _Attacking his other units on field so that Allen has less to work with. Smart move, Anthony.'_ Dan was glad to see his friend had taken the playstyle of Conquest Empire into play as he performed his turn. Using that head of his would for sure be helpful in the long run.

"Tch! I guard!" Allen threw down a trigger to block the attack.

"Drive check, no trigger." Anthony turned his other unit on it's side for the next attack. "My rear guard Bargs attacks the vanguard! With his skill, so long as I have a vanguard with the thunderstrike ability, he gains 1000 power and Resist!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"No guard!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (2), Allen (2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony (5), Allen (4).]**

"Stand and draw!" Everyone could see one card in particular of Allen's glowing with a soft dark aura. A dreadful feeling of malice emanating from it. Both Dan and Anthony knew what was coming as he lifted the card from his hand. "Time to show you how weak you really are! Fearsome warrior! Draw your blade and lead my forces to victory! Destroy your foes until there is nothing left! I ride General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I then call Wise Mage, Tibarn and have it Conquer your left hand column!" Allen moved the unit to the open rear guard on the side, invading his own space of units.

While Anthony didn't show an expressions at the action, his father stepped forward and shook his head. "You have to be cheating! There's no way such an action is allowed!"

Allen laughed at the outburst from the older man. "Is he just stupid or does he know nothing about Vanguard? I would almost be surprised but considering you're their son, idiocy must run in the family."

The father made motion for another outburst but his son beat him to it in a surprising manner. His fist slammed down hard at the table of light which shook Allen slightly along with the scary look from his opponent. "You shut your worthless, garbage mouth now. Don't you dare look down on my parents because they don't know much about Vanguard!"

Brushing off the statement, Allen scoffed and continued on with his turn and Ryuji eased the father back down. "Please, believe in your son. He can do this."

"Tibarn attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Riley, Alexander comes in at the vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

Anthony looked to his hand and knew that he had to conserve resources for the coming turn. "No guard."

"Twin drive check! First, no trigger. Second, no trigger."

"Damage check. Draw trigger! Power to the vanguard and I draw a card!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (3), Allen (2).]**

The pain from the attack was lessened slightly by the fact that the trigger halted his final rear guard from attack either units. Meaning that Allen's turn was pretty much over. "Grr… I end my turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony (5), Allen (5).]**

"Stand and draw!" Anthony knew that this was the point to start turning things around on Allen or else he wouldn't be able to recover. Looking to his hand, he saw his favorite unit right in the middle of his hand. ' _Vanquisher. You've been with me ever since I started playing this game. You've never lead me wrong and I know you won't now. Let's show this jerk what we're truly made of!'_

"The skies clear way for the dragon who rules them! Descend like a lightning bolt and crash into your foes! I ride, Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Vanquisher flew down from the skies with not only a new look but a new weapon to boot. The mane of hair was a majestic royal purple with his black armor having a blue trim that was the same color as his horns. The pauldrons on his armor were more spiked and bulky to show intimidation and his wings and tail glowed with a light hum of electricity. In his hands was a large battleaxe whose blades were made from the same purple lightning that he wielded.

' _Anthony's new Vanquisher.'_ Dan thought as he looked at the dragon's new form.

"Now Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill!" Anthony paid a counter blast and pointed to the invading unit on his field. "I retire and bind Tibarn and bind a card from your drop zone. If a card was bound from both field and drop zone, I get to draw a card and give one of my units with thunderstrike 3000 power. I'll give that power to Bargs!" Anthony looked to his hand and picked two units to call. "I call Dragon Dancer, Fatine and a Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel. Fatine's thunderstrike 2, soul blast to draw a card. Then "VBUSTER"'s skill! I bind your Riley and give my front row 3000 power since I have more units than you till the end of the turn!"

Just like that, a tempo swing went into Anthony's favor. He got out the unit out of his side of the field and powered up his own. He was going to show him the power of Narukami. "Bargs attacks Barbados!"

 **(9000+1000+3000=13000)**

"No guard." Allen couldn't afford to lose more hand defending units on field. Although he couldn't help but feel a bit of annoyance seeing Anthony's smile at his action. "What!?"

"Skill of Thunderwarning Dracokid! Once per turn, whenever a unit on your side of the field is put into the drop zone, that unit is bound instead!"

Allen grunted as he put the grade 2 in the bind zone. Already at four cards in there and that wasn't going to be good in the long run.

"Boosted by Thunderwarning, "VBUSTER" attacks the vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+3000=34000)**

"No guard!"

"Triple drive check! First check, critical trigger! Power to Grizel and critical to my vanguard! Second check, nothing. Third check, nothing."

A rain of lighting slammed down on Alexander, taking the damage just as the same as his avatar. Allen shook wobbly on his knees as he performed his damage checks. "F-First check, stand trigger. Power to the vanguard. Second check, no trigger…"

 **[Damage: Anthony (3), Allen (4).]**

' _Pushing him to the edge. I just gotta keep up this pressure.'_ Anthony thought as he went with his next attack. "Grizel! Smash his face in with Fatine's boost!"

 **(9000+6000+3000+5000=23000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Having no rear guards to help with the skill wasn't really that much of a problem. Given that the base shield of the guardian plus the trigger he got was more than enough to defend against it.

"I end my turn. "GALVANIZE"'s thunderstrike 4! At the end of the turn, you take one card from your drop and bind it, and I get to counter charge or soul charge. I'll soul charge and since it's the end of my turn, I get to draw a card."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony (7), Allen (4).]**

The American stood his vanguard to start his turn. Right now things weren't looking good with his board being bound and his field empty. Being pushed into this situation by one of that wretched Aurora's besties made it all the more infuriating to him.

" _Oh? What's this Allen? Having trouble again?"_

He shuddered hearing the chilling voice in the back of his head. Lilith was observing the situation like it was some sort of amusing show. ' _Just shut up and let me fight!'_ He yelled in his mind against the whispers. ' _I'll make an example of this idiot right now!'_

"Now you're going to know how weak you are! Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshall, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill of Alexander! I choose your Grizel to lose 5000 power until the end of the next turn and give Darius 5000 power!" He looked to his hand and knew that he had to push hard. Luckily for him he had just the units to make that push. "Prepare for pain the likes you've never experienced!"

"Big talk for a Conquest Empire jobber." He taunted right back.

Allen ignored the jab and threw down his entire hand to the field. "I call Wise Mage, Tibarn. Supply Soldier, Collin. Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames and Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army! Activating the skill of Drill Sergeant, I place him on the top of my deck to give my vanguard a skill. Now Tibarn and Enslave, conquer!"

Enslaved Dragon pushed back Bargs into the back row and Grizel was force retired due to being weaker than Tibarn. Anthony knew that he had to watch out for these attack with how powerful Darius is.

"Skills activated! With the skill obtained from Drill Sergeant, every time I conquer I get to draw a card." Allen drew two cards from his unit's successful invasion. "Then Collin's skill to draw another card. Tibarn's skill, I draw two cards and discard one when he successfully conquers!" The four cards he lost were replenished in a skillful display. But he knew that he had to push even further to get where he wanted to crush Anthony. "Now I call Emergency Rescuer, Klinger! Time to wipe that pathetic smirk from your face right in front of all those who care about you!"

' _Here he comes.'_ Anthony thought.

"First with Collin's boost, Klinger attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Allen (4).]**

"Now Tibarn will attack Fatine!"

 **(9000)**

Given that Fatine had done her job already, Anthony was more than willing to let her go. "No guard."

Anthony had only two units remaining on the field but his opponent wasn't about to waste more attacks on anything that wasn't the vanguard. "Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames attacks the vanguard! With his skill, since he's conquering he loses restraint and gains 10000 attack!

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"No guard! Damage check, heal trigger! I recover one and give the power to the vanguard!"

While the trigger was annoying, it really didn't matter in the end with what was to come next. "Darius attacks the vanguard! Darius's skill restands both Tibarn and Enslaved Dragon, giving them 5000 power each until the end of the turn!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

It was too much of a risk to let that attack hit. Anthony quickly threw down a perfect guard to stop it. "Think again!"

"Triple drive check! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects go to Enslaved Dragon! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Tibarn!"

"Grr… With Anatasia's thunderstrike 4, I get to draw a card when she's retired from the guardian circle."

"Tibarn, go and break him now!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

Anthony took a grade 1 from his hand and threw it down to block the attempt. "Guard!"

"Now incinerate him, Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames!"

 **(11000+10000+5000+5000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Supreme Sky Guardian, Bulwark Dragon!"

 **Supreme Sky Guardian, Bulwark Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Thunderstrike 3 of Bulwark, I gain 10000 shield for the battle. In addition for every four cards in your bind zone, I retire a unit at rest in your front row." Anthony pointed to the only unit in Allen's front row. "I'll retire Klinger and with the skill of Thunderwarning, he gets bound as well!"

"Tch… I end my turn. Put Collin into soul to counter charge."

""GALVANIZE"'s thunderstrike! Bind a card from your drop zone and I soul charge!"

Getting another card into bind zone was beyond annoying but there was little Allen could do about the matter. He had to settle for what he could do next turn.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony (4), Allen (6).]**

"Stand and draw!" Anthony looked to his hand and field knowing that the situation wasn't good. ' _If I don't close this out here, then he might use Tiemot next turn, or even Cyrus. I have to push as hard as I can.'_ He looked back to Dan, Ryuji and the parents who were watching the fight. He knew that he couldn't let them down now. "Stride Generation! Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad!"

 **Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill, I retire Enslaved Dragon and bind him along with another card in your drop zone." With the unit no longer occupying space, he pushed Bargs up and called his final copy of Bargs to the back row column where Tibarn was. "Skill of Bargs, since I have a vanguard with the thunderstrike skill, he gains 1000 power and Resist. Pushing Tibarn back onto your side of the field with 0 power." With his field freed of the units invading, Anthony activated Baal-Hadad's skill. "Now you bind cards equal to the number of my G zone plus one from your field and drop. But you only have three cards so bind those now! Since a card was bound from the drop, I draw a card and since a card from field was bound my front row gains 5000 power until the end of the turn."

Allen looked to his field, seeing that his drop zone was empty and his units gone. All that was there was his vanguard staring down the threatening aura of the dragons in front of him. ' _This… This can't be happening…'_

"Then Baal-Hadad's Generation Break 4, I choose three units in my front row and give them 3000 power everytime a card is bound. For a total of 9000 power! In addition to that, I call Thunder Pillar Dragon, Smash Boxer Dragon and Mighty Bolt Dragoon to the back row."

"See this? This is Anthony's strength." Dan said to his teammate's parents. "No matter how tough of a situation he's in, he'll keep fighting as hard as he can."

Helena could barely believe it. Her son was probably feeling a lot of pain right now from this cardfight. But even still, he stood tall and kept fighting.

' _When did you get so strong, Antonio? Is this… because of Vanguard?'_ she thought. She called out to her son. "Go Antonio! You can do it!"

"Beat this guy!" his father chimed in.

Anthony had to keep himself from double taking from the encouragement he rarely heard. But having their support was more than enough to give him a smile. "Well, looks like I can't lose here. Nothing personal, but I'm not gonna waste anymore time on a loser like you! Skill of both Bargs!" He paid a counter blast each for them. "Thunderstrike 4, he would normally gain the ability to attack another unit when attacking the vanguard, but since you have no extra units it doesn't matter. What does matter is that he gains 2000 power for every card in your bind zone! Since the thunderstrike is 10, that means 20000 to these two. Now let's go, boosted by Smash Boxer, Bargs attacks the vanguard!

 **(9000+1000+5000+9000+20000+7000=51000)**

There was no way he could guard that attack without sacrificing a chunk on his hand. He had one more damage to take even if it would hurt. "No guard. Damage check… Ugh! No trigger." Allen buckled slightly from the pain of the attack.

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Allen (5).]**

"Baal-Hadad, attack the vanguard with Mighty Bolt's boost!"

 **(26000+7000+5000+9000=47000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Final check, stand trigger! All effects to Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs!"

Allen looked to his hand size, he didn't have enough to guard both attacks. "No… Not again… I don't want to lose again! I don't want to go back to being a weak loser!"

"You just don't get it." Anthony told him. "You made a deal with Conquest Empire, and got drunk on the power they gave you."

"What would you know?!" Allen shouted. "You have no idea what it's like! To be weak and powerless! Without Conquest Empire, I'm not strong! I owe everything to this clan!"

"Are you really that blind?" Anthony asked. "No one starts off strong. Each of us worked hard and built up our skills to get to where we are. Cardfighters all over the world get stronger that way." He glared at the Conquest Empire user. "But you're not just a loser. You're worse than that. You're a loser that refused to admit his own weakness! You had to rely on outside help to win! And that's why you can't win against me!"

Allen glared at his opponent. "You little…"

"Time to end this! Bargs attacks with Thunder Pillar's boost! Thunder Pillar's thunderstrike 3 skill, when he boosts or attacks he gains 1000 power for every card in your bind zone! This time for a total of 10000!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+9000+20000+8000+10000=62000)**

"I… I… don't guard…" Allen slowly checked the card for the damage trigger, praying for a heal. But the overwhelming feeling of pain that wracked his body was answer enough that he didn't get the heal he needed.

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Allen (6).]**

Allen's body trembled as he fell to his knees. "No… Impossible… How could I lose again?"

"Simple. Because you relied on a power that wasn't your own." Anthony told him. "And this is the result."

The scenery slowly went back to normal as they found themselves back in Card Galaxy. Allen watched as the Conquest Empire cards began to fade, for the second time in his life. "No… I don't want to be weak again…"

"You lost, Allen." Dan said. "Now beat it."

Allen clenched his fists as he got back to his feet. "You'll… You'll regret this! Mark my words!"

Before anyone could say anything, Allen ran out of the shop. It was clear he wouldn't be returning anytime soon.

"And that is how a real cardfighter does things." Anthony grinned.

"Antonio…" Helena spoke.

Anthony rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… Well I guess this at least proves we weren't lying earlier."

Helena quickly ran over to her son. "Are you hurt?! Do you need to see a doctor?!"

"Mom, relax! I'm fine!" Anthony assured her.

Helena backed away from her son. "That cardfight… You were really strong there."

"Heh, yeah well I am on the team that won the World Tournament after all." Anthony smirked.

"But if everything you said is true… then you'd be…"

Anthony nodded his head. "I know it's dangerous. Both Dan and I are aware of the risks. But Aurora is in trouble."

"And we're prepared to do whatever it takes to save her." Dan added, walking over and standing next to his teammate.

Dan's mother and Anthony's parents all looked at each other before turning back to their kids. "You're absolutely sure you want to do this?" Dan's mother asked.

Both teens nodded their heads. "There's not a doubt in our minds." Dan said.

Dan's mother stared at her son for a few moments before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Then I guess I have no choice. Just promise me you'll come back."

"Of course." Dan assured her.

Both of Anthony's parents looked at him. "All this time… I thought Vanguard was just some little hobby you had. But it's really important to you, isn't it Antonio?" Helena said.

Anthony nodded his head. "It's how I met a lot of my friends, and even more people. Vanguard is important to me."

"I know." Helena said. "And… I suppose you're grown up enough to make your own decisions."

"Then that means?"

Helena nodded. "Yes. I'll allow you to go."

"Thanks mom."

"However" she added. "You must swear that you will be careful, and that you will make it back in one piece."

Anthony showed a smirk. "Heh, don't you worry. With Vanquisher's power at my side, I'll send those Conquest Empire losers running for the hills."

After that, Dan and Anthony discussed things briefly with their parents before returning home together to get ready for the big day tomorrow.

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

Dan and Anthony stood together in front of the Tatsunagi Headquarters building in Japan. The financial conglomerate really held up to its name. The building was impressively tall.

"You ready for this?" Anthony asked.

"Yeah." Dan nodded. "Time to go to Cray."

The two teens walked together into the building. Waiting for them in the lobby was none other than the idol trio Premium Beauty.

"So you two finally showed up, huh?" Mai said.

"Don't you think you should be treating the guys that are going to save both Cray and Earth with a little more respect?" Anthony asked with a smirk.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Just try not to die on Cray, ok?"

Jasmine stepped forward. "If you'll follow us please."

Dan and Anthony followed the idol trio's lead as they escorted them through the halls of the building. It was a surprisingly complex maze of twists and turns.

"Before we go meet Miss Tatsunagi, there's one place we need to go to." Jasmine told them as they walked.

Dan raised a brow. "And what is that?"

"You'll see." Keiko said.

After a short walk, the group finally arrived at a particular room. Opening the door, Jasmine motioned for their two guests to walk inside. Dan and Anthony went inside and widened their eyes at who they saw.

"Dan! Anthony! Hey!" Sophia greeted as the little girl eagerly ran over to them.

The two of them could barely believe their eyes. "Sophia?!" Dan exclaimed. He looked at the table in the room and saw two others were present. "William and Rose?! You guys too?!"

"It's been awhile, you two." Rose greeted.

"What the heck are you three doing here?!" Anthony asked.

"It seems Miss Tatsunagi didn't tell you." William said. "You see-"

"We're going to Cray too!" Sophia interrupted, cutting the Lewis heir off.

Dan and Anthony blinked in surprise. "Wait, you guys are coming to Cray with us?" Anthony questioned.

"That's correct." Rose said. "Apparently, Yukari Tatsunagi wanted to take some of the strongest players from the World Tournament and gather them together for this mission."

"And the three of us were the ones she chose." William added.

"Wait so you guys know about Cray being real and everything?" Dan said.

"It was honestly a bit of a surprise, hearing about it." Rose told them. "But with the situation as serious as it is, we couldn't turn a blind eye."

"Everyone thinks we're here for some sorta interview thing due to the World Tournament." Sophia said. "Miss Tatsunagi said we can't talk about Cray to anyone else."

Dan looked at the group. "So what about Marcus Cersy? Since Team Sightless Vision was in the semi finals, I would think they'd be invited for this for sure."

"Marcus Cersy was informed about the situation." Jasmine explained, cutting in on the conversation. "However, it seems that his teammate's sister will be having her operation within the coming week or so. He wanted to be here for that, and wasn't sure how long this mission would last."

"We're losing out on a strong fighter then. Can't say I blame him for wanting to be there for Sarah's sister though." Dan said.

"Everyone here showed exceptional talent in the World Tournament. You are currently some of the world's strongest cardfighters." Jasmine said. "Your skill is one thing that led you to be picked for this important mission. But another is that each of you holds a deep connection with a unit on Cray. A being you feel connected to."

"Now all that's left is to beat the crap out of Conquest Empire." Anthony grinned.

Sophia nodded her head eagerly. "Yeah! Let's teach those bullies a lesson!"

"Now that everyone is here, I will show you all to Miss Tatsunagi." Jasmine said. "This way please."

The group of five followed Premium Beauty as they made their way through the building. As they walked, Anthony glanced over at William. "So how's Elizabeth doing? You know with everything that happened with her family and all."

"Well the Scarlet family was heavily investigated once some of their illegal actions were leaked. Eventually, more and more stuff got out as a result. They've lost almost all their business partners and a good portion of their wealth." William explained. "They've been in a steep decline since it happened. But Elizabeth's folks are staying with friends for now. As for Elizabeth, she's actually helping out the Lewis family."

"Seriously?" Dan asked in mild surprise.

William nodded his head. "I offered the job to her. She's been a big help. Though the rest of the Scarlets outside of her adopted parents aren't very pleased that she's helping another family."

"I don't get why. People should help each other, shouldn't they?" Sophia said.

"That is what I'd like to believe." William said, looking down at the young girl. "But others may not feel that way."

The group continued talking as they walked. Finally, they arrived at the top floor. Entering a room together, they were greeted by Yukari Tatsunagi.

"I'm glad to see you all here." Yukari said. "I want to express my gratitude to you all for agreeing to this mission." She looked at them all. "If any of you don't feel up to the challenge, this is your last chance to walk away. After this, there is no turning back."

"Well obviously." Rose said

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't feel ready." William said.

"Yeah, plus Aurora is our friend! She helped us out a lot in the World Tournament!" Sophia added.

"Just try to stop us." Anthony grinned.

"We're ready to take down Conquest Empire, once and for all." Dan told her.

Yukari nodded her head understandingly. "Very well. Please stand together."

Premium Beauty stepped back, leaving the five cardfighters grouped together. A fierce look of determination was on each of their faces.

"I want each of you to bring out the card of the unit you feel closest to. You avatar in another sense." Yukari told them. "Focus your thoughts on that unit. Your avatars will be your guide to Planet Cray."

The five of them nodded and pulled out a card. Each of them closed their eyes as all of their thoughts became focused on their avatars.

"Good. Now I'll begin." Yukari said. "I wish all of you luck."

The young silver-haired girl held her hands out towards the group with her palms opened up. A light shined from her eyes, and soon a shining circle appeared around the five cardfighters. It shined up around them. Soon their bodies felt weightless, as if they were being lifted up into the air. A pillar of light engulfed them. After a few seconds, the pillar was gone, along with the group of five.

Yukari fell to one knee as she panted, exhausted from having to send not just one, but five people to Cray.

Jasmine and the others quickly rushed to Yukari. "Are you alright, Miss Tatsunagi?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine." Yukari nodded. "I'm just tired is all." She got to her feet and looked at the spot where the five humans she had just sent to Cray had been. ' _It's all up to them now.'_

* * *

When Dan could finally see again, he could barely believe what he was seeing. Surrounding him was an azure column of stardust as he flew through it. He could see wormholes and stars and so many other things. It was unlike anything he had ever seen.

"Incredible…"

"I know, right?!"

Dan glanced to his side, seeing Sophia and Rose flying alongside him. Looking around, he noticed Anthony and William as well.

"This is amazing." William said in awe. "I've never experienced anything like this."

The group continued to fly through the starry column, before finally arriving at their destination. Looking in the distance, they saw a round planet floating around.

"So that's... Planet Cray…" Rose said.

"It's so pretty!" Sophia smiled.

"Yeah, but look near it." William said. "See that spaceship fleet floating around. It's massive."

"And it's probably Conquest Empire." Anthony said with a serious look.

Dan steeled his resolve as he looked at what they would be facing. ' _Hang on Aurora. We're coming.'_

"Let's do this!" Dan told the group. Together, each of the five of them flew towards Cray. They split up from each other, probably being pulled towards their avatars if they each had to guess.

As Dan closed in, one thought eventually came into his mind. How were they going to land?

* * *

Lilith walked through the halls of the head ship for Conquest Empire's armada. She had never been one that liked to have her work interrupted, but she had to report to her emperor. Even she knew better than to disobey his orders.

As she reached a door, two guards stood at attention. "General Lilith!"

"At ease, dearies." Lilith said. "I'm here to report to the emperor."

"Of course! Please enter, General!"

Lilith walked past the two of them and into the room. It was fancy, with a long read velvet carpet, leading to stairs that reached a throne. At the base of the steps were three others. One was a brown haired man clad in armor. Alexander. The two with him included a black haired man with fancy gray robes and a book in hand, and a bald male with a large muscular physique.

"Ah, I see the emperor called you all here as well." Lilith said with a devilish smirk.

"Lilith, I've received word that two more prisoners died under your supervision." Alexander said with a glare. "This sort of behavior cannot continue."

"Oh don't worry your pretty little head around it, Alexander." Lilith said. "They were weaklings anyway. They died before I really got to do any real experimenting on their bodies."

"While I am not opposed to torturing prisoners…" the black haired man said. "They can also be a useful source of information. It would be wise not to treat a resource like them for granted."

"I doubt they knew anything anyway, Napoleon. Although the way they screamed makes me think it would have been easy to break them." She let out a giggle. "Ah, it was such a delightful sound. My only regret is that they didn't live long enough to keep it up."

"Hmph, weaklings should just be killed on the spot. No use for them." the bald one spoke.

"Oh I knew I could count on you to be my side, Nalwa. You're such a good little boy." Lilith smiled.

"Don't push it." Nalwa glared.

"Ahem!" the sound of the voice from the one sitting on the throne silenced the four generals. "Lilith, your report?"

"Of course, my emperor." Lilith said with a bow. "It would seem Allen Demacio of Earth failed in his mission. The guardian of Earth is sending reinforcements to Cray as we speak."

"Their number?"

"I'm not sure. Two at the bare minimum. I doubt their number would exceed anything more than ten though." Lilith said. "But even with their interference, I doubt they will give our forces much trouble. After all, the humans from Earth are far from what I would call a threat."

"Very true." Napoleon agreed. "Though we cannot overlook them entirely."

"Perhaps we should use the momentum we have to wipe out Cray's remaining forces before they can regroup and use these humans." Alexander suggested. "After all, recall that the last human that came managed to temporarily turn the tide of the war."

"Yes and we all know how she fared in the end." Lilith said with a smirk. "Star Chaser won't be bothering us anymore with the girl and Hikari dealt with."

"Lilith, how many times must I remind you? We cannot afford to overestimate-"

"Enough." the emperor said. "Alexander raises a fair point. What is the status of our forces?"

"The majority of them are pushing back against United Sanctuary. The rest are spread out along the planet dealing with the other nations." Napoleon explained.

"Then let us finish off United Sanctuary once and for all. Order an all out attack and crush them in one fell swoop." He stood up and looked down at his four generals. "Cray will fall like the rest of the planets we have conquered."

"As you command, Emperor Cezaros." the four of them said in unison.

"Good. Now go."

Alexander stood up. "I will take to the battlefield at once."

"I'll go too." Nalwa said. "I'm bored of sitting around all day. I want to fight."

The two generals left the room. Being excused, Lilith and Napoleon walked out as well. Lilith rolled her eyes as she walked. "That Nalwa is a glorified meathead. All he cares about is fighting others to prove who's stronger. Who in their right mind made him a general?"

"His strength is what allows him to hold that title." Napoleon reminded her. "Now we'd best get ready for the coming battles as well."

"Yeah, yeah." Lilith said, waving off her fellow general's concern. A small grin came to her face. "At the very least, this will give me a fresh set of new bodies to experiment on."

 **Dan: So we're finally on Cray.**

 **William: The time has come for us to face Conquest Empire.**

 **Sophia: This place is amazing! I hope I get time to explore!**

 **Rose: We're not here for fun and games. This is serious.**

 **Anthony: Let's hope we're not too late.**

 **Dan: Seems even some of Cray's units are concerned about whether we can help. Are they trying to test us?**

 **Next time: The Performing Assassin**

 **Card Gallery:**

Thunderwarning Dracokid

Grade 0

Power: 5000

 **ACT:** Forerunner

 **AUTO: RC 1/TURN:** Whenever a card is put from the opponent's side of the field to the drop zone, your opponent binds that card face up

 **AUTO RC GB1 Thunderstrike 1:** When a card is either retired or put into the drop zone by your cards effect(s), choose one card from your opponents drop zone and bind it face up.

* * *

Thunder Pillar Dragon

Grade 1

Power: 7000

 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with the Thunderstrike skill this unit gains +1000 power and "Resist"

 **AUTO RC GB1 Thunderstrike 3:** When this unit attacks or "Boosts" a unit's attack, this unit gains +1000 power for every card in the opponent's bind zone.

* * *

Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs

Grade 2

Power: 9000

 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with the Thunderstrike skill this unit gains +1000 power and "Resist"

 **ACT RC GB2 Thunderstrike 4** CB1 **:** If you have a Vanguard with "Vanquisher" in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do this unit gains **(AUTO: When this unit attacks, you may select your opponent's Vanguard and one RC on your opponent's side of the field and battle them both.)** Then, this unit gains +2000 power for every card in the bind zone.

* * *

Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"

Grade 3

Power: 11000

 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do choose one of your opponent's RC and a card in the drop zone and bind them both face up. If two cards were bound, draw a card and choose one of your Thunderstrike units and give it +3000 power.

 **AUTO VC GB2 Thunderstrike 4:** At the end of either player's turn, the opponent chooses one card from their drop zone and binds it face up. If a card was bound, CC1 or SC1 and if it's the end of your turn, draw one card.


	49. SPECIAL: Unit Lore

_Hello readers. Here's a chapter containing lore for some of the units shown off in this story so far. Note that this does not contain every original unit, but it does include a large amount of them. Hope you enjoy._

 **Star Chaser:**

 **Star of Hope, Hikari**

An elite swordswoman of Star Chaser. She was born after the clan was formed, her mother being the leader of the clan Elara. She was trained to harness the power of the stars with cosmic magic, as well as sword techniques. After a devastating battle against Conquest Empire, Elara was never found and assumed dead. As a result, Hikari took over the position as leader, despite her young age. She now leads the clan against Conquest Empire, in hopes of ending their tyrannical rule so no one ever suffers the same loss she did with her mother.

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

This is the form of Hikari, who has summoned and hosted her own possibility in the future by Stride Fusion. After losing her mother, Hikari was desperate not to lose any more of her dear friends. However, when Cyrus appeared in the battle, the forces of Cray were devastated. Just as all seemed lost, Hikari heard a small whisper, cheering her on. It reminded Hikari of her deceased mother, and brought her hope. She could also feel her heart connected with a being far off in space, though she could not tell whom. This surge of power, as well as the hope she carried for her clan brought upon this miracle, granting her power that was able to rival Cyrus and protect those she cared and loved with all her heart.

 **Starship Cadet, Dipper**

Originally a member of Dimension Police, Dipper joined Star Chaser after hearing of their exploits throughout several galaxies. He is still young and inexperienced, but he dreams of one day becoming a full fledged warrior of Star Chaser. He is being trained by the commander of Star Chaser's fleet, trying his hardest every day to take even one step closer towards his goal.

 **Fiery Star, Sagittarius**

A warrior of Star Chaser. He was a master weapons maker on his home planet, on top of having pinpoint precision with a bow. When Star Chaser appeared on his planet, he traded ideas on advanced technology with some of the clan's brightest minds. He learned of some of the technology from Cray and was fascinated by it. When it came time for Star Chaser to leave, he asked to join them, wondering what else there was out in the universe that could advance his proficiency with technology. He currently acts as the clan's head in technological development.

 **Galaxy Sabre, Gemini**

One of Star Chaser's most elite warriors. A talented swordsman of a far off galaxy, Gemini was known for his impressive sword technique despite his young age. He wields two mystical blades, Corporis and Animo. Both are so powerful that he is only able to unleash the full power of one blade or the other, but neither at the same time, for the toll becomes too great on the user. He trained Hikari in the art of swordsmanship when she was younger, and he decided to join Star Chaser in hopes of refining his skill with the sword even further.

 **Star Mother, Pisces "Mitera"**

A warrior and scientist of Star Chaser. While she is their only mermaid, the planet she was born on was populated with them, the entire planet having almost entirely aquatic lifeforms. With the species of mermaids from her planet, the entire population was female. That changed however when she gave birth to the first male of their race Paidi. She was seen as an outcast to her people afterwards. Upon Star Chaser's arrival, she requested to go with them out into the cosmos in hopes of her and her son living a better life. With the clan's advanced technology, they were able to provide Mitera a cybernetic suit that allowed her to swim in space as easily as she could in water, on top of allowing her to live in such an environment. She has a bright mind, and has proven herself extremely helpful in combining knowledge of the clan's technology with magic, creating more advanced technology that can make use of magic.

 **Star Child, Pisces "Paidi"**

A warrior of Star Chaser. He was born as the only male of his race, which led to him and his mother Mitera being outcasted by the rest of their people. Unlike the mermaids of his race, he has legs instead of a tailfin, though he does have fins on his feet and ears, allowing him to breath underwater. The cybernetic trident he wields in battle was created by his mother, using Star Chaser's technology. He fights as a warrior for the clan, wanting to help pay back the group that gave him and his mother a home.

* * *

 **Conquest Empire:**

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

One of the four legendary generals of Conquest Empire that serve under Emperor Caezaros. He was born on the same planet that the empire originated on, making him one of Caezaros's most trusted warriors. His home was ravaged by civil wars and internal conflict before Caezaros united the planet under his rule. He now fights for his emperor and home, hoping that once the entire universe is united under one rule, it will bring an end to all war.

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

He is one of the soldiers on the frontlines of Conquest Empire's army. His equipment allows him to see far off distances. As a result, he can help guide his comrades through unknown territory safely and can also inform his commanders where the most advantageous land for them is. His skills have been exceptional in helping deploy the empire's troops efficiently.

 **Imperial Knight, Lucas**

A knight of Conquest Empire. He is a common soldier, but what separates him from others is his deep admiration for Alexander. He sees the general's commanding presence and power on the battlefield. He trains hard to be like the general he admires so much and as a result has gotten stronger.

 **Enslaved Princess, Mira**

A slave of Conquest Empire. She was the princess of the kingdom that ruled over a planet. That all changed however when Conquest Empire invaded and took over her home. The empire had heard rumor of the princess's renowned magic that could heal wounds and increase the power of others temporarily. She was given a choice, fight with the empire in its conquest over the universe, or watch her planet and everyone on it be destroyed. Though reluctant to help the empire in its goal, she fights on the rear guard, only hoping this nightmare eventually ends and she is reunited with her people.

 **Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel**

A skilled swordswoman of Conquest Empire. She was trained by Alexander personally, with the general seeing great potential in the young girl. Under his tutelage, Rachel became one of Conquest Empires top warriors. Her sword technique is thought of being one of the greatest the empire has ever seen, second only to Alexander. She fights for the empire's goal, but she is most loyal to Alexander, even more so than to Emperor Caezaros himself.

 **Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot**

A dragon from a distant future where Conquest Empire Conquered Cray. It was captured and enslaved by the empire during the war. After having horrible experiments done to it, the dragon is now a mindless slave to Conquest Empire, and is able to act as an airship for the clan in assaults, with soldiers operating the cannons and weapons on its body while it ravages enemies in a hail of fire.

 **Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus**

A knight of a future in which planets that Conquest Empire had oppressed managed to rebel and successfully drive the empire into a corner. Conquest Empire seemed doomed to be annihilated, until Cyrus appeared and wiped out the forces from every single one of the attacking planets. His power was feared and respected, almost as much as Emperor Caezaros. He refuses to tell the members of the empire in this time period of what this looming threat is however, not even the Emperor Caezaros of this time.

* * *

 **Cray Elemental:**

 **Prophecy Element, Atmos**

A lifeform of Cray, born from multiple elements from the planet. A prophet from Oracle Think Tank determined that Atmos had an important destiny ahead of it, one in which it would act as a protector of not only Cray, but also Earth. As Atmos grew, it became able to wield all six elements its body was made out of. When Conquest Empire invaded, Atmos realized that this was the destiny that the prophecy had foretold of. He used his power to unite the other Cray Elementals into a combined fighting force to protect Cray. He appears as a shining beacon on the battlefield, ready to protect Cray from any invader.

 **Savior Element, Atmos**

It is one of the possibilities of Atmos, a being who contains multiple elements in its body. Over time, it managed to fully master the multiple elements in its body. It can now manipulate them with delicate precision, even using more than one element at once. It appeared against a large force of Conquest Empire soldiers in Star Gate, one of the first spots targeted in Conquest Empire's invasion. Against nearly a thousand soldiers, Atmos annihilated them all. While this victory had been extremely helpful, the future Atmos had exhausted its power and returned to its own time to rest.

* * *

 **Pale Moon:**

 **Masked Illusionist, Harri**

A member of the magical "Pale Moon", he is praised as a child of prodigy. He has knowledge of illusion magic, arcane magic, and also assassination techniques. His skill with sealing magic has also grown, and although he cannot turn his dragon Pip back to its original form, he can turn it from a pigeon into a small dragon. When Star Chaser returned to Cray, he met Hikari when the young girl came to one of his shows. She was fascinated by his illusions, and spoke with the magician afterwards, where she also showed off some of the cosmic magic she was able to perform. This was a magic Harri had not seen before, and asked Hikari to teach him how to perform, believing it may assist in his illusions to further entertain his audience. When Conquest Empire invaded, he fought to keep Cray safe from the invading force, using all of his magical knowledge to defeat hordes of its soldiers.

 **Happiness Performer**

The warbeast girls were for a long time responsible for selling tickets and reception in the tent of Pale Moon. But one of them in particular long dreamed of becoming one of the performers in the shows. After practicing to hone her magic even further than she already had, she summoned a winged cat familiar. The tricks she was able to perform with it were noticed by Harri, who decided to assist her in her dream and make her the opening act in his show. Now she performs with his troupe, living the dream she always had.

 **Miracle Juggler, Lance**

A member of Pale Moon, he is a talented acrobat. His skill with psychokinesis allows him to delicately control the movements of his floating knives. His power has increased even further, allowing him to control his knives individually in any which way he sees fit. Due to his caring nature, he has been tasked with watching over and taking care of Harri. However, he rarely has much need to restrain the magician these days since he has matured over time. With Elen however, his job seems to never end.

 **Spotlight Star, Elen**

She is a member of the magical circus Pale Moon, and is in the same troupe as Harri. Her explosions from her pyrokinesis were long unaccepted for performances due to their terrifying nature. However, she has learned to control their power, and has made her dream of performing with explosions come true, while keeping it safe for audience members. She seems to smile in battle even more than in performances though, since she can unleash the full power of her pyrokinesis without restraint.

* * *

 **Narukami:**

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"**

A mighty dragon that rules over the military force of "Narukami". He is a pinnacle warrior who never backs down from a challenge and will fight to his very last breath. He was one of the first responders to the sudden arrival of Star Chaser's landing on Cray. Deciding it was best to form a bond with the new arrivals quickly, he found the leader of the alien people and challenged her to a fight. Volunteering in her mother's place, Hikari took the challenge from Vanquisher head on and fought a hard battle with him. Keeping up in power despite the difference in size with her skill in battle. The duel stopped when Vanquisher fell to the ground laughing about how much fun he was having, never deciding a clear victor. Regardless, Hikari's bond to Vanquisher is unshakable and one of the pillars of trust between Cray and Star Chasers. So when the call to war came against the invaders of Conquest Empire, Vanquisher took up a weapon for the first time in his life as a pledge to protect those whom came to Cray from this threat.

 **Thunder Pillar Dragon**

A young aspiring dragon who joined in the army of "Narukami". He was inspired by the actions of Vanquisher and the army during the battles with Conquest Empire and joined to walk in his footsteps. Baring armor based off his hero, this young warrior strove for greatness and recognition by his peers. Soon enough, that hard work paid off in winning numerous fights he was apart of, earning the favor of Vanquisher. He is a part of his personal unit and fights even harder with the pride of fighting alongside his hero.

 **Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs**

An imposing dragon and senior member of the Thunderstrike Army. Before he had decided to stay in the barracks teaching the younglings and dragoons in the art of combat. But with the looming threat of war on the horizon, he took up his armor once more to help his old friend. Vanquisher welcomed the veteran with open arms, assigning him to his personal unit that stood at the ready to fight Conquest Empire.

 **Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad**

A future possibility of an unknown warrior of "Narukami". During a time where the forces of Conquest Empire ravaged the lands of Dragon Empire, one lone dragon stood against them. In a bold and powerful display of lightning and thunder, he rained elemental fury down upon the soldiers that invaded his homeland. Even the mighty general Alexander was forced to retreat from this vicious onslaught from the sky. Baal-Hadad stands as a beacon to the people of Dragon Empire as a pillar of hope.

* * *

 **Shadow Paladin:**

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

A dragon of Shadow Paladin who has long since ruled over the Relics, a place of resting and lost souls. Having had enough of being trapped in an endless hell cage, Claret managed to gather enough lingering life force from the souls in Relics to return to life. The flames of wisps that once surrounded his face had faded away, giving him a physical head once more. The blue fire having turned to his cape that now burned eternally with his rage and ambition. Upon returning to Cray in secret, he learned of the sorry shape Shadow Paladin had become in his absence. The "Diablo" corps having no influence over the governance of the people and a Dragwizard by the name of Luard traveling with one of the gaudy Gold Paladins. Claret was infuriated at the state of his people and screamed to the heavens above for all to hear.

"The grasp of death cannot keep my hatred contained! I have returned to Cray and I will teach all of you the true power and terror of Shadow Paladins! Weakness is a SIN!"

To this day, he amasses an army in secret to the Sanctuary. Plotting to take his place once again as the future king.

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

A future possibility of Claret Sword Dragon's ambition and triumph over all those who stood before him. As his army was finished, he mounted a surprise assault against the heads of Shadow Paladin. The Witches were the first to bend their knees to the mighty dragon and then fell the feared "Revengers". The last bastion for the current state of the clan was Blaster Dark "Diablo" who fought the tyrannical dragon for weeks on end nonstop. The battle was long, hellish and taxing on both ends but finally Claret was victorious. Holding Blaster Dark by his neck, he showed to the people of his clan that he conquered their champion and demanded obedience or else. All hailed their new king as the Shadow Paladins began to undergo a 'golden age' of military strength, returning their power to an army Claret could say with pride that he created. He is "The King Who Conquered Death and the Devil" and will turn his blade to any one who opposes him. Not even Chronojet can stop him now.

* * *

 **Neo Nectar:**

 **Budding Musketeer, Amelia**

One of the Floral Musketeers, born from a rose. Unlike most of her fellow Musketeers, her flower stayed a bud while all of theirs bloomed into flowers. As a result of this, she lacks confidence in herself, despite her skills being recognized by even Ahsha. She dreams for the day she blooms and becomes like her fellow Musketeers.

* * *

 **Link Joker:**

 **Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox**

It is one of the Star-vaders, the invading force of Link Joker. Although it accepted the power of Void voluntarily, decades of the dark energy running through its body eventually fully corrupted it, transforming it into a raging beast that sought only to destroy. The enemies it has gone up against were eradicated, with not even their corpses remaining after the dragon was done with them. In this state however, it sometimes hears a soothing voice in its head, allowing it to regain its composure for moments at a time.

 **Death Star-vader, Infinite Nebula Dragon**

After having the energy of Void running through its body for so long, the dragon eventually became too corrupted. Combining the evil intentions of Link Joker with its thirst for power, it eventually went on a rampage, attacking friend and foe alike. Nebula Lord Dragon appeared to stop it, but it was defeated and absorbed by the raging dragon. However, having some of Nebula Lord Dragon's will lingering through its body, it managed to come to its senses. But now it is fully under the hold of darkness, with even the soothing voice it once heard no longer reaching it.

 **Twin-bladed Star-vader, Binary Star**

It is one of the Star-vaders, the invading force of Link Joker. Out of the many mass produced Binary Star cyberoid units, one in particular developed an ego. This was originally thought to be a failure of the unit as a result, but from the ego it gained it became an even more powerful soldier for Link Joker. Because of the results it showed, which far surpassed any of the previous Binary Star units, this one was allowed to live. It now acts as a special agent for Link Joker, completing missions that most others of its kind could not. However, it recently has started to wonder what the purpose of Link Joker's mission of destruction is for. It keeps these thoughts to itself however, knowing that if it spoke of them it would mean the end of it.

 **Ruined World Star-vader, Krypton**

It is one of the Star-vaders, the invading force of Link Joker. After completing many successful missions in subjugating planets Link Joker had set its eye on, Krypton rose through the ranks and was promoted. It became known as "The one that ruined worlds." However, as time went on, Krypton began to wonder about its purpose. Why it feels such a need to destroy every planet it comes across and its people. Is it because of Link Joker? Or something else?

 **Star-vader, Shadow Butterfly**

This is one of the Star-vaders, the invading force of Link Joker. It was originally a girl from a planet that was taken over by the Void, her spirit being transformed into that of a butterfly. It is often seen watching Photon from afar, though it is unclear as to why. However, when Photon looks at it, he often feels an odd sensation as if memories that were long sealed away returning to the surface. He is a cyberoid though, so this made little sense and he shook the thoughts away.

* * *

 **Gear Chronicle:**

 **Chronofang Tiger Z**

This is Chronofang Tiger, one of the twelve original spinners of time's wheel that stood to reset the world. Having long since served Chronojet as his sword and shield, protecting and fighting off any threat that the leader Time Beast cannot deal with. After the conflict with Gyze, the Dragon Deity of Destruction, Chronofang took to observing the nearby space of the gods defeat in search of any signs of its return or after effects. However, several million light years away did he see an armada of battleships making their way to the solar system, an evil aura coming from them. Informing Chronojet Dragon Z of the grave threat, the leader of Gear Chronicle decided it was best for him to begin observing the 'future possibilities' of this force and their ramifications on the universe if left unchecked. However, Chronofang was not content with this, he wished for the power to destroy them before they could cause any lasting damage. Seeing the determination to protect others, Chronojet made the decision to gift a fraction of his power gifted to him my the fallen Messiah to Chronofang. While small, the power changed the color of his armor to a brilliant golden sheen with pure ivory white claws. He took to training quickly, eager to master this new power and defend the world from this armada on the horizon.


	50. The Performing Assassin

**A/N: Hey readers. Another week means another chapter. This one has a face that some of you may recognize. And it may or may not be a trend for the next few chapters (hint hint).**

"Woah- Oof!"

Dan didn't really know what to expect when it came to intergalactic travel due to some weird magic. But he had not been expecting to suddenly wind up crashing into the ground. Picking himself up off the ground, he brushed the dirt off him. "Well that could have been worse… maybe."

"Well you certainly know how to make an entrance."

The sudden voice caused Dan to jump in surprise. Standing before him was a blonde female elf. What had surprised Dan was how closely she was invading his personal space.

"Woah!" Dan exclaimed, jumping back.

"So you're one of Earth's humans, huh?" she said.

"Come on, Elen. Give him some space." another voice said.

Looking past the female elf, Dan noticed another person in the room. He looked human, considering his ears weren't pointy like Elen's. It wasn't long before Dan recognized who the two of them were.

Spotlight Star, Elen and Miracle Juggler, Lance.

"Elen… Lance…" Dan said in surprise. He was really there. On the planet, talking with they very same units he used in Vanguard.

"Huh? You know our names?" Elen asked. "Wow! You must have like, some sorta psychic power or something!"

Lance let out a sigh. "Elen, do not remember the explanation we were given. Humans from Earth play that Vanguard game with cards depicting us."

"Oh right…" Elen said, remembering what she had been told. "I guess I forgot."

Lance shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?" He walked over to the two of them and looked at Dan. "I apologise for my associate's rudeness. As you just said, I'm Lance and this is Elen."

"Right…" Dan said. "Sorry, it's just… this is all so crazy. I'm not used to all this magic and elves and… well, everything."

Elen widened her eyes. "Seriously?! You don't have magic on Earth."

"Elen. The briefing."

"I'm sorry okay! But information meetings are so BORING!" Elen whined. "You can't blame me for falling asleep during them when it doesn't involve a performance."

As the two of them argued, Dan looked at their surroundings. They seemed to be in a temple of some kind. "So where exactly are we?"

"This is one of the ruins within the Dark Zone nation." Lance explained. "It's a sacred place to those of us on Cray. Beings like Atmos use it for rituals and other things. We used it like a homing beacon when you came from Earth, making you arrive here."

Dan widened his eyes, realizing that the others weren't with him. "That's right! I came with four others! Do you know where they are?!"

"I'd assume they were summoned to the ruins of the other nations." Lance explained. "You should have each arrived at places close to the clan you are close to. You are the Pale Moon user, correct?"

Dan nodded. "That's right?"

"That's good. It would be a total pain if we summoned the wrong guy." Elen said. "So let's get going!"

"Y-Yeah…" Dan said. "And… where exactly are we going?"

"Where else?" Elen said. "To the Pale Moon Circus."

* * *

Dan knew that Pale Moon was a clan of circus performers, but it truly surprised him when he laid eyes upon their home base. There were tents everywhere. And there were all kinds of humans and creatures walking around. He recognized several of them from the Pale Moon units in the game of Vanguard. He also couldn't help but be a bit off put by the dangerous looking beasts he saw everywhere. And him being a complete stranger caused many of the Pale Moon units standing around to look his way too.

"What do you think? Looks pretty cool, right?" Elen grinned.

"Y-Yeah…" Dan said.

"The Pale Moon circus performs all over Cray. But our home base is here in the Dark Zone nation." Lance explained.

"Aren't there also supposed to be assassins in Pale Moon?" Dan asked, remembering the Vanguard lore he had learned about through his years of playing the game.

"Yes, but that part of business isn't as focused on as much anymore." Lance told him. "Most of us are just performers. But don't mistake that as not being able to fight."

"Lance's psychic powers can help him skewer an enemy a hundred yards away with his knives." Elen said. "But it's got nothing on me and my pyrokinetic magic."

"You mean like when you set fire to the head tent?"

"That was ONE time!" Elen argued. "... Okay three times. But I'm a lot better at controlling my explosion magic now!"

"In any case, most of the members you'll find around here are our performers." Lance said. "And speaking of which… here's the troupe Elen and I are a part of."

Dan took a look at the tent they were walking up to. It was rather large compared to the other tents he saw. If this was the tent were the troupe that Lance and Elen were a part of was, then that meant only one thing.

This was where Harri was.

Lance and Elen walked into the tent, followed by Dan. "We're home everybody!" Elen called out. "And we brought a special guest!"

As Dan walked in, he was greeted by a rising cloud of mist. Dan quickly found himself surrounded by it, unable to see more than a couple feet in front of him. Soon, it began to clear but Dan was then met by a gigantic scary looking demon.

"Who dares to enter this tent uninvited?"

"Wh-What?!" Dan exclaimed. "But I was-"

"Pft… Snrk… Hehehehe…. Bwahahahahaha!"

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise as he heard the sudden laughter. The mist cleared further until both it and the demon were gone. In their place was Harri on the ground, kicking his legs up as he laughed.

"Hahahahahaha! Y-You… you should have seen your face! Oh boy, that was hilarious!" Harri said as he laughed. "Ow! Ow, my sides! Hahahahaha!"

Lance groaned as he shook his head. "Harri, did you really have to scare him half to death for your first meeting?"

"Oh come on, Lance! You have to admit, that was pretty funny!"

"That…" Dan's voice brought everyone's attention to him. "That was awesome! You've gotta show me how you did that!"

Harri showed a big grin as he got to his feet. "See? He liked it." He walked over to Dan. "He's got good taste in entertainment. Not that I'd expect anything less from the human I'm connected to on Earth." He showed a smile to Dan. "I like you. What's your name?"

"Dan. Dan Kisha." he answered.

"Nice to meet ya, Dan. I'm-"

"Harri. I know who you are." Dan told him.

"Right you are." Harri said. "So then, we'd best get prepared. Now that you're here, we need to get together with the other clans and prepare for our attack on Conquest Empire."

"I'm a bit out of the loop here, so what exactly is our plan of attack?" Dan asked. "Whatever it is, you can count me in if it'll help rescue Aurora."

"Aurora? Who's she?" Harri asked. "Oh, you must mean the Star Chaser Vanguard that came to Cray last month!"

"That's her." Dan nodded.

"Well don't worry. Rescuing her and Hikari are on our list of priorities too." Harri told him. "First let's introduce you to our leader. Luquier. We can head over to her tent now."

"No need for that." a new voice spoke.

All heads turned to the entrance of the tent, where a female elf walked in. she had long black hair with a few streaks of red hidden in it. She wore a black outfit that left little to the imagination for her upper body. Hooked at her waist was a long sharp whip. Her left eye was a blue color, but her left eye was bright red. Dan recognized her right away as Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier.

"Considering the huge commotion you were making, I take it our guest has arrived?" Luquier said.

"Yes ma'am." Lance said. He gestured over to Dan. "This is him."

"N-Nice to meet you! I'm Dan Kisha!" Dan said politely, yet nervously. If the stories about this unit from Vanguard lore were true, then Dan knew one thing very clearly. This was NOT someone he wanted to piss off.

"Hmm… So you're the human that will act as our Vanguard?" Luquier asked. "You certainly don't look like much."

Dan couldn't very well deny that. Compared to the deadly assassins and performers of Pale Moon, he wasn't much in terms of combat ability.

"Come on, Luquier. You remember what we were told." Harri said. "The humans of Earth aren't here to fight on the front lines on their own. We're supposed to combine their power with ours."

"I remember. Atmos said as much."

"It'll be fine." Harri said, throwing an arm around Dan's shoulder. "We've got Pale Moon's greatest magician, aka me, and the best Pale Moon user on Earth. It's the perfect combination."

"Hmm…" Luquier looked at Dan. "And you, human? Are you prepared to fight, even if it means risking your life?"

"I am." Dan nodded. "Vanguard is important to me. You guys have helped me become stronger through Vanguard. And even more than that, someone important to me is in trouble. If there's any way I can help, I'll do it."

Luquier stared at Dan for a few moments before cracking a small smirk. "Good eyes. You have determination." she said. "That said… I'm not sure how I feel about entrusting my precious little Harri's safety with you."

Harri frowned as he looked at Luquier. "Luquier, how many times do I have to tell you to stop treating me like a little kid! I can handle myself!"

"Now, now, you're like a little brother to me." Luquier said with a doting expression. "How can I not worry about you?"

"Well I bet me and this guy together could beat you no problem!" Harri told her.

Dan, Elen, and Lance all widened their eyes as Harri said this. Dan felt a nervous sweat go down his back from this. He wasn't even entirely sure yet how he was supposed to empower the units of Pale Moon. And now he was being expected to fight one of the most powerful members of the Pale Moon circus?

"Oh? Is that so?" Luquier asked. A grin came to her face. "Very well then. We can have a little trial to see what this human is capable of."

"Trial…?" Dan asked. "What kind of trial?"

"Oh you'll see." Luquier said. "Come to the head tent in one hour. I'll have things set up for you then."

With that, Luquier turned around and walked out of the tent. Once she was gone, Lance shook his head. "Harri, what were you thinking?"

"Yeah." Elen agreed. "Luquier's gonna destroy you! You know how strong she is!"

"Sorry, but I can't stand being treated like a child! It's so annoying!" Harri told them. He looked at Dan. "You're with me, right Dan? We can beat her, I know it!"

"Well… There's no way out of this I guess." Dan said. "And if we can't even beat Luquier then we have no chance at taking down Conquest Empire. Let's do this, Harri!"

"Yes! I knew you'd be on my side!" Harri grinned. "Alright, this is gonna rock!"

* * *

One hour passed by fairly quickly. Before long, Dan and Harri made their way to the head tent. If Harri's tent was big, then this one was gigantic. It was easily twice the size of what Dan had been expecting.

"You ready to do this, partner?" Harri asked.

Dan nodded his head. "Yeah. Time to show Luquier our power."

With that, the two of them walked into the head tent. They were both surprised by the audience they had. There were so many members of the Pale Moon circus sitting in the stands, cheering loudly as they walked in.

"Wow. Guess Luquier really wanted to put on a show." Harri said.

"I'm glad you didn't chicken out."

Luquier's voice brought both of their attention to her as she stood at the other end of the tent. She had her whip out, ready to unleash her full power.

"Of course we didn't." Dan said. "We'll handle whatever you throw at us."

"Big words. But can you back it up?" Luquier asked. She cracked her whip, the sound echoing throughout the tent. "Cause I won't be holding back."

"Uhh… Luquier? You're not seriously expecting him to fight, are you?" Harrii asked. "I mean, he's not exactly trained for real combat."

"Of course not. What point would there be in such an easy victory for me." Luquier told him. "We won't be fighting the regular way. We'll be doing it how they do it on Earth."

Dan widened his eyes. "Wait. You mean… a cardfight?"

"That's right." Luquier said.

"Ok, but how will we do that? You don't have a deck."

"I won't be your opponent." Luquier told him. "Just as you are Harri's other self, I also have my own other self."

' _Wait. Does she mean… a human from Earth?!'_

"I suppose I should explain something first. My Vanguard isn't from your world." Luquier said. "Or to be more precise… they aren't from this universe."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"It's the same principle with striding. There are an infinite number of futures. In other words, an infinite number of futures and timelines." Luquier explained. "The human I will summon is the strongest candidate for my Vanguard throughout all the universes. Unlike you however, they will appear as an astral body."

Before Dan could ask anymore questions, Luquier cracked her whip against the ground. An azure light emanated from her. "Now come to me! My Vanguard! Across the widest spans of the universe!"

Dan and Harri shielded their eyes from the bright light that appeared. When it finally died down, a new person was standing in the tent at Luquier's side. It was a girl with long blue hair and eyes of the same color. She wore a dark blue outfit with a belt around her waist that had two pink bows tied to it.

"Thank you for coming." Luquier told the girl.

"Of course. I couldn't very well refuse your call, Luquier." the girl said. "And for such an interesting event like this too."

As Dan looked at the girl, there was one thing that was certain in his mind. He definitely didn't recognize this girl. He was expecting some kind of famous cardfighter that used Pale Moon, but he had never seen this person.

"So you must be my opponent." she said. "My name is Asaka Narumi. And yours is?"

"Dan Kisha." he answered. "Member of Team Cosmic Trio."

"Cosmic Trio? Can't say I've heard of you." Asaka said.

"Really? Didn't you watch the Vanguard World Tournament?"

"Vanguard World Tournament? I didn't hear of any event like that happening. And if it had, Team Asteroid would have easily won it."

"Asteroid? Haven't you of you either." Dan told her.

"What?!" Asaka gasped. "We were winners of the national tournament for two years in a row! And our leader Ren Suzugamori is branch chief of United Sanctuary in Japan."

"Branch chief?" Dan questioned. "What's that?"

"If I may interrupt." Luquier said. "You both come from different Earths. As such, there are probably several facts that are different throughout your timelines. You may not even exist in each other's world."

"I see." Asaka said. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to show you the might of Team Asteroid's assassin personally."

"Bring it on." Dan said. "Cause I'm not losing."

"Aw yeah! Now we've got ourselves a party!" Harri grinned. "Let's do this, partner!"

Suddenly, Harri transformed into light. That light went into Dan's deck, making it glow. Luquier did the same, joining herself with Asaka's deck.

Two sheets of light appeared in front of them. Both fighters placed their decks down and drew their opening hands.

"Show me what you're made of." Asaka told him.

"That's my line." Dan said.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Happiness Performer!"

 **Happiness Performer**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Emile!"

 **Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Emile**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." Dan said. "I ride Miracle Juggler, Lance!"

 **Miracle Juggler, Lance**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Asaka(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Asaka said. "Now, members of the Pale Moon Circus, please help me in the start of act one! I ride Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina!"

 **Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Irina's skill. I look at the top 2 cards of the deck, add up to one Silver Thorn among them to the soul, and send the rest to the bottom of the deck." Asaka explained. "I send Silver Thorn Masher Dragon to the soul. Next I call Emile out from the soul with forerunner. But she won't be staying long, because now I use her skill! I send her to the soul and look at the top five cards of my deck. Then I add up to one grade 1, 2, and 3 each with Silver Thorn in their names among them to the soul." Asaka looked at her cards and smirked. "Lucky me. I add Silver Thorn Clown, Cernay, Silver Thorn, Upright Lion, and Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier."

' _It's her first turn, and she's already got so many cards in the soul!'_ Dan thought with widened eyes. ' _She really is good.'_

"Now then, Let's have Irina go in for an attack on Lance!"

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Asaka(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(5), Asaka(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _She's already off to a good lead. Unlike my deck that has to wait until I stride to really get going, she seems to be able to go off right away. I'll need to be careful.'_

"I ride! Spotlight Star, Elen!"

 **Spotlight Star, Elen**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Elen attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Asaka(1).]**

"That's it for my turn."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(6), Asaka(6).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Asaka said. "Get ready for act 2! I ride Silver Thorn Magician, Clemens!"

 **Silver Thorn Magician, Clemens**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Maricia and Silver Thorn Assistant, Zelma." Asaka said. "Zelma's skill. I send Maricica to the soul. Then I call Silver Thorn, Masher Dragon from the soul. With its skill, I look at the top three cards of the deck and send any among them to the soul, provided they each have different grades. I send Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Ana and put the other two on the bottom of the deck. Masher Dragon gets 2000 for each card added."

"You're quite impressive, putting cards into your soul so quickly."

"You haven't seen anything yet." Asaka smirked. "Masher Dragon attacks!"

 **(10000+2000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up a grade 1.

"Boosted by Zelma, Clemens attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Asaka(1).]**

"Turn end." Asaka said

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(5), Asaka(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _This girl is clearly a Pale Moon master. My regular tricks won't cut it, I need to take my game to the next level.'_

"The moon is your spotlight! Take to the stage! Bring forth an illusion that will be talked about for generations! Ride! Masked Illusionist, Harri!"

 **Masked Illusionist, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

With that, Harri appeared onto the field. He twirled his staff in his hand as he grinned. "Looks like it's finally my turn to shine. Let's wow the crowd."

"Yeah. Let's do it, Harri." Dan said. "Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Asaka said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Harri and I recover one."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Asaka(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(7), Asaka(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Asaka said. She took a card in her hand and held it out.

' _It's coming.'_ Dan thought.

"With a crack of her whip, even the mightiest of dragons bow to her whim! Ride! Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier!"

 **Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Get ready. Because you haven't even seen the best part." Asaka said. "Stride Generation! Silver Thorn Dragon Master, Mystique Luquier!"

 **Silver Thorn Dragon Master, Mystique Luquier**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Now whenever I call a Silver Thorn this turn from the soul, that unit gains 3000 power." Asaka explained. "Next I use Mystique Luquier's skill! I send Zelma and Masher Dragon to the soul! Then I soul charge two cards and call up to two Silver Thorns from the soul! Come! Silver Thorn Magician, Clemens and Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Maricica! They both gain 3000 with the stride skill! Then I activate Cernay's skill from the soul! I counterblast and call him behind my Vanguard since I called a card from soul! And finally, I call Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Ana behind Clemens!"

' _She's got four rear guards out. And she still managed to hold onto most of her hand.'_ Dan thought. ' _On top of that, three of her rear guards have skills that can call out another unit from soul if their attacks hit. This is the tricky part of playing against Silver Thorns.'_

"Ana, lend your support to Clemens to start us off! And Clemens gains 2000 power with his skill!"

 **(9000+3000+2000+7000=21000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up two cards from his hand.

"Boosted by Cernay, Luquier is coming in!"

 **(26000+7000+3000=36000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive." Asaka said. "First check, critical trigger. Critical to Luquier and power to Maricica. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Maricica and I draw. Third check, no trigger."

Dan and Harri braced themselves against Luquier's attack as another two cards fell into Dan's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Asaka(2).]**

"Skill of Cernay. After an attack ends where he boosted the Vanguard, I can discard a card and send him to the soul. Then I call a Silver Thorn from soul to rear guard." Asaka explained. "I call Zelma behind Maricica. And with Zelma's skill, I send Clemens to the soul and call him back out in the same place where he was!"

"No way!" Dan gasped.

Asaka smirked as she looked at Dan. "I was known as Team Asteroid's Assassin for a reason, boy. I never let my prey escape. And right now, the prey I'm after is you! Get him Clemens!"

 **(9000+3000+2000=14000)**

"Guard!"

"Maricica! Attack with a boost from Zelma!"

 **(9000+3000+10000+7000+3000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill! I look at the top three cards of the deck. Adding Cutie Paratrooper to the soul. Since she's grade 1 or higher, add 5000 to the shield! Then I guard with Lance from my hand!"

"Not bad. You managed to block all my rear guard attacks." Asaka said. "But you have yet to show me any real offense. Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(2), Asaka(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Don't get the wrong idea that I can't launch a real attack. I just can't do it without the star of my show."

"That would be me." Harri smirked as he pointed to himself. "I am the greatest illusionist ever after all."

"How about you stop gloating and start fighting, Harri?" Luquier said.

"Careful what you wish for." Harri told her.

"Here we go!" Dan yelled. "Stride Generation! Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul charge and call Cutie from the soul! Add 3000 power! Since she has magia, I countercharge! Then I use her magia and call Spotlight Star, Elen! Add 5000 power! After that, I use Happiness Performer's skill to call herself behind the Vanguard. I draw since Lyrica has magia. Then I use her magia to call out Lance. He has magia so I draw. And with Lance's magia, I call Crescent Moon Juggler!"

"Interesting. So you were able to get a full field simply by striding." Asaka realized with a raised brow.

"Get ready for the Pale Moon Circus's magia illusion." Dan said. "Crescent Moon Juggler attacks with a boost from Lance!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Asaka said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Elen is up next, with Cutie's boost!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+7000+3000=25000)**

"Generation guard! Doting Harlequin, Maja!"

 **Doting Harlequin, Maja**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Maja's skill. Since I don't have a Vanguard that has magia, I soul charge 3 cards." Asaka said.

"Using Elen's skill. I counterblast and send her to the soul. Then I call out Masked Illusionist, Harri. And I'll have him attack Clemens!"

 **(11000)**

"Oh no you don't! I guard!" Asaka said.

"Lyrica attacks. With her skill, I send all my rear guards to the soul. Then she gains 3000 power for each one. And since four or more were sent, she gets drive plus one."

' _I have 2 damage. He'll need three critical triggers to finish me off.'_ Asaka thought. "No guard."

"Quadruple drive! First check, stand trigger. Power to Lyrica. Second check, grade 2. Lyrica's skill. I draw, soul charge, and call Happiness Performer. Happiness Performer's skill. Call Elen. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Elen and recover one. Final check, critical trigger. Power to Elen and critical to Lyrica."

"Damage check." Asaka said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Luquier and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Asaka(3).]**

"Boosted by Happiness Performer, Elen attacks!"

 **(9000+1000+10000+5000=25000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Asaka(4).]**

"Skill of Elen. Counterblast and send her to soul. Then I call Crescent Moon Juggler. With his skill, I call Purple Trapezist. And with Trapezist's skill, I send Happiness Performer to the soul and call it back out where it was. Using her skill to call out Elen in front of Purple Trapezist. Then I draw." With his field built up, Dan continued his assault. "Elen attacks with a boost from Trapezist!"

 **(9000+1000+6000+2000=18000)**

"Guard!" Asaka said, holding up a trigger with 10000 shield.

"Crescent Moon is up next with a boost from Happiness Performer!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Asaka said, using two cards from her hand.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(11), Asaka(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Asaka said. "Impressive. It's no surprise you and your team won that world tournament thing you mentioned. I'd even go so far as to say you had a good chance of winning this fight." A smirk came to her lips. "If you weren't facing me that is."

Everyone watched as Asaka held up a card from her hand. Dan could see she was planning on ending things this turn. "Generation Zone, release! Now, witness my grand finale. A performance that will be talked about for years to come. Stride Generation! Silver Thorn Dragon Goddess, Luquier Rosé!"

 **Silver Thorn Dragon Goddess, Luquier Rosé**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Asaka's new G Unit was a new form of Luquier. She still had her majestic long black hair and long thorny whip. One main difference though were the two dragon-like wings sprouting from her back, allowing her to hover in the air.

"Stride skill. All Silver Thorns called from the soul this turn gain 3000 power." Asaka explained. "Next I call Silver Thorn Assistant, Dixie. With her skill, I send her back to the deck and call Emilie from the soul."

' _She's got a full field out. Whatever she's planning, it's gonna be big.'_

"Clemens attacks first, with a boost from Ana!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Maricica is up next with a boost from Zelma!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

' _She's attacking with her Vanguard last?'_ Dan noticed. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Asaka(4).]**

"Luquier Rosé takes flight!" Asaka declared. "Skill of Luquier Rosé! When she attacks, I send all my rear guards to soul! Then I can call out Silver Thorn units from the soul up to the number I sent! They each gain the ability to attack from the back row!"

Dan widened his eyes. "What?!"

"Witness the ultimate technique of the Silver Thorns! Silver Thorn Bloody Rose!" Asaka said. "I call Maricica, a pair of Clemens, Luquier, and Masher Dragon! They each gain 3000 from the stride skill! In addition, Luquier Rosé's Generation Break 3! Whenever a Silver Thorn is called from soul, both she and it gain 5000 power!"

Dan could hardly believe what he was hearing. "But that's 25000 to your Vanguard alone!"

"That's right! And she's coming straight for you!"

 **(26000+25000=51000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Asaka said. "First check, critical trigger! All effects to my rear guard Luquier! Second check, another critical trigger! All effects to Masher Dragon! Third check, no trigger!"

Dan grit his teeth. He was at four damage. If either Luquier or Masher Dragon hit, he'd be finished. And if he let Clemens or Maricica hit, Asaka would be able to use their skills to call out another Silver Thorn. She had him cornered.

"You put up a good fight. But this is the end." Asaka said. "Luquier attacks!"

 **(11000+3000+5000+5000=24000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up two cards from his hand. "I already told you. I'm not losing this fight. There's too much riding on it."

"Masher Dragon attacks!"

 **(10000+3000+5000+5000=23000)**

"And guard!" Dan yelled.

"Clemens attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+5000=19000)**

' _This Clemens is in her back row. That means the unit she calls out won't be able to attack. It'll only be able to boost.'_ Dan thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Asaka(4).]**

"Skill of Clemens. Since the attack hit, send him to the soul and call out Zelma." Asaka said. "With Zelma's skill, send Masher to the soul and call out Ana."

' _She got boosters for both her remaining attacks.'_ Dan realized. ' _Either way, I have to block them no matter what.'_

"Clemens attacks with a boost from Zelma!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+5000+7000+3000+5000=34000)**

"Generation guard!" Dan called out. "Doting Harlequin, Maja!"

 **Doting Harlequin, Maja**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Maja! I call Flying Peryton from the soul! Then with its magia, I call Purple Trapezist! With Purple Trapezist's skill, I send Happiness Performer to the soul, then call it back out. Magia of Happiness Performer. I call Crescent Moon Juggler! I draw, since it has magia!" Dan drew his card and felt relief wash over him when he saw it. "I also guard with Darkside Swordmaster!"

"Boosted by Ana, Maricica will attack!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+7000+3000+5000=32000)**

"Masquerade Bunny and two Cutie Paratroopers! I guard!" Dan called out. "I also intercept with Peryton and Crescent Moon Juggler!"

' _He actually survived it.'_ Asaka thought with widened eyes. "I'm impressed. But you have no more cards in your hand. How do you plan on making a comeback like that?"

"Well if I told you, then I wouldn't be much of an entertainer, now would I?" Dan smirked.

Asaka let out a small chuckle. "Well this should be interesting. Turn end."

"All my rear guards except Happiness Performer return to the soul from being called out by magia." Dan explained.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(0), Asaka(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Skill of Masked Illusionist, Harri. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can soul blast and add a magia unit from my soul to my hand. Adding Masked Phantom, Harri."

' _Securing the cost to stride.'_ Asaka realized.

"Generation Zone, release! Now let the spotlight shine on the future that leads to the shining stage! Stride Generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Calling Flying Peryton. With its magia, I call Purple Trapezist. Trapezist's skill. I send Happiness Performer to the soul and call it back out. With magia, I call Spotlight Star, Elen in front of it. And since I have a face up copy of Dragon Masquerade, Harri in my G Zone, all my magia rear guards gain 3000 power."

Luquier narrowed her eyes. ' _This boy. His determination is incredible.'_

"Elen attacks with a boost from Happiness Performer!"

 **(9000+1000+3000+5000+3000=21000)**

' _He might truly be able to help us defeat Conquest Empire.'_

"No guard." Asaka said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Asaka(5).]**

"Flying Peryton leaps in with a boost from Purple Trapezist!"

 **(9000+3000+3000+6000=21000)**

"Guard!" Asaka said as she held up two cards from her hand.

"Masquerade Master, Harri attacks!" Dan called out. "Harri's skill! I send Purple Trapezist and Flying Peryton to soul. Then I call Purple Trapezist and Spotlight Star, Elen. Using Trapezist's skill to send Happiness Performer back and call out Lance. Lance's magia. I call Masked Illusionist, Harri."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Ellen. Third check, no trigger." Dan said. "Harri attacks with a boost from Purple Trapezist!"

 **(11000+6000+6000=23000)**

Asaka let out a sigh. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Asaka(6).]**

Asaka showed a satisfied smile as the final card fell into her damage zone. "You've defeated me. Well done." Suddenly she noticed her body begin to fade away, getting more and more transparent. "That was a fun cardfight."

"Thank you for joining me in this fight, my Vanguard." Luquier told her.

"Anytime." Asaka said. "Farewell."

With that, Asaka vanished from the Planet Cray. Cheers were heard from the audience of Pale Moon members for the exciting cardfight.

"Woo! Did you see me in there! I totally kicked butt!" Elen cheered.

"So that was a cardfight. Very interesting." Lance said.

Dan's cards returned to him. Harri grinned as he and Dan shared a fist bump.

"Nice job out there, Harri." Dan said.

"We make a pretty good team." Harri told him.

"Indeed." Luquier said, gaining the attention of both Dan and Harri. "That was an exciting battle. And it's clear your bond has become even stronger after this."

Dan widened his eyes in realization. "Wait a minute… Was this your plan all along?"

"Of course. I could see the hidden strength within you right away." Luquier said with a chuckle. "But I wanted you two to draw out your combined power to its max for the coming fight."

"Geez Luquier, you coulda just told us this from the start." Harri complained.

"Oh sweet little Harri. When you've lived for as long as I have, you get a few quirks." Luquier giggled. She looked at Dan. "I'm sure every member of Pale Moon knows now that they can trust you. Our Vanguard."

Dan looked around, seeing the entire Pale Moon clan cheering for him. It was honestly a bit overwhelming.

' _Guess they really are counting on us to save Cray.'_ Dan thought. "Alright then! Let's give Conquest Empire a show it'll never forget!"

The response Dan got was a loud collection of cheers and applause.

 **Anthony: So things seem to be going well for you.**

 **Dan: I guess so. I've earned the trust of the Pale Moon clan.**

 **Anthony: Well then it's my turn next. Bet you Narukami won't make me have to go through some weird cardfight like you had to do.**

 **William: I wouldn't be so sure of that.**

 **Next time: Thunder Break Time**

 **Card Gallery:**

Silver Thorn Dragon Goddess, Luquier Rosè  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, send all your rear guards to the soul. Call out cards with "Silver Thorn" in their name from your soul to RC up to the number of cards you sent. They each gain **(CONT RC: This unit can attack from the back row.)** until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** When a unit with "Silver Thorn" in its name is called to RC from soul, that unit and this unit gain +5000 power.


	51. Thunder Break Time

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy the familiar face you'll see today.**

"Ugh… What happened…?"

Anthony looked around with his vision groggy and blurry from his sudden crash landing onto Cray. There wasn't much to the wasteland he was in other than a large settlement and a huge kingdom in the even further distance. Judging by the shapes flying around it, he could only assume it was Dragon Empire.

Slapping the blurriness out of his vision, he got up from the ground and began walking to the settlement. As Anthony walked he took note of the battle scars the land seemed to have. Deep craters off to the side of mountains, the patches of burnt grass and dusty earth was sure signs of a conflict. Conquest Empire was a forced to be reckoned with if even the big hitters of Dragon Empire were having trouble.

Once he neared the baseline of the settlement, the ground around him began to shake. The teen could barely register the ground shaking until a sudden scaly tail came up from underground and wrapped around his body. The grip was tight enough to send a message that he was trespassing but not enough to cause immediate harm.

"Well, well, well.. Look what we have here." A silky, yet venomous voice called out from underground. From the rift in the earth came a lamia with purple scales and skin wearing a stylish red and purple top with a turban and a skirt hanging around her snake half. "Are you the one that the Atmos had told our leader about?"

Anthony managed to shift his body around to see who was the one gripping him so hard. He recognized the unit almost immediately as one of the Eradicators, Seiobo. "I'm here to see Vanquisher, let me go!"

"Ho? And tell me, why should I let a cute little creature go?" Seiobo's face came closer while she poked at Anthony's face with one of her big fingers. At least, big when compared to the rest of his body. "What if I want to keep you to myself, hm?"

Being treated like a doll was not something he enjoyed. Especially since the snake girl was acting like he was something she could just own. So when she poked his cheek again, Anthony turned around and chomped on the offending finger.

"Ouch! You son of a-!" Seiobo screeched before throwing him to the ground while holding her finger in his hand. "What the hell was that for!?"

"I'm not some toy to be played with! I'm here to help against Conquest Empire!"

"Haven't you ever heard of a joke!?"

"Haven't you ever heard of not strangling a person who comes to help out!?"

The human and lamia argued back and forth for a good bit before chuckling was heard. Both turned around to see another resident of Narukami walking towards them. The tall dragon shook his head while laughing at the situation in front of him. "What's wrong Seiobo? Is our guest giving you a bit of trouble?"

Anthony recognized this unit too. One whom he used a lot in his deck. "Martial Arts Dragon!"

Seiobo turned around with a huff away from both the human and dragon. "Shut up, I was just bored waiting for Sigma to come back. So I decided to play with the human when he arrived but I wasn't expecting him to act like a brat and bite me! Go fill him in on the situation while I let the others know he's here..." The lamia slithered on away into the settlement leaving the two to their devices.

The dragon chuckled and nudged Anthony slightly with one of his fingers. "Looks like we got a Dragoon in training here. Not many stand up to Sigma's corps like you did."

That comment gave the teen a bit of a smile as he imagined himself on top of a dragon mount flying in the skies with a lance in hand. But such thoughts would wait til later since there was a pressing matter at hand. "As romantic as that sounds, I just want to be sure of something. You said Sigma right? As in the Eradicator?"

"Indeed, turns out after the war with Link Joker he was found alive. But he was still going through some personal stuff so he fights Conquest Empire by his lonesome. His corps go with him on occasion but solitude seems to be his true friend. They worry about him but he's one of the toughest we got."

"FIghting alone, huh…? Y'know, I think I can understand how Seiobo feels. Someone going off alone and leaving others behind."

"Hmm… I can feel that. But no time to dawdle. We must get you to the Narukami leaders."

The dragon lead Anthony through the camp that consisted mainly of Narukami members that he recognized. Numerous Dragon Dancers looked towards his way and began waving and giggling to him. While the lizardmen and dracokids looked either excited or unimpressed at the human walking through their camp. And as amazed as Anthony was at seeing so many he grew up with, nothing could compare to the massive makeshift building that had doors half the height of Tokyo tower.

Martial Arts Dragon looked to the human guest as he placed his hands on the door. "Are you ready? Because the sight might overwhelm you at first."

Anthony nodded his head. "I came here to help didn't I? I'd be a coward just to turn tail and run here."

"Ha! Very true. I like you kid. Let's get this show on the road."

With a mighty push, Martial Arts pushed the door open. Both he and his human companion walked down a short hall the lead to a massive meeting room. In this room were dragons that were larger than life, the biggest living things Anthony had ever seen. Many of whom he recognized. Vermillion, Detonix, Tempest Bolt, Big Bang Knuckle Buster and…

Vanquisher standing at the end of the room and the first one who laid eyes on the human teen.

"Welcome, my Vanguard."

"Dragonic Vanquisher…"

The human teen was in awe of what he was seeing. A figure and central part of his childhood even now into the present day was standing tall right before him. The intimidatingly sized dragon moved his colossal hand and picked Anthony up by the collar of his shirt. Leave it to the leader of Narukami to be so tough yet so precise with his movements. Vanquisher held him aloft in his open palm for the other dragons to see.

"Everyone, this is the human that Atmos has sent to us. One of the few who have the strongest connection to us on Cray. The Vanguard for Narukami." Vanquisher's mighty voice boomed for the others to hear.

Detonix eyed the human with an almost unimpressed look in his eyes. "This boy is our hope for Cray? He looks no better than any of our humans we have in our army."

"Detonix, you should know that might isn't the only way one succeeds in a fight." Vermillion chided much to the annoyance of the other. "The power of one may be great but this boy showed great potential earlier."

A hearty laugh caught Anthony's attention, focusing on Big Bang Knuckle Buster who was beside himself with mirth. "This kid chomped on one of Sigma's troops and lived to tell about it. His bravery surely checks out with the standard of the army, at bare minimum."

"Tch…!"

Anthony smiled with amusement seeing Seiobo at the wayside having the grace to look away. Her annoyed expression was a treat considering he wasn't too big a fan of such an aggressive approach to greetings.

"He still has much to prove however." Tempest Bolt added in. "Anthony, human who is connected to Narukami. Do you plan on fighting alongside the planet Cray and all its people against Conquest Empire. Knowing full well you could lose your life doing this?"

Anthony was almost insulted that this even needed to be asked. "Are you kidding me? Why else would I show up if not to help?" Anthony took a deep breath before turning around to Vanquisher. "You guys have helped me out through rough times in my childhood and life in general. So helping to save you guys from a bunch of jerks thinking they can take over whatever the hell they want is the least I can do." He held up a fist to his favorite unit. "C'mon, let's go tear them a new one right now!"

"Now hold on here!" Detonix boomed, slamming his fists onto the table. "Vanquisher is our leader, our general of all Narukami! To risk endangering him to the onslaught of Conquest Empire is not something I even want to consider!"

"Then what do you suggest, Detonix? We cannot stay away from the battlefield for too long. The mighty Tachikaze can only keep the intruders at bay for so long without our assistance. Need I remind you the whole reason we made this makeshift camp to begin with?"

A tense silence pressed into the room at the weight of Vanquisher's question. It was true that Narukami's offensive power was a major factor in keeping the invaders away but asking the entire force of the clan to rely on one measly human from Earth was asking a bit much from the higher ups. No one seemed to have an answer at the ready until the doors to the meeting room slammed open violently.

Everyone turned to see another dragon walk into the room looking quite battle fresh. Blood dripped from his sword and armor, staining the carpet a deep red as he made his way to the table. Seiobo recognized the dragon and immediately rushed to his side.

"Lord Sigma! Are you hurt!?" The lamia asked while frantically looking around his body. Her hands began to glow a soft green color as she pressed them onto his armor. "Here, let me just-!"

"Seiobo, stop." Dragonic Descendant 'Sigma' said plainly as his soldier tried to heal him. "Very little of this blood is mine. Those empire rats are nothing more than filthy stains on my body."

Tempest Bolt almost looked annoyed at the treatment Sigma was giving Seiobo. She was only trying to help him. "Sigma, is there anything you wanted to say or did you just wanted to be dramatic? Bursting in like an attention seeking troublemaker."

"No matter how many times I look at you, it always disappoints me that you're what's left of our Eradicators. You and that knuckle punching moron of a leader." The blood covered dragon mocked while sheathing his sword. "And for your information, I did have something to say to the whole lot of nothing going on here."

"Then speak. The longer we wait, the more our enemies pile at our doorstep." Vanquisher requested.

Sigma looked to Anthony and nodded his head at him. "Atmos chose this kid to help us out but that wimp Detonix isn't too keen on letting him leave with our 'mighty' leader. So I have an idea. A… trial if you will."

"Trial?"

"Meet me at the outskirts in ten minutes. Don't be late."

Anthony glared at the arrogance displayed by the dragon and turned directly to him as he began walking away. "Hey jerk! Instead of making me go through hoops to help, why don't you just show me to the battlefield to prove myself."

Seiobo let out a squeak as Sigma turned around with a harsh look in his eyes. A moment's flash was all it took for Anthony to be staring down the edge of Sigma's blade. Barely a few centimeters from directly cutting him. "You sure have a loud mouth, human. I don't put up with any back talk from puny little creatures like you."

Even with the sword staring him right in the face, Anthony didn't back down from the challenge. "Well it's a good thing I'm not back talking you, now is it? I'm telling this right to your smug face, let's go help out Cray now!"

Sigma looked at the tiny creature who was so audacious to say such things to him. Normally, he would've cut down anyone who dared to show such disrespect to him. But knowing that Vanquisher and the other dragons being here would likely stop him from such an attempt, he merely showed a snarling smile and turned around again. "How brave. Like I said, ten minutes." With that he wasted no time leaving the room with Seiobo not too far behind him.

Once the door closed, Anthony let out a huge groan of frustration. "I can't believe that ass! He's making go through some trial and for what?"

"Kid, you got some serious stones on you to say that stuff right to Sigma's face." Big Bang commented while rising from his position. "Had you not been chosen by Atmos, he would've killed you in a heartbeat."

In retrospect, it was probably foolish for him to act like that to a giant dragon. But his instincts got the better of him. "Sorry…"

"It doesn't matter, my Vanguard. You showed the true heart of a warrior and for that you have my respect." He placed the human onto his shoulder and looked to his troops. "Wait for but a moment while I discuss a few things before we head on out."

Anthony nodded his head and relaxed as best he could on the shoulder armor of Vanquisher. While it was far from the most comfortable place he's even been on, it was a comfort knowing that he had the dragon's trust and respect.

' _I don't care what Sigma has to throw at us. We'll take it down together like we always do!'_

* * *

Only Anthony and Vanquisher alone went to go meet with the temperamental Sigma out in the wasteland outskirts. The others chose to stay behind and manage the troops for a rally order should this trial go smoothly. But surprisingly enough, Sigma wasn't alone in the field. With him was another red and gold dragon that held giant gauntlets that crackled with thunder and power. Of course, it had to be the Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Dragon standing there.

The new arrival caught sight of the two walking towards them and raised his hand. "Oh hey, Vanquisher! Been a while, eh?"

"Gauntlet Buster. While I am not unhappy to see you safe, what are you doing here?" Vanquisher asked, curious why a higher up in the army was suddenly here.

Gauntlet Buster put a hand on Sigma's shoulder who immediately brushed it off him. "Well this jerk over here wanted me to test the human that was sent to us. And who am I to say no to someone wanting to fight the good fight?"

"But what is this trial? That sword flinging edgelord won't stop being mysterious about the whole thing." Anthony's title made the jovial dragon bust a gut laughing while the angrier one unsheathed his sword again.

"Silence you fool! I won't hesitate cut you down right here if you don't cease that grating laughter!" SIgma yelled at his fellow Eradicator.

The laughing calmed down from Gauntlet Buster into a sigh and a shake of his head. "I like this kid. But don't worry I'll explain. This is a combat test, since it's no exaggeration to say that you'll be walking into a hell zone like you've never seen before. Conquest Empire is no joke, deadly serious like this guy over here."

"And how exactly am I gonna fight you? Unless you haven't noticed, I'm an ant compared to you guys!"

"Oh no, that's not a fair way to do this trial. We're gonna fight the way you guys do on earth."

That caught Anthony's attention for sure. "Huh, you mean like a cardfight?"

The dragon nodded his head. "Exactly! Though you won't be fighting me directly, per se. You'll be fighting my own avatar. A human just like you."

"Wait there are more humans who have strong connections to Cray!?" Anthony exclaimed. "Then why not summon them here!? We could have a bigger and better chance against Conquest Empire!"

Gauntlet Buster shook his head at the proclamation. "It's not that simple, human. You see, my connection lies with a human from Earth like you and Vanquisher. But it's not in the same universe." Seeing the human tilt his head in confusion made him continue. "You see like striding, there are multiple futures that can be observed and acted on. So my avatar can't be here like you are in a physical sense. More like a projection from a screen in a way."

Anthony couldn't even get another question in before Gauntlet Buster raised his right hand as a lightning bolt crashed into him. "Now come to me! My Vanguard! Across the wildest spans of the universe!"

Everyone present shielded their eyes from the bright light that came from the dragon. When it died down, standing in front of him was another human. A male who looked a bit older than Anthony by a year or so wearing a black shirt with a green vest over it and blue jeans. He had a wild style of bronze colored hair. "It's been too long, Naoki Ishida."

The named Naoki turned around to his avatar and gave a solid thumbs up. "You know it, Gauntlet Buster! I'm always glad to help a friend out. Though being on Cray itself is a whole other experience."

"Hold up, you're connected to Cray in your world?" This was beginning to blow Anthony's mind. A human from another universe who had visited this planet before.

"Well kinda. The closest I ever got to the place was being on the moon. But that's a story for another time. The name is Naoki Ishida, the strongest cardfighter in all of Japan!" The guy gave a smile full of confidence and energy that was just as radiant as the other humans.

"Well, I'm Anthony Fergus! The powerhouse of Team Cosmic Trio and best Narukami player around!" He wasn't one to back down from the same energy being thrown at him. He would meet it in kind with his own.

"Well I don't know who this Team 'Cosmic Trio' is, but I think I'm gonna have to disagree with that title you've given yourself." Naoki pulled out his deck from his side pocket and pointed it at Anthony. "Let's cardfight!"

Anthony was almost about to question how Naoki didn't know about Cosmic Trio considering they were kind of a big deal, but then he remembered Gauntlet Buster's words. ' _RIght, right, other universe stuff.'_ He met the gesture in kind, pulling out his own deck. "Let's go!"

Both avatars of the human shined brightly before moving into the respective decks of the players. Two sheets of light formed in front of them, allowing both fighters to place their decks on it.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Ambush Dragon Eradicator, Linchu!"

 **Ambush Dragon Eradicator, Linchu**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Thunderwarning Dracokid!"

 **Thunderwarning Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start things off!" Naoki announced, drawing a card for his turn. "I ride my avatar, Assault Eradicator, Saikei!"

 **Assault Eradicator, Saikei**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Linchu moves back with forerunner. Turn end!"

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Naoki(5).]**

"Wait a minute, I thought Gauntlet Buster was your avatar? Why did you say that just now?"

Naoki rubbed the back of his head with a bit of a nostalgic smile on his face. "Oh, It's just something I like to say to get me more into the fight. The more energy I put in, the more I enjoy it."

Anthony could understand the idea since he was all for high energy in his fights. The more he talked to this Naoki the more he found himself liking the guy. ' _Since I'm fighting Narukami against Narukami, I shouldn't spam my field too much.'_ He thought as he started his turn. ' _I can't take any risks here of losing my cards early on.'_ He picked a card from his hand and placed it down on the field. "I ride Thunder Pillar Dragon!"

 **Thunder Pillar Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Thunderwarning moves back. And with his boost, Thunder Pillar attacks the vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(0), Naoki(1).]**

"I end my turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony(6), Naoki(5).]**

"My move, stand and draw!" Naoki looked to his hand and found one unit he really liked. "Tear 'em apart, my avatar! Ride, Supreme Army Eradicator, Zuitan!"

 **Supreme Eradicator, Zuitan**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Now Zuitan comes at the vanguard with a boost from Linchu!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"I don't guard!"

"Drive check, no trigger."

Anthony's damage check didn't provide him much of anything put Naoki's smirk didn't make things any better.

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Naoki(1).]**

"Skill of Linchu! Since the attack he boosted hit, I counterblast and send him into soul to retire your forerunner. And that's not all! Since Zuitan hit the vanguard, I counter charge and soul charge! Turn end!"

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony(6), Naoki(6).]**

Not only did he lose his forerunner, but the skill Naoki pulled off was practically free since his counter blast was face up again. He had to keep playing it safe until it was time to stride. "Stand and draw! I ride Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs!"

 **Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Bargs attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard! Bring it on!"

"Drive check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Naoki(2).]**

Just like his drive check, Naoki pulled no damage trigger to help him out. Something to be glad about but knew that things would only get harder from here on out. "I end my turn."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony(7), Naoki(6).]**

"My turn, stand and draw!" The smirk that appeared on Naoki's face told Anthony things were going to get serious now. "My avatar is gonna tear you apart! Invincible! Burn this image of a man's pride into your head! I ride Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Demolition!"

 **Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Demolition**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

From behind Naoki, Gauntlet Buster vanished in a flash of light and reappeared in front of him as the vanguard. The dragon had gained a new golden shine to his scales in place of his orange ones along with electrified spines. His gauntlets hummed with a violent vibration of electricity as they looked larger and more intimidating. "Right, come on Naoki! Let's crush 'em!"

"You know it! Call Fiendish Sword Eradicator, Cho-jun and Steel Blooded Eradicator, Shuki!" Naoki called the two units to the left hand column, meaning he was going in to push some damage through. "Boosted by Shuki, Cho-jun attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

Anthony quickly threw down a critical trigger to block. "Guard!"

"Demolition is crashing in at your vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard!"

"Twin drive! First check, draw trigger! Power to the vanguard and I draw one. Second check, nothing."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Naoki(2).]**

Bargs was pushed back a good distance from the punch Demolition threw at him. The strength between the two obviously being something else entirely. Seemingly satisfied with himself for the time being, Naoki nodded his head at his handiwork. "Not bad, turn end!"

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony(6), Naoki(7).]**

Anthony began his turn looking at his hand and current situation. He knew that in the end, this was a war of attrition and that they both were going to retire each others field at infinitum. It would all come down to who played it smarter. "Y'know Naoki, I get the feeling that you and I are more alike than either of us realize."

"Oh yeah? How do ya figure that?"

"Easy." Anthony smiled while raising a card high above his head. "You and I seem to get real excited about a good cardfight! The skies clear way for the dragon who rules them! Descend like a lightning bolt and crash into your foes! I ride, Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Just like with Naoki, Anthony's signature dragon materialized from behind him to the forefront as his vanguard. He spun his electric axe around before pointing it at Gauntlet Buster. "Come, my vanguard! Let us ride into battle!"

Anthony smiled with a nod of his head. "And now Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill, choose one of your units to retire and bind. You'd normally choose a unit to bind from your drop zone as well, but you don't have anything to bind so just one on your field will do."

Naoki chose his grade 1 in the back row and bound it. ' _So this version of Narukami binds instead of just retiring. What's gonna happen when he binds enough?'_

"Now I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura and Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel to the front row!" Both units materialized next to the vanguard and nodded at him. "Now skill of "VBUSTER"! Bind the remaining unit on your field face up. You'd normally bind another from your drop but like with my stride skill, you've got nothing to bind there. And since I have more rear guards than you do, I choose three units to give 3000 power to until the end of the turn. I choose my entire front row. And finally, I call Dragon Dancer, Fatine behind Grizel and activate her thunderstrike!"

"Thunderstrike? First I've heard of that skill. What's it do?"

"Thunderstrike is an ability that depends on the number of cards in the opponent's bind zone. Since you have two cards bound, I can activate Fatine's soul blast to draw a card. Now it's time to fight, with Fatine's boost, Grizel attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000+6000=18000)**

Naoki looked to his hand and back to his opponent's field. With three attacks coming he knew that he'd have to guard carefully. "I guard this attack!"

Being blocked by a trigger, Anthony moved on to his next attack. "Now for "VBUSTER", go get him!"

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"I don't guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, nothing. Second check, critical trigger! Critical to "VBUSTER" and power to Chatura! And final check, no trigger."

Just like that, Naoki found himself at four damage, but this wouldn't set him back. Being a back and forth was something he looked forward to in a cardfight. "Damage check. No trigger on the first but critical trigger on the second. Giving all effects to Demolition."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Naoki(4).]**

"Chatura attacks the vanguard! With his own skill, he gains 3000 until the end of the battle!"

 **(8000+3000+5000+3000=19000)**

Naoki threw down the draw trigger from the previous turn to block the attack. "I think two damage this turn is enough for me!"

"Ha. Turn end then."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony(6), Naoki(5).]**

"Stand and draw! I'll show you the true power of a man! The power to punch through anything that keeps him from his destiny! Stride generation! True Eradicator, Aconitum Linchu!"

 **True Eradicator, Aconitum Linchu**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"First I activate the stride skill of Demolition! Since I strode into an Eradicator G Unit, he gains 5000 power until the end of the turn and an additional effect."

Anthony narrowed his brow at that statement. "Another effect?"

Naoki chuckled. "You'll see it when it happens. Then the skill of Flame Column Eradicator, Castres. Since he was discarded for the cost of stride, I counter blast to check the top seven cards of my deck for a grade 3 Eradicator from among them and add it to my hand." Checking his top seven, Naoki snagged a copy of his vanguard and added it to his hand. "Now I call Eradicator, Drag Phoenix and then call Fiendish Sword Eradicator, Cho-ou. Cho-ou's skill let's me send Drag Phoenix to my soul to retire one of your front row units. And I choose Chatura to retire!"

Anthony clicked his tongue in annoyance at losing a good hitter but he couldn't expect anything else from this match up. "Oh but that's not all!" That announcement made the younger man look up to his opponent. "Remember the skill that my vanguard gained? Well whenever a card on your side of the field is retired, I can retire another rear guard of yours. Fatine is next!" Two lost for the price of one.

"Looks like the Eradicators are just as aggressive as I remember." Anthony commented. "This new Gauntlet Buster works wonders, doesn't it?"

The red haired young man pumped his fist in agreement. "You know it, man! But I'm still not done because now I activate the effect of Linchu!" Flipping a copy of his stride face up, paying a counter blast and sending his Eradicator rear guard to soul, Naoki pointed to the last remaining unit on his opponent's field. "I retire two units for every face up copy of Linchu in my G Zone. So get Grizel out of here and since you have no rear guards on your field, I draw one card."

"Not so fast! Skill of Grizel, whenever she's targeted for an effect you bind a card from your drop zone." The interruption made Naoki bind the stride fodder he used. ' _Thunderstrike 3, I'm getting there.'_

"Now I call Eradicator, Spark Rain Dragon and Assault Eradicator, Saikei behind him. Get in there Linchu and crush him!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

Anthony looked to his hand and back to the field. ' _I can't take any risks in the later game. I can afford a critical trigger hitting me this attack.'_ He shook his head. "No guard!"

"Triple drive! First, heal trigger! I heal one and power to Spark Rain. Second check, critical trigger! Critical to vanguard and power to Spark Rain again. And final check…" Revealing the card, it wasn't another trigger he could've used.

That gave Anthony a soft sigh of relief. "Damage check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Naoki(3).]**

"Boosted by Saikei, Spark Rain attacks the vanguard! Spark Rain's skill grants him an extra 3000 power for having an Eradicator vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000+3000+5000+5000=29000)**

"I don't think so! Generation guard, Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: !5000**

"Skill of Impede Dragon, I flip a G guard face up to make you choose a rear guard to retire and bind face up!"

Naoki looked to his rear guards and frowned. No matter which one he retired, the attack would be blocked. Better to get rid of one that couldn't defend him. "I retire Saikei. My attack can't hit so I end my turn."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony(5), Naoki(6).]**

' _Alright, all according to plan!'_ Anthony felt good that he managed to reach Thunderstrike 4 during his opponent's turn. "At the end of your turn "GALVANIZE" activates his Thunderstrike 4! You bind a card from your drop zone and I soul charge!" Naoki put another card into his bind zone from his drop putting him at one card left in there. "Now I stand and draw! Stride generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill of "GALVANIZE", I bind the last card in your drop zone and your grade 2 face up. Since two cards were bound, I draw a card and give my vanguard with the Thunderstrike skill 3000 power until the end of the turn.

' _There goes my field again. But I'm not gonna back down from this challenge!"_ Naoki thought fiercely while meeting Anthony's gaze head on. "You think that's gonna scare me? A real man doesn't back down from weak stuff like that!"

"Then you'll be scared of this! I call!" On the left column Grizel and Smash Boxer Dragon were placed and Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs was placed on the right by himself. "Bargs skill gives him 1000 power and Resist as long as I have a Vanquisher vanguard. Now the skill of "VBUSTER". Like before, you would bind cards from your drop and field but you have nothing to bind so we can ignore that part. What we can't ignore however, is that I choose three of my units to gain 3000 power until the end of the turn. And in addition to that, "VBUSTER"'s Generation Break 3 and Thunderstrike 7! My front row gains 5000 power and my vanguard gains a critical and an additional drive check!"

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, this is my own 'manly power'!" A normal person would be embarrassed to say such a cheesy line. But given that he had no problem posing in public, embarrassment was something that didn't come easy to Anthony. "Now for Bargs's skill, I counterblast to give him 2000 power for every card in the bind zone. Since there are seven in the bind zone, he gains a total of 14000 power until the end of the turn. Time for you to feel my thunder! Grizel, attack the vanguard with Smash Boxer's boost! Her Thunderstrike 5 gives her 9000 power as long as I have a Vanquisher vanguard."

 **(9000+9000+7000+3000+5000=33000)**

"I don't guard! Damage check…" Naoki frowned at the lack of a damage trigger.

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Naoki(4).]**

"Skill of Smash Boxer. At the end of the battle that he boosted a unit I send him to the soul to counter charge and draw a card. Now "VBUSTER" takes aim at your vanguard!"

 **(26000+3000+3000+5000=37000)**

"Perfect guard!" He quickly threw down the sentinel to prevent the massive hit.

"Quadruple drive check!" The first two checks revealed nothing but the last two gave Anthony something to smile about. "Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Bargs. Final check, stand trigger! All effects to Grizel!"

Even though the vanguard was blocked, two more attacks made Naoki start to feel the pressure of the fight. And they were going to be gigantic as well.

"Bargs, come and get him!"

 **(9000+1000+3000+5000+5000+14000=35000)**

"I think not! Generation guard! Spiritual Wisdom Creator, Brahma!"

 **Spiritual Wisdom Creator, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield:15000**

"I bind my perfect guard and heal trigger to gain 10000 shield until the end of the battle!" Naoki knew that adding more to the bind count was playing a dangerous game but if he could just outlast this attack… "I'm not out of this yet!"

Anthony knew Grizel wouldn't be able to wrap this fight up but he had to push for whatever he could. "Grizel, smash him again!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+5000+9000=31000)**

"I'll take that hit." Naoki looked to his damage check and smiled at it. "Draw trigger, power to the vanguard and I draw one!"

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Naoki(5).]**

That last damage didn't help Anthony's situation at all. But he could at least have some insurance for the coming turn. "Turn end, skill of "GALVANIZE". Bind a card from your drop and I counter charge. Since it was the end of my turn I get to draw a card in addition."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony(7), Naoki(4).]**

"Stand and draw! I gotta admit, you pushed me pretty far back. But now's where things get serious! It's time for my secret technique!" All those who were watching could see an entire aura of fire surround Naoki in an inspiring fashion. Sigma rolled his eyes and looked away from such a display.

"This is the human chosen by Gauntlet Buster. How fitting…"

"Sir, I think we should let them focus on their fight. You are the one who presented this challenge." A sharp look made Seiobo shrink slightly before slithering away a tiny bit. "I'm just saying!"

Naoki's fire aura dissipated into a crimson dust as he raised a card above his head. "And now it's time for my strongest stride generation! True Eradicator, Apocalypse Bolt Dragon!"

 **True Eradicator, Apocalypse Bolt Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power:15000**

The dragon that materialized was clad in cobalt blue armor with two armored thunder amps coming out of his back. From said thunder amps came a pair of thunder wings that spread wide. Two sabers made of lightning plasma were held in the mighty dragons hand. This unit looked like an older

"Now skill of Catres, counter blast to check the top seven for a grade 3 Eradicator to add to my hand." It didn't take long for him to find another copy of his vanguard to add to his hand. "Now I call both copies of Gauntlet Buster Demolition to the rear guard. Now it's time to show you how powerful a man really is, Apocalypse Bolt's skill!" Naoki flipped a copy of the G unit and paid a counter blast. "Now I get to retire units on your side of the field and retire them equal to the number of face up cards in my G Zone. Then if you have no rear guards, my vanguard gains a critical!"

"You'll get Grizel but Bargs is staying right were he is. He has Resist to protect him from retiring effects."

Anthony said that confidently but Naoki's laughing made him worry. "Too bad for you it doesn't target the units themselves but the circle. It gets around your Resist and retires the unit on the circle!" Both of Anthony's units were blown away by a mighty strike from the stride's swords. With their retire, both grade 3s on Naoki side began to glow with a glowing aura. "Skill of both Demolition's. When a card is retired, they gain 10000 power and a critical until the end of the turn! And if you think that's bad, it's time to show you my ultimate move! Naoki's Powerful Generation Break Time!

Needless to say, that caught the teen off guard for a second. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me, it's Generation Break Time! Apocalypse Bolt's Generation Break 3 gives my front row units 3000 power for every single empty rear guard circle you have. Adding up to a total of 15000!"

"Why the name Generation Break Time though?"

Naoki smiled and raised both his fists high. "Generation Break Time rules! Say it with me!" With such passion being put into this match, the Spaniard couldn't bring it in him to deny the request.

" **Generation Break Time!** "

Both dragons smiled to themselves watching the boys be boys. Even with what was at stake, they could fight with pep to their step and an eager grin on their faces.

"Now get ready, Anthony. 'Cause I'm going all in for this attack! Demolition, smash him!"

 **(11000+10000+15000=36000)**

"Guard!" Three 10000 shield triggers were thrown down to block the mighty attack.

"Apocalypse Bolt, strike him down with your powerful swords!"

 **(26000+15000=41000)**

"Perfect guard with Summon Lightning Dancer, Anastasia!" The twin slash from the vanguard was held back by the dancer's shield.

"Triple drive then! First check, critical trigger! All effects to the standing Demolition! Second check, no trigger. Final check!" From the final check brought down a mighty bolt of thunder as it was placed down. "Critical trigger! All effects to Demolition!"

Anthony was backed into a corner. This last attack was going to be the one to make or break this whole trial. "Anastsia's thunderstrike 4! I draw a card after she retires from the guardian circle!"

Naoki fiercely turned his last standing card for his final attack. "Demolition, break him down now!"

 **(11000+10000+15000+5000+5000=46000)**

"Generation guard! Spiritual Wisdom Creator, Brahma!"

 **Spiritual Wisdom Creator, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield:15000**

"I bind two cards of different grades in my drop zone to gain 10000 shield!" Even with that, he still 15000 more shield to block the attack. He looked to the last two cards in his hand and grit his teeth. "Vianne, Mighty Bolt, block it for me!"

The two units materialized next to the Noble protecting Vanquisher and added their strength to repel the attack from the Eradicator leader. His fist was reflected off the barrier, forcing him back to his side of the field.

"No way… I gave that attack all that I had…" With nothing left to do in his turn, the redhead sighed and removed his G Unit from his vanguard circle. "Well, turn end I guess. At least you have no cards in your hand to stride with."

"Skill of "GALVANIZE"." Anthony said plainly. "I counter charge and you bind a card from your drop zone."

Naoki had to give credit where it was due, he wasn't giving up despite having no cards in hand.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony(0), Naoki(5).]**

Silently, Anthony stood his sole vanguard. Keeping his hand on his unit as he did, eyes closed in concentration. ' _I can't lose here. Not here when I've just come to Cray. Aurora… She needs our help and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let her walk away being the lone hero and not get an earful for leaving us behind! Vanquisher, let's finish this!'_

' _Yes, my vanguard!'_

The dark haired teen opened his eyes and drew for his turn. He glanced to the card in hand and smiled. "You know Naoki, they say fortune favors the bold." Slowly, he revealed the copy of his vanguard that was in his hand. "But I say screw fortune! I'll blaze my own path with my own power! Stride generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"One attack is all I'm gonna need for this. Get ready man!"

Pounding his chest, Naoki held his arms wide to his side. "I'm more than ready for you! Bring it on!"

"Now "VMAX", attack the vanguard! Skill of "VMAX" for every Vanquisher unit face up in my G Zone, I get to attack an additional unit for each! Your entire field is getting punched!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" All he needed to do was block the vanguard hit. He could let the other units go and retaliate next turn. Anthony's triple drive revealed nothing to help him since there were no other units to benefit from any triggers. "Ha, looks like it's blocked!"

"Hehehehe…"

"What's… so funny?"

A sinister smirk came upon Anthony's face as he pointed to his opponent. "You may have blocked the attack on the vanguard, but your other units are toast! And since you have no units on your field, I don't care if you blocked it. You still take the damage!"

From the skies came a wicked thunderbolt that zapped Naoki point blank, forcing a damage check. Once the shock ended, the opponent looked to his damage zone to see if a heal trigger came to save him.

But the sight of his own avatar was a sign that it wasn't the case.

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Naoki(6).]**

Both player's decks reformed into a pile and floated into their respective hands. Naoki gave a small kick to the dirt on the ground at his defeat and moaned. "Ah man! I thought I had you in that moment."

Anthony shrugged as he held up his fist to the red head. "Sorry man, but this was a fight I couldn't afford to lose. But that was a real awesome fight."

Naoki returned the fist bump in kind while grinning. Gauntlet Buster walked to where Vanquisher and Sigma were and gave a hard laugh. "Those two sure are birds of a feather. You chose a good human to be your avatar, Vanquisher."

"Indeed. He's spirit and tenacity was something I sensed the moment we made contact." Vanquisher agreed. "And as much fun as this trial has been, I do believe it's time for Naoki to be getting to where he belongs."

"Right, thanks for the fun fight! And thanks Gauntlet Buster for bringing me along to help."

"Anytime kid. Now let's get you home."

Naoki looked towards Anthony and gave a thumbs up. "I don't know what you're up against but I think Cray is in pretty good hands. Good luck in what you're doing and remember, a real man never backs down!"

"You got it! Hopefully we meet again Naoki!"

A flash of light covered the other male and just as it had appeared, the gave way to the absence of him. Going back to where he belonged. With his challenger gone, Anthony looked towards Sigma with a smile of self satisfaction on his face. "So how's that for being worthy?"

Sigma scoffed and began walking back to camp. "I'll inform the others that you passed the trial. Don't let this victory get to your head or you'll end up dead on the battlefield." Taking a few steps, the dragon stopped for a second and turned around to the human. If one looked closely, they could see the faintest phantom of a smile on his face. "Hopefully the Atmos didn't make a mistake in choosing you."

No more words to say, Sigma walked off with Seiobo behind him. She too glanced back at the human before rushing to her leader's side with Gauntlet Buster not far behind. Anthony looked to Vanquisher and gave a genuine smile to his favorite unit. "Hope that was enough to prove I'm ready."

Vanquisher chuckled as he knelt down to look at the human closer. "My vanguard, I knew that you were ready the moment you stepped into our camp. It was the others that needed convincing. With this, we shall begin our planning to assault Conquest Empire forthwith. They won't know what hit them."

"Hell yeah! Let's tear those invading jerks a new one and get Aurora back!" WIth a mighty cheer, Anthony followed Vanquisher back to the camp of Narukami. He was one step closer to being able to save Aurora. His only hope was that the others were getting along as well as he was.

 **Anthony: Aw yeah! How'd you like MY Generation Break Time?!**

 **Dan: Please tell me you're not gonna keep saying that.**

 **Anthony: Why not? It sounds pretty awesome once you've shouted it out.**

 **William: Awesome is not the word I would use.**

 **Rose: In any case, I wonder who's up next.**

 **Sophia: Looks like it's me! Yay! But why does everyone seem worried about Infinite Zero Paradox?**

 **Next time: From Darkness to Light**

 **Card** **Gallery:**

Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Demolition  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 when your G Unit with "Eradicator" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose your Vanguard, and it gains +5000 power and **(AUTO 1/Turn: When your opponent's rear guard is retired due to one of your card effects, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO VC/RC GB1 1/Turn:** During your turn, when your opponent's rear guard is put into the drop zone, this unit gains +10000 power and +1 critical until end of turn.

* * *

True Eradicator, Apocalypse Bolt Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up. If you have a heart card with "Eradicator" in its name, choose cards on your opponent's RCs up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone with "Eradicator" in their name and retire them. Then, if your opponent has no rear guards, this unit gets +1 critical.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** All your front row units get +3000 power for each of your opponent's empty RCs.


	52. From Darkness to Light

**A/N: Alright readers. It's Sophia's turn. And we have a special surprise for you all regarding her that you will soon see. Enjoy.**

"Achoo!"

Had Sophia known that she would end up in the cold southern pole of Cray when she arrived, she would have brought along a winter jacket. But with it being summer back on Earth, she still had her summer clothes on.

When she had first arrived on Cray, Sophia had found herself in some odd ruins. Luckily there had been a guide waiting for her. After that, it had been a long trek through the cold before they finally arrived at a city. Fortunately, some form of magic around the city kept the cold winds out, warming Sophia up a little. But she was still recovering from the journey there.

It was clear to Sophia that this city belonged to Messiah's faction of Link Joker. Almost all the units she saw in the city were creatures that could be seen in a variety of Messiah decks. She had been brought to a room and told to wait. She had also been given a hot drink to warm her up. It wasn't what she was used to back on Earth, but she would take what she could get to warm her body back up.

Despite the harsh winds and hardships she knew she would face, one thing stayed clear in Sophia's mind. She was actually on Cray. It didn't matter if it was in the cold southern pole of it, this was still a dream come true for her.

Finally, Sophia noticed the doors to a further in room open up. No one emerged from them, making Sophia believe it was for her. Getting up from her seat, she walked inside.

The room she was in was unlike anything she had imagined. It was illuminated by a warm light that seemed to refresh her body. It put her at peace. "It's so warm."

"Welcome, child of Earth."

"Huh?" Sophia looked upwards to where she had heard the voice. She gasped as she saw a figure come down. She recognized it right away. It was one of the most well-known units in Vanguard.

"Messiah…" Sophia said in awe.

"That is correct." Messiah spoke. It's voice sounded like that of a mother speaking to her baby. It showed its caring warmth. "I welcome you to Cray."

"Th-Thank you."

"There is no need to be scared, child." Messiah told her.

Sophia shook her head. "I'm not scared. It's just… This is so amazing!"

"I am glad you like the Planet Cray." Messiah said. "I assume you know of why you've been called here?"

"Mhm." Sophia said with a nod of her head. "We've gotta save Aurora and Hikari! And stop those Conquest Empire bullies!"

"Yes. Conquest Empire is a threat unlike anything Cray has ever faced in the past. And they've done well in battling our forces."

"By the way…" Sophia said. "Where are my friends? I came here with a few others."

"Do not worry. They were all transported to the clans they are linked to, much like you were transported here to the ruins near Star Gate." Messiah assured her. "Although… Your bond is much different then the others, it seems."

"What do you mean?" Sophia asked.

"Tell me child, what is the being you thought of for your connection? The one that allowed you to come here."

"That's easy." Sophia said as she pulled out her deck. She took a card out of it and showed it to Messiah. "Infinite Zero. It's always been the unit that I've used."

"Yes. Star Vader, Infinite Zero Paradox. I thought as much." Messiah said. "Tell me, why do you feel so connected to that unit?"

"Why do I feel connected to it?" Sophia asked. She thought to herself for a moment. "I don't know, really. It's just always been there for me. Ever since the day I first encountered it. I think it understood how I felt."

"Explain."

"I first saw it in the card shop I went to." Sophia said. "When I looked at it, I felt… sadness. Like it didn't like what it was." She frowned. "I used to feel the same. I never knew my parents. I didn't like that. The ones that raised me were the people at the orphanage." A soft smile appeared on the little girl's face. "But I made lots and lots of friends. That made me super happy. So I felt that's what Infinite Zero needed. A friend."

"A friend you say?"

"Yup. Everyone needs friends." Sophia said. "So I want to believe in Infinite Zero. As it's friend. That one day, it'll be able to change."

It was hard to tell, but Sophia felt she saw Messiah smile. "What's your name, child of Earth?"

"Sophia."

"You have a kind pure heart Sophia." Messiah told the girl. "Make sure you treasure it. Just like you treasure your bond with your avatar."

Sophia grinned. "Of course!" she said. "So now we're going to take on Conquest Empire, right?"

"Not yet." Messiah told her. "Before you can do that, you will need the help of your avatar."

"My avatar? You mean Infinite Zero?"

"Correct. Though with it still under the control of the Void, doing so will prove rather difficult." Messiah said.

"Why?" Sophia asked. "I'm sure Infinite Zero will help if I ask, right?"

"Your heart is pure, young Sophia. But that purity can also lead to naivety." Messiah said. "Infinite Zero is under a spell of darkness. It is little more than a weapon right now."

"Then that's even more reason to go to it!" Sophia said. "If Infinite Zero is suffering then I want to go help it!"

"And what makes you so sure you can? It could very well turn on you."

"It won't!" Sophia said. "I believe in it! Our bond will help us make it good again!"

Messiah stared at the young girl, seeing Sophia's determination not waver for a second. "Very well. I will assist you in your endeavor."

"Really?!" Sophia asked. "Thank you so much!"

Messiah emitted a strong light from its body. Sophia widened her eyes in awe as she watched a rainbow colored light flow out from its body. It formed in Messiah's hand and manifested into a rainbow colored orb.

Messiah descended and reached out towards Sophia, offering it to her.

"This light contains the remains of my power." Messiah explained. "The last of it actually."

Sophia widened her eyes. "Wait, the last of it? You mean-"

"You needn't concern yourself child." Messiah told her. "Truth be told, I've been gone from this world for quite some time. But this room we are in is special. My spirit is able to come and go from this place for brief moments at a time. However… after I give you this gift, that will no longer be possible."

"But that's not fair!" Sophia said, tears in her eyes. "You won't be able to see all your friends if that happens!"

Messiah let out a warm chuckle. The human girl didn't understand, but not coming to this room would be the least of what would happen to it by giving her the last shreds of its power. Its spirit would vanish entirely. But if it meant bringing an end to Conquest Empire's invasion and helping a young child, it mattered little to Messiah. "Do not fret over me dear Sophia. I will be fine. But before I give this power to you, I must explain something."

"What is it?"

"If you get close to Infinite Zero, you can use this to purify it." Messiah explained. "Be warned though. It will only work if both of you connect your hearts. If it rejects you, it will remain the way it is. And you won't be able to use its power to help save your friend, Aurora."

"Then I've got nothing to worry about!" Sophia grinned. "Cause I believe in Infinite Zero."

"I will now transport you to where the Star-vaders gather. It is an asteroid field, not far off from Cray." Messiah explained. "My protection will allow you to last their momentarily, but not forever. Time will be short."

Sophia nodded her head. "I understand."

"Very well then." Messiah said. "I wish you luck, brave Sophia."

Sophia watched as a pillar of light rose up around her. Her vision went white as she felt her body become lightweight.

"W-Woah!"

* * *

When Sophia could finally see again, her new surroundings came as a huge shock to her. She was standing out in the middle of space. Her feet were on the rocky surface of an asteroid. If what she had learned in school about space was right, then humans couldn't normally breathe in space. She could only assume the thing letting her survive in this atmosphere was the divine protection of Messiah.

' _Ok, now I just need to find Infinite Zero.'_ Sophia thought to herself. She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted. "Hello! Infinite Zero! Where are you?!"

No response came from Sophia's shout. She looked around for any signs of life, but saw nothing. She tried once again. "Infinite Zero! Are you here?!"

"Well what do we have here?"

The sudden voice caused Sophia to gasp and turn. Hovering in the distance was a Link Joker unit. But it wasn't Infinite Zero Dragon though. Sophia knew very well who that unit was.

Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Dragon.

Sophia felt her legs shake. She knew from lore just how scary and dangerous Chaos Breaker Dragon was. And with her all alone right now, she would be helpless against this opponent.

"I… I'm looking for someone." Sophia said. "Infinite Zero Dragon. Do you know where it is?"

Chaos Breaker looked down at Sophia, letting out a laugh. " _You're_ looking for Infinite Zero? And what could possibly make a weak human like you want to go looking for it?"

"We need it's help." Sophia said. "Conquest Empire is threatening Cray! And Infinite Zero is my avatar! If we combine our power, we can stop Conquest Empire!"

"Combine your power? Your avatar?" Chaos Breaker asked. "Don't make me laugh. What need would a mindless weapon have for an avatar. Especially one as weak and frail as you."

"It's not a mindless weapon!" Sophia argued. "I could feel it! It has a heart! It can feel!"

"You think so? Well then, let's put that theory to the test." Chaos Breaker said with a chuckle. "Come! Infinite Zero Paradox!"

Sophia gasped as the ground around her began to tremble slightly. She soon saw a figure appear near Chaos Breaker's side. She instantly recognized it as the unit that was the heart of her deck. Star-vader, Infinite Zero Paradox.

"Infinite Zero!" Sophia called out with a smile. "I knew you would-" Sophia fell into silence when she noticed Infinite Zero's eyes. They were red and full of anger. "Infinite Zero…?"

"Eliminate her." Chaos Breaker ordered.

Infinite Zero let out a roar as it flew towards Sophia. It unleashed a powerful breath attack that hit the ground near her, sending the girl flying.

"Ahhhh!" Sophia screamed as she flew back and hit the rocky ground hard. She flinched in pain, noticing a scrape on her knee. She managed to get to her feet and looked at her avatar. "Infinite Zero… Why…?"

"You were a fool to come here." Chaos Breaker told her. "But at least you can provide me with some entertainment." The unit chuckled as it swung its scythe. "Now scream! Let me hear the beautiful sound of your despair!"

Infinite Zero roared as it lunged at Sophia. The young girl quickly turned and ran, desperate to avoid the dragon's attack. Infinite Zero's talons crashed into the asteroid, barely missing Sophia. The shockwave of the attack still knocked Sophia off her feet though as she once again fell onto the rocky surface.

"Come now, you can do better than that, can't you?" Chaos Breaker laughed. "Let me see the terror in your eyes. I want to watch the hope fade from them as you sink into beautiful despair."

Sophia laid on the ground. Tears fell from her eyes. ' _Why… Were my feelings not enough… They can't be…'_

"Get up. Try to run away. Or have you already lost hope?" Chaos Breaker said.

Sophia widened her eyes. Run away? That was the first thing that had come to her mind the second she noticed the murderous look in her avatar's eyes. For a split second, she had only thought about herself. She saw Infinite Zero as an enemy… as a monster.

"What am I doing?" Sophia asked herself, clenching her fists as she managed to stand back on her feet.

"You're finally asking yourself why you came on such a pointless mission? It's a bit late for that." Chaos Breaker told her. "Have you already given up?"

"You were right… I had lost hope." Sophia said, her body shaking. "I almost gave up on Infinite Zero… On my own avatar." She turned around and looked at Chaos Breaker and Infinite Zero with a fierce glare. "But not anymore! I came here to help it and that's what I'll do!"

"You're a fool." Chaos Breaker told her. "Very well then! Let's see how long that feeling lasts when your "avatar" kills you! End her, Infinite Zero!"

Infinite Zero roared as it charged up another breath attack. Chaos Breaker looked down at Sophia. "What's wrong? Not going to run away?"

"No." Sophia said. To Chaos Breaker's surprise, she walked towards them. "I trust Infinite Zero. I know it won't hurt me. Not when I try to help it."

"If you have a death wish, then fine." Chaos Breaker said. "Do it!"

Infinite Zero unleashed its breath attack once again at Sophia. Its impact kicked up a large cloud of debris. Chaos Breaker chuckled to himself. "And so ends the life of a frail idiotic-" The rest of the sentence died on its tongue as the debris cleared. Sophia was standing, perfectly fine, and continuing to walk towards them. "Impossible!"

"I told you. Infinite Zero is my avatar. It won't hurt me." Sophia said.

"Grr… What are you doing, Infinite Zero?! Finish her!"

"Don't listen to him!" Sophia called out. "I can feel it! Your sadness! You don't want this, do you?!"

Infinite Zero looked down at Sophia. It didn't make a move. Chaos Breaker glared at it. "I said kill her! What are you doing?!"

Sophia reached out her hand towards her avatar. "Let me help you. I can return you to the way you once were."

Infinite Zero began to tremble. It shook its head around, letting out a loud cry of pain. It seemed to be struggling for some reason.

"What's going on?!" Chaos Breaker exclaimed.

The next thing Sophia knew, light erupted from Infinite Zero. It engulfed both her and everything else in the immediate area. Her vision went completely white.

' _What's going on?'_ Sophia asked herself.

As the light died down, Sophia suddenly found herself in an entirely different part of space. She was floating through the stars. In front of her was a planet.

"That's not Cray." Sophia said. "What is that?"

" _That is my home planet."_

Sophia gasped, suddenly noticing Infinite Zero was at her side. She looked up at the large dragon in surprise. "Infinite Zero…"

" _Do not be alarmed. I will not harm you."_ Infinite Zero said. " _What you are seeing are my memories. My memories before I became a puppet of Link Joker."_

"Before…" Sophia said with widened eyes. She suddenly felt herself get pulled in by an unknown force towards the planet. She suddenly saw the land of the planet, ravaged and broken. The sight caused Sophia to cover her gasp with her hands. "What happened…?"

" _My home was one that was constantly ravaged by war."_ the dragon explained. " _Centuries went on with no end to the fighting in sight. There was an endless amount of bloodshed."_

"That's horrible…" Sophia said.

" _Indeed. I tried to avoid the fighting as much as possible. I simply wanted to live a peaceful life. But then… one day, everything changed."_

Once again, their location changed. Sophia widened her eyes in horror at the sight she saw. They were in a mountain range. It seemed to be the home of dragons. But there were none left alive. All of them laid on the ground as corpses.

" _I returned to find my home devastated. My friends… My family… They were all dead."_ Infinite Zero explained. " _After that, I became fueled with rage and hatred. I cursed the existence of every life on that war-torn planet."_

Sophia saw an image of a dragon that she could only assumed was Infinite Zero walking on the destroyed mountain range. The dragon fell to its knees, shouting out into the sky.

"What kind of cruel joke is this?!" it shouted. "Must every corner of my planet be caught up in this senseless war?! Is this my fate?! IS IT?!"

" _ **Do you want revenge?"**_

Sophia widened her eyes at hearing the dark, ominous voice. "What was that?"

" _That was the voice of the Void."_ Infinite Zero explained. " _This was the first time I came into contact with that dark being."_

The image of Infinite Zero looked around, not seeing anything else near him. "Who are you?! Show yourself?!"

" _ **Do you hunger for power? I can grant it to you."**_ the voice spoke. " _ **Give into the darkness. Let it seep into your heart. You can get revenge on all the foolish beings that turned your home into a battlefield."**_

"Power…" the dragon said, letting the Void's words seep in. "Yes… I want to kill them all… I want to make them suffer like I did."

" _ **Then accept my gift."**_

Suddenly, darkness began to seep into the image of Infinite Zero. The dragon roared out in anger as it's form changed, turning dark and ominous.

" _After I gained the power of the Void, I went all across the planet. I killed everything in sight, blinded by my hatred."_ Infinite Zero explained. " _I ended up destroying the planet entirely. There was nothing left."_

"No..." Sophia said. "How terrible."

" _I have committed countless sins under the will of the Void."_ Infinite Zero told her. " _Even still… Can you bring yourself to have a bond with a creature like me."_

"I can." Sophia said. "You didn't mean to do any of this. You were corrupted." She looked up at the dragon next to her with a smile. "I believe in the good you. The one that wanted peace."

A tear fell from Infinite Zero's eye. " _Thank you…"_

Sophia touched her hand to the dragon's scales. "This can be your new start. Our new start. We can take down Conquest Empire and bring peace back to Cray."

" _If you truly believe such a thing is possible… Then I will fight by your side."_

The rainbow colored light emerged from Sophia. It surrounded Infinite Zero, wrapping the dragon in its warmth. And just like that, light exploded from the dragon once again.

When Sophia could see again, she found herself back on the asteroid. She looked at Infinite Zero, gasping as she saw the dragon in a completely new form.

The new dragon was a beautiful silver color, with bright blue eyes. Two wings sprouted from its back, stardust emanating off of them. Light was glowing from its body.

"What's going on?" Chaos Breaker asked. "What did you do?"

"I am no longer a subservient puppet of Link Joker." the dragon spoke. "I am no longer Infinite Zero Dragon. I am now... Infinite Star Dragon!"

Sophia gasped, never seeing a more beautiful sight in her life. "Infinite… Star Dragon."

"Grr… You accursed brat." Chaos Breaker glared. It raised its scythe, ready to strike the girl down. "DIE!"

Sophia gasped as Chaos Breaker swung the blade of its scythe towards her. As a blade of energy came her way, the attack was suddenly intercepted by Infinite Star Dragon.

"I will not allow you to hurt my Vanguard." Infinite Star Dragon spoke.

"You worthless traitor." Chaos Breaker growled. "Very well then! It seems I have to teach you what happens to those that betray the gift of the Void! And I'll take care of that girl at the same time!" A dark energy emitted from Chaos Breaker. "Now come to me! My Vanguard! Across the widest spans of the universe!"

Sophia gasped as a pillar of darkness shot down onto the asteroid. She watched as a figure emerged from it. It was a young human with long chestnut hair. The person's eyes were a menacing violet. A black cap was on their head.

"It's… a girl?" Sophia questioned.

"His name is Noa Hoshizaki." Chaos Breaker explained, revealing to Sophia that she was wrong about the gender. "At this current time however, a me from another universe is possessing him."

"This seemed interesting, so I accepted." Noa said with a dark chuckle. "Although I never thought I'd be summoned by myself."

"You're unforgivable." Sophia glared. "In that case, I'll just have to beat you!"

"That will be easier said than done." Noa said. The other Chaos Breaker turned into light, going into his deck. "With two of me here, you have no hope of victory."

"Sophia." Infinite Star Dragon spoke. "Let us fight together. With our combined power, we can defeat them."

Sophia nodded her head. "Right!"

Infinite Star Dragon turned into light, going into Sophia's deck. But to Sophia's surprise, her entire deck began to glow. "Wh-What's happening?!" She took a look at her cards and saw the images on them change. "My units… they're changing!"

"Your pure heart has not only affected me." Infinite Star spoke into her mind. "Others have also been purified because of you."

"Incredible…" Sophia gasped. She took a closer look at her cards and widened her eyes, noticing a particular detail. ' _No way… Is this true?!'_

"Enough wasting my time. Let's get started." Noa said as a sheet of light appeared in front of each of them.

Both Sophia and Noa placed their decks on the sheets and drew their opening hands.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star-vader, Planck Dracokid!"

 **Star-vader, Planck Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 4000**

"Evolution Star-saver, Carbon!"

 **Evolution Star-saver, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Noa raised a brow at the unit. "Star-saver?"

"That's right. This is the purified form of my Star-vader units." Sophia told him. "Together we'll save the cosmos from the Void's dark grasp! That's Star-saver!"

Noa let out a chuckle. "Using the power of lock to save the universe? You know such a thing is impossible for beings from Link Joker."

"Except they're not Link Joker."

"What?"

"These units are part of a different clan. A clan that can travel to the far reaches of the universe and lend the Star-savers their strength." Sophia said. "They're a part of Star Chaser!"

"Star Chaser?!" Noa gasped. He glared at Sophia. "It doesn't matter. You'll still lose in the end."

"We'll see." Sophia said. "I draw. Then I ride Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star!"

 **Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carbon moves back with forerunner." Sophia said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Noa(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Noa said. "Ride, Star-vader Metonaxe Dragon."

 **Star-vader, Metonaxe Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Planck moves. And with his boost, Metonaxe will attack."

 **(7000+4000=11000)**

"No guard." Sophia said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Noa(0).]**

"Turn end." Noa said. "Now go on. Show me your futile resistance."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(5), Noa(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride Salvation Star-saver, Krypton!"

 **Salvation Star-saver, Krypton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Renowned Star-saver, Radon." Sophia said. "Radon attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Noa said.

"Boosted by Carbon, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Sophia said. "Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard."

"Tch. Damage check." Noa said in an unamused tone. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Noa(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(6), Noa(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Noa said. "Ride! Disorder Star-vader, Iron!"

 **Disorder Star-vader, Iron**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Star-vader, Strange Dragon. Strange attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Sophia called out.

"Boosted by Planck, Iron attacks!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Noa(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(5), Noa(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. She looked at her hand, seeing the card she needed. ' _Let's do this, Infinite Zero- No. Infinite Star Dragon.'_

"Banish the darkness so the light of the twinkling stars can shine and give everyone hope! Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon!"

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Noa watched as Infinite Star descended onto the field. "You've been a naughty dragon. It seems I'll have to punish you, Infinite Zero."

"I do not fear you, Chaos Breaker." Infinite Star spoke.

"You should." Noa grinned.

"Radon attacks!" Sophia called out.

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"Infinite Zero attacks with a boost from Carbon!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! Sophia called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Noa(3).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(7), Noa(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Noa said. "It's finally time. Time for me to drown you in despair."

' _Here it comes. He's going to bring himself out into play.'_

"Let sorrow and helplessness flood your thoughts! You are nothing more than a source for my amusement! Ride! Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Crisis!"

 **Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Crisis**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Now for the real fun to begin! Stride Generation!" Noa called out. "Death Star-vader, Chaos Universe Alththani!"

 **Death Star-vader, Chaos Universe Alththani**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. The opponent chooses one of their rear guards and locks it." Noa explained. "Now choose."

Sophia knew a series of locking skills were incoming considering who her opponent was. She would just have to hope that her previous experience playing Link Joker would give her the edge she needed. "I lock Radon."

"Skill of Chaos Universe Alththani." Noa said. "The opponent must lock two of their own rear guards. Unfortunately you only have one rear guard to lock so we'll just have to go with that."

"Lock Carbon." Sophia said as she turned the card over.

"Since the opponent was unable to lock two rear guards, I draw 2 cards. Then, I give 2000 power to my Vanguard and Strange Dragon."

' _He locked my rear guard with the stride skill so I wouldn't be able to lock two for his next skill.'_ Sophia realized.

"There's more. Since I discarded Chaos Breaker Close as the cost to stride, the opponent takes a card from their hand and places on the field as locked."

Sophia widened her eyes. ' _He's even making me lock cards from my hand?!'_ She looked at the cards available to her and placed it behind Radon. "Calling Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon as locked."

"Good. Now I call. Fierce Attack Star-vader, Dubnium and Metonaxe Dragon." Noa said. "Next I use Planck's skill. I counterblast and retire it. Then I look at the top seven cards of the deck and add Chaos Breaker Close to my hand. And now Metonaxe will boost Dubnium's attack. Metonaxe gains 4000 power with its skill."

 **(9000+7000+4000=20000)**

"Skill of Dubnium. When it attacks, I counterblast. Then, the opponent has the option of calling a card from their hand as locked. If they do not, then add 10000 power to Dubnium."

' _I can't afford to let him lock more of my field or take out anymore of my hand.'_ Sophia thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Noa(3).]**

"Since the attack hit, Metonaxe's skill lets me omega lock Radon." Noa said. "Chaos Universe Alththani attacks!"

 **(26000+2000=28000)**

"Barrier Star-saver, Prometheum! Perfect guard!" Sophia called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. All effects to Strange Dragon. Third check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Noa(2).]**

"Strange attacks! With its skill, since the opponent cannot lock a rear guard, add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Noa(2).]**

"Turn end." Noa said. He showed a dark grin. "You are too cute. Trying to fight back when hopelessness is all that waits you."

"You're wrong. There's always hope!" Sophia told him.

"Oh really? Then let's see where this hope you have is. Especially with three of your rear guards locked."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(4), Noa(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Skill of Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon. At the start of my ride phase, I can bind all cards on one of my rear guard circles. Then I call a card from my bind zone. I bind my locked Carbon, and call it back out."

Noa's eyes widened as he watched a portal open up by Sophia's locked card, sucking it in. Almost immediately after, it returned to the field, but back to normal. "What?!"

"The Star-savers spent years enslaved to Link Joker. You didn't think they wouldn't be able to get around your locks, did you?" Sophia said. "Since the card I called with the skill has Star-saver in its name, I draw. Then with Carbon's skill, since it was sent from rear guard to the bind zone, I search my deck for a Star-saver and send it to the bind zone face up. I bind Papillion Star-saver, Photon. And now, Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I choose one of my cards on my rear guard circles and bind it! Then I call a Star-saver from the bind zone! I bind my locked Radon and call Photon! It gains 5000 power!"

' _Damn her.'_ Noa growled. ' _She's getting rid of my locks like they're nothing.'_

"I'm not done yet. I use Papillion Star-saver Photon's warpdrive!"

"Warpdrive?"

"It's a skill unique to Star Chaser that activates when the unit is called from the bind zone." Sophia explained. "Photon's warpdrive allows me to increase both its power and the Vanguard's by 5000. Next I use Photon's other skill. I bind my locked Neon and call out Radon. Since it has Star-saver in the name, I countercharge. Next I call Binary Star from my hand behind Radon." Her field was set, so Sophia went on the attack. "Radon attacks with a boost from Binary Star!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Noa said, holding up a trigger.

"Photon is up next!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard." Noa said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Noa(3).]**

"Infinite Cosmos Dragon attacks!" Sophia declared. She paid a skill cost of a counterblast and flipping a copy of it. "Skill of Infinite Cosmos! When it attacks, I bind all cards on my rear guard circles! Then I call cards from my bind zone up to the number of my Generation Break! I call Binary Star and Photon! Photon's warpdrive adds 5000 to herself and the Vanguard! Then Binary Star's warpdrive allows me to call Neon from the bind zone! In addition, I bind Krypton from my deck with Carbon's skill!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!" Noa called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Photon and I recover one. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Photon." Sophia said. "Boosted by Binary Star, Neon attacks!"

 **(7000+7000=14000)**

"No guard." Noa said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Noa(4).]**

"Photon's coming in!"

 **(9000+5000+10000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Genesis Machine Deity, Desthergen!"

 **Genesis Machine Deity, Desthergen**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Sophia said. "Neon's skill. At the end of my turn, I can bind it and draw one card."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(8), Noa(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Noa said. "I suppose I should commend you for breaking free of my locks. But that's limited to your turn." Noa looked at his G Zone. He had _that_ at his disposal, but using it here would no doubt bring unneeded grief from the other Apostles of his world later. But he still had other options. He grinned madly as he looked at Sophia. "This turn, you'll be finished! I'm going to enjoy watching as that cute face of yours becomes twisted and distorted with despair!"

' _Here it comes.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Darkness covers the cosmos! Nothing is safe from its reach! Now be buried under your own despair and perish! Stride Generation! Death Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Deluge!"

 **Death Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Deluge**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Lock one of your rear guards!"

"Lock Binary Star." Sophia said.

"Now Close's skill triggers! Call a card from your hand to rear guard as locked!"

"Calling Radon over Photon as locked."

Noa chuckled to himself. "Trying to limit the number of locked rear guards? That won't save you. Skill of Chaos Breaker Deluge! Generation Break 3! Call two cards from your hand as locked!"

Sophia widened her eyes. Now she was losing two cards? She looked at her hand, struggling with having to lose two of them. "Calling Krypton and Gravi-Schwartz Dragon as locked."

"Next, since you have four or less damage, I get to put one of your locked cards into the damage zone." Noa smirked. "I send Binary Star to the damage zone."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Noa(4).]**

' _This is bad.'_ Sophia thought as she looked at her situation worriedly.

"That's it! That's the face I wanted to see!" Noa said with a laugh. "Now writhe in despair and agony! I call Neodymium! With its boost, Strange attacks! Strange's skill adds 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Noa(4).]**

"Chaos Breaker Deluge attacks!"

"Perfect guard!" Sophia called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Dubnium. Third check, another critical trigger. All effects to Dubnium once again!"

' _Two critical triggers?!'_

"Boosted by Metonaxe, Dubnium attacks!"

 **(9000+10000+7000+4000=30000)**

"With the skill of Dubnium, the opponent must call a card from their hand as locked, or Dubnium gains 10000 power." Noa said. "Now choose. Which will it be?"

"Calling Star-saver, Constellation Liger as locked." Sophia said. "And then Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Andromeda. Since there are two or more face up cards in the bind zone, add 10000 to the shield." Sophia explained.

"Tch. Turn end." Noa said, clearly displeased at failing to finish his opponent off.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sophia(1), Noa(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Let me show it to you. The hope of me and my friends. Skill of Infinite Star Dragon. I bind Krypton. Then I call Krypton back out. Since it's a Star-saver, I draw. And with Krypton's warpdrive, whenever a card is called from the bind zone this turn, 5000 is added to Krypton."

' _Impossible. Am I… am I really going to lose to this little girl and a ragtag bunch of traitors?'_

"Generation Zone, release!" Sophia called out. "Now shine brightly! Star of the future that lights my path! Stride Generation! Peace Star Saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star Saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Bind the locked Radon and call out Carbon. It gains 5000 power. Then, with my Vanguard's Generation Break 3 skill, whenever a Star-saver is called from the bind zone, both it and the Vanguard gain 3000 power." Sophia explained. "Then I call Star-saver Globuladia."

" _Let's do this, Sophia."_

' _Right.'_ Sophia thought with a nod. "Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Dubnium intercepts."

"With Carbon's boost, Globuladia attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+3000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Noa(5).]**

"Infinite Cosmos attacks!" Sophia declared. "Skill of Infinite Cosmos! Bind all cards on my rear guard circles! Then call cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break number! I call Krypton, Gravi-Schwartz, Carbon, Neon, and Radon! Krypton's warpdrive increases his power by a total of 20000, and Infinite Cosmos gains 3000 to all the called units and itself for each one called! And finally, Gravi-Schwartz's warpdrive gives it 5000 power and plus one critical!"

 **(26000+18000=44000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Krypton! Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Gravi-Schwartz!" Sophia said. "Krypton attacks with Carbon's boost!"

 **(9000+3000+20000+5000+3000=40000)**

"No guard." Noa said reluctantly. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Noa(6).]**

Noa felt his hand singe in pain. He grasped it, flinching from the pain. ' _No… I can't lose my hold now.'_

Sophia looked at Noa in confusion. ' _What's going on?'_

For a brief moment, the menacing look on Noa's face left him. It changed to a kind smile. "That was a good cardfight. Good luck with your mission." he said before returning back to his original expression.

' _Was that… the person Chaos Breaker is possessing?'_

"That was too close." Noa muttered. The other Chaos Breaker left the deck and returned to its original form. Not long afterwards, Noa faded from where they were.

"It seems I underestimated you." Chaos Breaker said. "No matter. One day, you will fall into despair. I look forward to seeing that happen."

With that, Chaos Breaker fled the scene. Sophia shook her head. "You're wrong. I won't give into despair ever." she said. "Because… I have my bestest friends with me."

"We should go, Sophia." Infinite Star said, coming out from her deck. "I can sense Messiah's protection on your body fading. You won't be able to survive in this environment for much longer."

Sophia nodded her head. "Alright then. Let's go back Infinite Star."

 **Dan: So Aurora isn't the only Star Chaser user anymore?**

 **Anthony: Heh, maybe Sophia will be able to use the clan better than even Aurora can.**

 **Sophia: I don't think so. I'm still new to this clan. But it's super fun to play!**

 **Rose: You all seem to be doing well. It appears it's my turn next.**

 **Next time: The Blooming Rose**

 **Card Gallery:**

Evolution Star-saver, Carbon  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO GB1:** When this unit is sent to the bind zone from RC by the skill of your unit with "Star-saver" in its name, Search your deck for up to one card with "Star-saver" in its name and bind it face up.

* * *

Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT GB1 [Bind zone]:** CB1 & Choose one of your RCs with a card on it and bind that card face up. Call this unit to RC.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** Choose a unit with "Star-saver" in its name from your bind zone and call it to RC.

* * *

Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [Bind this unit]. At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw one card.

* * *

Barrier Star-saver, Promethium  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC from hand, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO GB1 [Bind zone]:** [Bind one of your rear guards face up.] When your Vanguard is attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, call this unit to GC, and this unit gains +10000 shield.

* * *

Salvation Star-saver, Krypton  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** At the beginning of your main phase, you may bind this card face up. Then, you can call up to one card from your bind zone with "Star-saver" in its name to RC.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** This unit gains **(CONT RC: When your unit is called to RC from the bind zone, this unit gains +5000 power.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Papilion Star-saver, Photon  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC: Resist  
** **ACT RC 1/Turn GB1:** CB1. Choose another card on your RC and bind it face up. Choose a unit in your bind zone and call it to RC. If the unit you called has "Star-saver" in its name, CC1 or SC1.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** This unit and your Vanguard gain +5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Star-saver, Globuladia  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO 1/Turn GB1:** CB1. Take a card in your drop zone with "Star-saver" in its name and bind it. Then, choose up to one of your opponent's rear guards with the same grade as the card you bound and retire it.

* * *

Renowned Star-saver, Radon  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [Bind this card]. At the beginning of your main phase, you may pay the cost. If you do, CC1 & SC1.

* * *

Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** SB1 At the beginning of your ride phase you may pay the cost. If you do, you may choose up to one of your circles other than VC and bind all cards on it face up. Then choose up to one card in your bind zone and call it to RC. If you called a unit with "Star-saver" in its name, draw one card.  
 **AUTO VC:** [Choose one of your cards on you RCs and bind it face up.] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a face up card in your bind zone, call it to RC, and give it +5000 power.

* * *

Star-saver, Gravi-Schwarz Dragon  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB2:** If you have a Vanguard that has "Star-saver" in its name, this unit gains +5000 power and +1 critical.

* * *

Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind all cards on your field that you control, other than VC. Choose face up cards from your bind zone up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone +1, and call them to separate RC. If you called five or more rear guards, this unit gains +1 critical.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** When your unit with "Star-saver" in its name is called to RC from your bind zone, that unit and this unit gain +3000 power.


	53. The Blooming Rose

**A/N: Hey readers. Ready for a Neo Nectar mirror match? Cause you're getting a Neo Nectar mirror match.**

"Wow. This is… beautiful."

Nothing else was more prominent in Rose's mind than that as she was led through the capital city of the Neo Nectar clan. Considering that the Zoo nation was known for its abundance of nature, she had expected there to be plenty of plants and flowers. But the roads were practically decorated with them. Their sweet fragrance seeped into Rose's nostrils, filling her senses with the lovely scent.

"I'm glad to hear to hear you appreciate the beauty of nature." her escort told her. The one leading her through the city was none other than Budding Rose Musketeer, Amelia.

"Earth has lots of similar flowers to Cray it seems." Rose mentioned. "However, I do notice a few I've never seen on my planet."

"Oh? You're an expert on Earth's flowers?"

"I'm sure there's plenty of people far more knowledgeable than me. But I do take a hobby in gardening." Rose explained.

"I see. Well it is an honor to act as the escort of the Earth Vanguard for Neo Nectar."

"The pleasure is all mine." Rose told her. "I thank you for showing me around the city."

"Of course." Amelia said. "As a Musketeer, I am still quite inexperienced admittedly. I have yet to serve a specific liege."

When Rose had first arrived on Cray, Amelia had been one of the units that had met her at the ruins in the Zoo nation and led her to Neo Nectar. That had been two days ago, and ever since her arrival, Amelia had been tasked with being her escort. Apparently, the higher ups had been conferencing with the other clans about their plan of attack and whatnot.

"Is there any other place you wished to visit, Rose?" Amelia asked.

"Hmm… Well we've practically been to every place in the city." Rose said. "How about a nice place to relax."

"I know just the place."

"Amelia!" The sudden call caught the attention of both Rose and the young Musketeer as they saw another Musketeer with long silver hair come their way.

"Lady Daphne. How may I be of assistance?" Amelia asked politely.

"Lady Ahsha wishes to see the two of you." Daphne answered. "Apparently she has a task for the two of you to accomplish."

"A task?" Rose asked. "What kind of task?"

"I am afraid you will have to ask Lady Ahsha about that." Daphne answered. "If you'll excuse me."

With a polite bow, Daphne walked off. Amelia looked at Rose. "Well, we'd best be off to Lady Ahsha. We don't want to keep her waiting."

"Indeed." Rose nodded.

The duo quickly made their way to the main building of the city. Inside they were greeted by a variety of Musketeers and flower maidens. Rose had to admit, despite the fact that she was a stranger to them, the residents of Cray had been very welcoming to her.

Eventually they arrived at a particular room where Ahsha was. They walked in and saw the Ranunculus flower maiden waiting for them.

"Ah, I'm glad you could make it." Ahsha said.

Amelia took a knee as she bowed in front of Ahsha. "Milady, we were informed you had a task for us."

"Yes." Ahsha nodded. "It's not so much a task, as it is a trial."

Rose raised a brow at this. "Trial?"

"Tell me, Amelia. Have you heard of the Garden of Memories?"

Amelia nodded her head. "Y-Yes ma'am. They say that it's a very special place. Musketeers go their to awaken to further power."

"That is partially true." Ahsha said. "The aroma of the flowers there incite old memories of those that smell them. Even the most repressed memories can be brought out there. I want you and Rose to enter the Garden and bring back a flower from the center of it."

Amelia widened her eyes. "M-Me?! But milady I'm nowhere near ready to enter such a place yet! I'm still far too inexperienced!"

"We will need your power for the coming battle against Conquest Empire." Ahsha told her. "I trust that with Rose's help, you will awaken to your true power there."

Amelia felt reluctant to believe Ahsha. She had not even bloomed fully yet. She was still a bud. There were countless Musketeers like her that had fully bloomed and gotten their titles. But her heart was still that of a bud.

"I will await your return." Ahsha said. "And Rose… may I have a word alone with you for a moment before you go?"

"Of course." Rose nodded. Amelia gave them a polite bow before walking out of the room and closing the door.

Now that it was just the two of them, Ahsha spoke to Rose. "Have you told Amelia yet?"

Rose knew right away what Ahsha was referring to. The unit that Rose had a connection with, the one that had allowed her to come to Planet Cray, was Amelia herself. "No, I haven't."

"Why is that?"

"She lacks confidence in herself. I feel that if I tell her that I view her as my avatar, she wouldn't believe me." Rose explained.

"I see…" Ahsha said. "This trial might be a good chance for you to do so. I believe both of you can grow to become much stronger."

Rose thought about the flower maiden's words. "I'll think about it." she said as she walked out of the room. Once she met up with Amelia, the two of them set off for the Garden of Memories.

* * *

It wasn't a long walk from the capital city to the Garden of Memories. Both Rose and Amelia stood at the entrance, looking into the garden. It seemed harmless at a glance. But if the stories were true, then this place could actually be rather dangerous.

"So how far is it to the center of the garden?" Rose asked.

"I don't believe it's too far." Amelia said. "But to get there, one has to confront some of their most repressed memories. It's not so much of a physical battle as it is a mental one."

"Hmm… That could make things difficult." Rose said. "But it wouldn't be a trial if it was easy."

Deciding not to waste anymore time, the duo walked into the garden. Both of them could tell almost immediately that there was something off about this place.

Amelia frowned. "I still don't understand why Lady Ahsha asked me to do this? I'm not strong like the other Musketeers."

"Why do you believe that?" Rose asked.

"Why?" Amelia questioned. She glanced up at the bud on her head. "Almost all of the Musketeers I know have bloomed into their own flowers. I'm the only one from my cadet group that has yet to bloom."

"And? What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're considered a full-fledged Musketeer when your heart blooms. But mine still hasn't. It shows I'm weak."

"Is that so?"

Amelia frowned. "I wish I could be strong. Like all the other Musketeers. Like Lady Ahsha." She looked over at the human girl with her. "And like you Rose. You're so brave, coming all the way here."

Rose let out a giggle. "Honestly, I'm not all that different from you actually."

Amelia blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well-" Rose suddenly fell silent as she sensed another presence. Amelia felt it too as she reached for her sword at her waist. A fog began to spread out ahead of them. Slowly, it gave form to a figure. Rose widened her eyes when she saw who it was.

Allen Demacio.

' _What's he doing here?'_ Rose asked herself. ' _Is this an effect of the flower aroma here?'_

Allen let out a chuckle. Soon, light surrounded him as his clothing changed, turning into the armor of General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander.

Seeing Allen like that brought Rose back to her match against him. The regret of losing. The pain from the damage she took. It was still fresh in her memory.

Amelia drew her sword. "Stay back Rose. I'll protect-" The Musketeer's eyes widened as she suddenly heard the sound of laughter enter her ears. "No…"

Rose glanced over to Amelia as she saw her fall to her knees. "Amelia? What's wrong?!"

" _What's wrong Amelia? You gonna be a bud forever?"_

" _Maybe you should give up on becoming a Musketeer."_

Rose heard the mocking comments coming from around them. ' _Are these… Amelia's repressed memories?'_

"No…" Amelia muttered. "I don't want to be left behind."

"Amelia wake up! You have to-" Rose was cut off as she saw Allen swing his blde her way, sending a slash of energy coming straight for her. She brought her arms up to defend her, but was blown back by the attack.

' _That attack. I could feel it.'_ Rose thought to herself. ' _These things can actually hurt us?!'_

Allen let out a dark chuckle as he walked towards Rose. The female teen tensed up, knowing she had to think of something. But what? She hadn't been able to beat Allen before. So what could she do now like this? Her eyes widened when Allen turned his attention away from her and moved towards the trembling Musketeer.

"Amelia!" Rose gasped. She quickly took off running towards the Musketeer. "Stay away from her!"

Amelia gasped as Rose stood in between her and Allen. "What are you doing?! You can't beat him!"

"Maybe not." Rose said. "But _we_ can."

"What?"

"Amelia, there's something I need to tell you." Rose said. "You know how me and my friends all had a unit from this world that we feel a bond towards? Well my unit… was you."

Amelia's eyes widened. "What? But that's-"

"You might not believe it, but the truth is you remind me a lot of my old self. That's why I always felt a connection to you." Rose said.

"You're old self? What do you mean?"

"I…" Rose let out a sigh. "I'm currently known back in my world for my beauty along with my Vanguard skills. But that wasn't always the case. Believe it or not, there were tons of girls way prettier than me when I was a kid." As she said this, multiple little girls appeared around them, the effect of the flowers around them no doubt. One of them stood out from the rest however, a small girl with hair tied up into two ponytails and glasses on. The younger version of Rose.

Amelia couldn't believe what she was seeing. "That's you?"

"I used to hate how much better everyone seemed to be compared to me." Rose said. "But after playing Vanguard, I realized something. The only person holding myself back was me. I worked hard and got to where I am now." She turned back to Amelia and showed a soft smile. "I was a late bloomer you could say."

"Rose…"

"You're strong Amelia. Stronger than you realize." Rose said. The illusionary children around them disappeared as Allen got in closer. "You are my avatar and I believe in you! So let's stand up together and stop Conquest Empire!"

Allen was mere feet away from Rose now. He raised his sword, ready to cut the girl down. He grinned as he swung the blade down. But to his surprise, a sudden blur rushed past Rose and blocked Allen's sword. The person holding Allen back was none other than Amelia herself.

"I…" Amelia began, gritting her teeth as she held her ground. "I will not allow you to hurt my Vanguard!"

Suddenly, an explosive burst of energy erupted from Amelia, pushing Allen back. He widened his eyes as he looked at the Musketeer.

Rose watched as Amelia's appearance began to change. Amelia's red hair grew out longer, reaching her waist. She seemed to grow taller as well. And most importantly, the pink bud on her hat bloomed into a beautiful pink-colored rose.

"Amelia…" Rose gasped. She noticed a light coming from her deck. Amelia's card emerged from it, changing its appearance entirely, showing off her avatar's new form.

Amelia pointed her blade at Allen. "Begone. You will bother us no more."

The illusionary Allen dispersed, until he was once again part of the mist, which began to grow thinner.

Amelia looked at her new form, seeming more surprised by it than anyone. "This is incredible. I can feel so much power coursing through my body."

Rose showed a soft smile to her. "I guess this means you've finally bloomed."

"So this is what it feels like." Amelia said to herself. "It's amazing."

"Well we're not done yet. We still have a job to do." Rose reminded her. "Let's hurry to the center of the garden."

Amelia nodded her head as she and Rose walked together through the garden. None of the flowers seemed to show anymore illusions as they moved on. Before long, they had finally arrived at their destination.

The center of the garden was beautiful. Flowers of all different kinds were around them. Despite the wide variety, their arrangement had a surprising amount of beauty to it.

"This is incredible." Rose said.

"It really is." Amelia agreed.

"I see you've finally made it."

The sudden voice startled both girls as a new figure suddenly showed themselves. Both of them immediately recognized the new arrival as Ahsha.

"L-Lady Ahsha?!" Amelia gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

"I wanted to see how you would fare with my own eyes." Ahsha explained. "I see you've finally managed to become a full-fledged Musketeer, Amelia."

Amelia nodded her head. "It's hard to describe. A feeling just came over me, wanting to protect Rose no matter what."

Ahsha nodded understandingly. "That's what a bond is. And I'm glad to see it's changed you for the better."

"So.. does this mean we passed the trial?" Rose asked.

"Not yet." Ahsha said. "I wish to test this new power of yours personally."

"Wh-What?! Amelia gasped. "You mean you want to fight me Lady Ahsha?!"

"In a sense. Actually, I'll be fighting both of you." Ahsha explained. "Together with my Vanguard."

' _Her Vanguard?'_ Rose thought. ' _Does she mean a human from earth?'_

"Now come to me! My Vanguard! Across the widest spans of the universe!" Ahsha called out as she stabbed her scythe into the ground. Rose and Amelia both gasped as a human appeared before them standing next to Ahsha. It was a teen girl with short green hair. She wore a dress with a red skirt at the end and white for the top half. A red tie was around her neck. Her eyes were a hazel color.

"Who's she?" Rose asked.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tokoha Anjou." the girl explained, introducing herself.

"I called her here from her universe." Ahsha explained. "The battle we will fight here will be the way it is done on Earth."

"A cardfight then?" Rose questioned.

"I'm still a bit hazy on the details, but it seems things are really crazy right now in this universe." Tokoha said. "That said, don't expect me to hold back."

"That's fine with me." Rose said as she pulled her deck out.

A sheet of light appeared in front of each of them. Ahsha and Amelia transformed into light and went into the decks of their respective Vanguards. Both Rose and Tokoha placed their decks down and started the fight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Calluna Musketeer, Elma!"

 **Calluna Musketeer, Elma**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Planting Maiden, Ozu!"

 **Planting Maiden, Ozu**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Rose said. "I ride Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca!"

 **Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Elma moves back with forerunner." Rose said.

Tokoha blinked her eyes in surprise. "So you use Musketeers?"

"That's right." Rose said. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Tokoha shook her head. "No, not at all. It's just… someone very special to me used that same deck too."

"I see." Rose said. "Well, it's your turn."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Rose(5), Tokoha(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Tokoha said. "I ride Prosperity Maiden, Diane!"

 **Prosperity Maiden, Diane**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Ozu moves back with forerunner." Tokoha said. "And with her boost, Diane attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Tokoha said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Tokoha(0).]**

"That's it for my turn." Tokoha said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Rose(5), Tokoha(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Ride! Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila!"

 **Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia." Rose explained. "Using Sylvia's skill. I look at the top card of the deck. If it's a Musketeer, I can call it." Rose took a look at the card and smirked. "Calling Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri."

With that, Rose had her front row filled up. Usually she would have called the grade 1 Verneri behind Sylvia to support. But with Tokoha only having a grade 1 Vanguard of 7000 power, Rose knew to take the moment to her advantage and go on the attack.

"Verneri attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"No guard." Tokoha said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Tokoha(1).]**

"Sylvia attacks next!"

 **(7000)**

' _She's afraid of me getting a damage trigger if she hits with her Vanguard first.'_ Tokoha realized. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Elma, Favila attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Rose said. "Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Tokoha said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I heal one!"

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Tokoha(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Rose(5), Tokoha(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Tokoha said. "Ride! Ideal Maiden, Thuria!"

 **Ideal Maiden, Thuria**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Collective Blooming Maiden, Kera. And then I use Ozu's skill. Since I called a grade 1 or greater unit with Bloom, I counterblast and send her to soul to draw." Tokoha explained. "Now Kera! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Tokoha(2).]**

"Thuria attacks next!"

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up the critical trigger she had gotten last turn.

"Drive check, no trigger." Tokoha said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Rose(4), Tokoha(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. She looked at the card she drew. The one that was with her. Fighting together at her side.

' _Let's do this, my avatar.'_

"Even the smallest bud can one day bloom into a beautiful flower! Let her grace and beauty stun you into silence! Ride! Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia!"

 **Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

With that, the new Amelia appeared onto the battlefield. She held her sword firmly, ready to fight.

"Moving Verneri back. Then I call Tessa in front of him and Rebecca behind Sylvia. Using Rebecca's skill, I counterblast and retire Sylvia. Looking at the top four cards of the deck for a Musketeer to call." Rose quickly chose a card and called it out. "Calling Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta. And with two new Musketeers being called out, Tessa's skill gives her an extra 4000 power."

' _A full field already. This girl sure knows how to use the Neo Nectar clan.'_ Tokoha thought with a smirk.

"Rozeeta attacks with a boost from Rebecca!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!" Tokoha called out, holding up a card in her hand.

"Boosted by Elma, Amelia is slashing in!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Rozeeta."

"Damage check." Tokoha said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Tokoha(3).]**

"Rozeeta attacks once again!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Tokoha called out once again.

"Tessa attacks with Verneri's boost!"

 **(9000+4000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Tokoha said. "Damage check, draw trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Tokoha(4).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Rose(4), Tokoha(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Tokoha said. "I've gotta say. You're a really good cardfighter."

"Thank you. You're not half bad yourself." Rose told her.

"But I've never been one to hold back. So look out!" Tokoha grinned. "Bloom proudly! For the sake of the future! Ride Ranunculus of Phantasmic Blue, Ahsha!"

 **Ranunculus of Phantasmic Blue, Ahsha**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Now get ready for the flowers to bloom! Stride Generation! Midsummer Flower Princess, Lieta!"

 **Midsummer Flower Princess, Lieta**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call a normal unit with Bloom from the deck! I call Repeated Cultivation Maiden, Leslie!" Tokoha said. "Next I use Lieta's skill I send Sharl from my hand to the soul. Lieta gains the names of all units in the soul. Then I can call cards with the same name as the Vanguard from the deck up to the number of Generation Breaks I have. So I call 2. Come! Plumeria Flower Maiden, Sharls!"

With the current formation set up, Tokoha had one column with Sharl in front and Leslie in the back, while her other side column had Sharl in the back and Kera up front.

"Sharl's bloom! Choose a unit to give 4000 power and boost for each bloom!" Tokoha explained. "I choose the Sharl in the front row and Kera! Then I swap Kera and Sharl's positions!"

' _Here she comes.'_

"Boosted by Leslie, Sharl attacks!"

 **(9000+4000+7000=20000)**

"Sharl's skill. Look at the top seven cards and call a card with the same name as one of my units. Calling Diane behind the Vanguard!"

"No guard." Rose said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Tokoha(4).]**

"Leslie's skill. Soulblast and retire her. Then I call a unit with the same name as the boosted unit from the deck. Calling Sharl over Sharl! Two blooms activate and both are going to the new Sharl!"

Rose widened her eyes. ' _With Bloom, she can keep gaining tons of power by calling copies of units she already has out. This is bad.'_

"Sharl attacks!"

 **(9000+8000=17000)**

"Guard!" Rose called out, holding up a card.

"Boosted by Diane, Lieta attacks!"

 **(26000+8000=34000)**

"No trigger."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to my standing Sharl and I heal one. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Tokoha(3).]**

"Boosted by Kera, Sharl attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+4000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Using his skill to gain 20000 shield!"

"Turn end." Tokoha said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Rose(2), Tokoha(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Stride Generation! Rubellum Lily Splendorous Musketeer, Myra!"

 **Rubellum Lily Splendorous Musketeer, Myra**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Look at the top four cards of the deck. Choose two Musketeers among them. Add one to hand and the call the other." Rose explained. "Calling Gardenia Musketeer, Alain over Verneri. Alain's skill allows me to countercharge two cards, and Tessa's skill gives herself 2000 power and Alain another 4000 power. Next I use Myra's skill. I soul blast and give Myra a skill. Whenever a Musketeer is called to rear guard, it gains 2000 power for each of my Musketeer rear guards."

' _She's already got a full field out. So the power of her units is going to skyrocket.'_

"Calling Sylvia over Rozeeta. Myra's skill. I have five Musketeer rear guards so 10000 power is added. Then, Tessa's skill activates once again. As well, I use Sylvia's skill. Reveal the top card of the deck, and call it if it's a Musketeer. Calling Artemisia Musketeer, Kiara. Once again, Myra's and Tessa's skills activate. And now with Kiara's boost, Sylvia attacks!"

 **(7000+10000+4000+6000+10000+4000=41000)**

"No guard." Tokoha said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Tokoha(4).]**

"Myra attacks!" Rose declared. "Skill of Elma. Counterblast and send her to the bottom of the deck. Look at the top four cards of the deck and call Favila. Myra and Tessa activate their skills, and another 4000 is added on top of that due to Elma."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Tessa. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Tessa and I recover one." Rose said.

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Tokoha(4).]**

"Favila attacks!"

 **(9000+4000+4000+10000=27000)**

"No guard. Damage check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and draw."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Tokoha(5).]**

"Alain lends his support to Tessa!"

 **(9000+8000+10000+4000+4000=35000**

"Generation guard! Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Using Antero's skill to add 20000 to the shield." Tokoha explained.

"Turn end." Rose said. "Amelia's skill. At the end of the turn, if I have four or more rear guards with Musketeer in their name, draw one card and send a Musketeer in the drop zone to the bottom of the deck."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Rose(6), Tokoha(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Tokoha said. "This has been fun. But it's about time I end this. Skill of Phantasmic Blue Ahsha. I send my rear guard Kera, and Sharl from my drop zone back to the deck. Then I get to draw." Tokoha discarded a card from her hand as the cost to stride. "Generation Zone release! Now is the time to blossom into the future! Stride Generation! Flower Princess of Four Seasons, Velhemina!"

 **Flower Princess of Four Seasons, Velhemina**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Sharl from the deck! Bloom! The Sharl in the top right and bottom left gain 4000 and boost. I move the top right Sharl back and call Thuria as Sharl. Bloom! Thuria gains all three blooms for a total of a 12000 power boost!" Tokoha explained. "And I'm not done there! Velhemina's Generation Break 4! All my front row rear guards gain 5000 power and plus one critical!"

Rose widened her eyes. "What did you say?!"

"Let's see how you handle this! First up is a Sharl tag team attack!"

 **(9000+5000+9000+4000=27000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up a pair of triggers.

"Velhemina attacks next with a boost from Diane." Tokoha said. "Skill of Velhemina. Calling two Kera's from the deck over my currently rested column. Kera's bloom! 10000 power to both Kera's!"

Rose gasped as she saw this. ' _That's a 45000 power column! Not to mention the critical!'_ But right now, she had to focus on Tokoha's Vanguard.

 **(26000+8000=34000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Thuria and critical to Velhemina! Third check…"

Rose tensed up. She was currently at three damage. If Tokoha pulled another critical, it would all be over. ' _Don't pull it…'_

"... no trigger."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Tokoha(5).]**

"Boosted by Sharl, Thuria attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+12000+5000+9000=40000)**

"Generation guard! Once again it's Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Antero! Add 20000 to the shield!"

"This Kera double attack will finish it!"

 **(10000+10000+5000+10000+10000=45000)**

"Perfect guard!"

Tokoha widened her eyes, but an entertained grin soon replaced it. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Rose(1), Tokoha(6).]**

' _That was way too close.'_ Rose thought. ' _I need to end this here and now.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Flower of pure beauty! Now is the time to sprout up and bloom into a new future! Stride Generation! Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Look at the top four cards of the deck, and choose up to two Musketeers. Add one to hand and call the other to rear guard." Elizabeth explained. "Come forth! Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri! Tessa's skill gives it 4000 power and herself 2000 power! In addition, Verneri gains 1000 power for each of my other Musketeer units!"

' _It doesn't matter who my opponent is. Even if it's Conquest Empire.'_ Rose thought to herself. ' _I- No. We'll face it. Together.'_

"Skill of Virginal Cecilia! Retire Favila, Alain, and Kiara! Then I get to look at the top seven cards of the deck and call Musketeers up to the number of retired rear guards!" Rose explained. "Assemble! Musketeers sworn to protect Neo Nectar! Amelia! Daphne! May Len! Tessa's skill triggers 3 times, giving them each 4000 power! And with Cecilia's skill, they each gain 3000 for each Musketeer face up in the G Zone, for a grand total of 15000 power!"

Ahsha showed a satisfied smile. ' _It seems this human truly is capable of leading us to victory. I can trust in her and her friends to help drive Conquest Empire away.'_

"Here goes! Amelia attacks with a boost from May Len!"

 **(11000+4000+15000+5000+4000+15000=54000)**

"No guard." Tokoha said. "Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Tokoha(6).]**

Ahsha's spirit left Tokoha's deck and returned to where they were. Tokoha showed Rose a bright smile. "That was a great cardfight! Good luck in your future battles!"

"The same to you." Rose said with a nod as she watched Tokoha fade away. Amelia left her deck as well, standing at her side.

"Congratulations. You win." Ahsha said. "You've become much stronger Amelia. I know you'll do Neo Nectar proud."

"I will not let you down, Lady Ahsha." Amelia said with a nod.

"We'd best get ready then." Ahsha said. "We need to meet with the other clans and discuss our battle plan."

Leading the way, Ahsha walked back to Neo Nectar's capital, with Rose and Amelia following close behind.

 **Rose: Things are beginning to look up. The final battle with Conquest Empire is almost upon us.**

 **Anthony: Bring it on! I can't wait to send them all flying!**

 **Sophia: Me and my Star-savers are ready to go too!**

 **William: Well it seems I'm the only one left. I'd better get ready.**

 **Next time: A Knight Blinded by Light**

 **Card Gallery:**

Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1, When your G Unit with "Musketeer" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top four cards of your deck. Choose up to two cards among them with "Musketeer" in its name. If you chose one, call it to RC. If you choose two, call one to RC and add the other to your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** At the end of your turn, if you have four or more units with "Musketeer" in their name, draw one card and choose up to one card in your drop zone with "Musketeer" in its name and put it on the bottom of your deck.


	54. A Knight Blinded By Light

**A/N: Hello readers. Back again with the first chapter of the new year for this fic. To kick off the new year, Deviljho's Hatred and I will be doing a special thing for all of you. Not only will there be a chapter today, but also one tomorrow and the day after. There were a couple reasons for doing this, but we're sure you'll enjoy the 3 chapter special regardless.**

William groaned as he slowly came to. As he sat up, the comfy mattress he feet underneath him confirmed he was on a bed. Looking around, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. It was well decorated, similar to his own room back home. But if he remembered correctly, he was supposed to be on Cray.

As the blonde teen wondered where he was, the door to the room opened. A female elf walked in, widening her eyes when she notice William was up. "Oh my! You're finally awake!"

"H-Hello…" William said. He knew that the residents of Cray were not all human, but seeing an elf in front of him was still a bit of a surprise.

"I'll go inform the others right away! Please wait here!" she said.

Before William could get another word in, the elf quickly ran out of the room. Left with little option, he decided to wait for someone to return. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long. But the one who next entered the room caused him to widen his eyes.

Standing before him was none other than the Royal Paladin sword of light, Blaster Blade.

"I welcome you, human of Earth." Blaster Blade greeted.

"B-Blaster Blade?!" William exclaimed. "It's… It's really you…"

"Indeed." Blaster Blade nodded. "And what may we call you?"

William quickly snapped out of his shock and stood up. "My name is William Lewis. It's an honor to meet you."

"I suppose you must have a few questions." Blaster Blade said. "Like how you got here for instance?"

"Well… I'd be lying if I said no." William admitted.

"The truth is, it seems you landed a bit off from the original intended target. You were supposed to arrive at a special temple in United Sanctuary. However, we instead found you roughly a mile away from there. You were unconscious so we brought you here." Blaster Blade explained.

"I see." William said. "Do you know the reason why I landed so far off?"

"The cause is still unknown. Though with how little is known about this method of travel, it could be various reasons."

"Yes. I suppose that makes sense." William agreed.

"If you'll please follow me." Blaster Blade said. "Time is of the essence."

William nodded his head and walked out of the room with Blaster Blade. As he walked with him, William was able to tell that they were in some sort of palace. The hallways were fancy and decorated well. Looking out a window to the side, William was able to see the view outside. Bright buildings decorated the city they were in. It was unlike anything he had ever seen on Earth.

"What do you think? I assume this must be quite a surprise to you." Blaster Blade said.

"It really is amazing." William said. "Cray's architecture and technology is far beyond that of Earth's."

"That makes sense. Your planet does not have the resource of magic, correct?"

William nodded his head. "Yes, that is true."

The two of them continued to walk through the halls of the palace. As they did, William couldn't help but be amazed. Blaster Blade was right in front of him. When Yukari had told them to focus their thoughts on the unit they felt represented them, his thoughts were of Blaster Blade. He was a famous warrior of legend. A paragon of chivalry. As the heir to the Lewis family head, he felt a similar sense of honor.

Eventually, the two of them arrived at a pair of regal-looking doors. Based on their size and decoration, William could only assume someone important was behind those doors.

Opening the doors, Blaster Blade walked inside with William. As the blonde teen walked in, he noticed several warriors of Royal Paladin present. He recognized some of them from the cards in Vanguard. But most importantly, he could tell this was the throne room of the palace. The long carpet and fancy seat at the end told him that much, especially with who was sitting on it.

King of Knights, Alfred.

"My king, I have brought the human from Earth." Blaster Blade said as he knelt down before Alfred.

Alfred nodded understandingly. "Thank you, Blaster Blade." He turned his attention to William. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"William Lewis, your majesty." William said as he too knelt down. "It's an honor to be in your presence."

"I am glad to hear that you think so highly of me." Alfred said. "But in reality it is us who are glad to have you with us."

"To be honest, I am still a bit confused on how my friends and I are to help you." William said. "All we were told was that we are able to boost your powers in some way with our bond to the units of Cray."

"Indeed." Alfred said. "According to Atmos, the unit you are bound with can have their strength multiply with your help. You must combine your powers."

"Combine our powers…" William said to himself. He glanced over at Blaster Blade. If he could help empower Blaster Blade further, then perhaps they would indeed have a chance at defeating Conquest Empire. "Well then Blaster Blade, I look forward to fighting alongside you."

"So I am the unit you see as your avatar then?" Blaster Blade asked.

William nodded his head. "Yes. You've been at the heart of my deck for as long as I can remember."

Alfred narrowed his eyes as he looked at William. "If you do not mind, young William, many of the knights of Royal Paladin are curious to see your power in action. Are you alright with that?"

"Of course." William said. "But… how exactly would I go about showing you that?"

"You needn't worry. We already have a suitable way to do so." Alfred said. "Blaster Blade, would you please show our guest to the courtyard?"

"At once, my king." Blaster Blade nodded.

William followed Blaster Blade as they left the throne room. He had no idea what exactly they had planned for him to do, but whatever it was he would do his best. The fate of both their worlds hung in the balance of whether they could help defeat Conquest Empire after all.

After being led through the halls of the palace, the two of them finally arrived at an exit. Blaster Blade motioned for William to go through.

Walking out into the courtyard, William could immediately feel the calm serene breeze flowing in the wind. It brought calmness to his mind.

"So you are the human from Earth?"

The sudden voice made William notice that he was not alone. A knight stood on the other side of the courtyard. He had blue hair and wore white armor. A sword of the same color was sheathed at his waist.

"You're… Altmile…" William said in surprise, recognizing the unit from the game.

"Indeed." Altmile nodded. "And I will be your opponent in this trial."

William blinked in surprise. "Wait, trial? You mean I have to fight you?" With his training as a noble back in England, William knew how to handle a sword, but he highly doubted he was anywhere near the level of a famous knight from Cray.

"No need for alarm. We will not be fighting in the traditional sense." Altmile assured him.

"What do you mean?"

"Allow me to show you." Altmile said. He raised his sword into the sky. "Now come to me! My Vanguard! Across the widest spans of the universe!"

Suddenly a pillar of light shot down from the sky. William shielded his eyes until the light died down. When he looked at Altmile again, he saw another human at the knight's side. And from the look of his attire, he seemed to be from Earth.

"Thank you for coming, my Vanguard." Altmile said.

"The pleasure is all mine." the boy said. "I'd never refuse your call, even if you aren't the Altmile from my universe."

"Um… excuse me." William said. "Who are you?"

"Ah, how rude of me." the boy said. "My name is Shion Kiba. And yourself?"

"William Lewis." William answered.

"A pleasure to meet you then, William." Shion said. "Now then, shall we get started?"

"So this is my trial then?" William asked. "A cardfight?"

"Indeed." Altmile answered. "You will face me and my avatar together. Show us your strength."

William watched as Altmile transformed into light and went into Shion's deck. A sheet of light appeared in front of Shion and William as the two of them placed their decks on them.

"You must be a strong cardfighter if you were chosen to help Cray in such a crisis." Shion said. "But I consider myself a skilled fighter as well. So don't underestimate me."

"I wouldn't dream of it." William said.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Blinking Knight, Milius!"

 **Blinking Knight, Milius**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." William said. He looked at his hand after drawing. ' _No copies of Blaster Blade or Blaster Blade Exceed. I'll have to rely on the skills of my units to search for him.'_

"Ride. Swordsman of Light, Blaster Rapier Laura."

 **Swordsman of Light, Blaster Rapier Laura**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Wingal Brave moves back. Turn end." William said.

From the railings above them, Alfred and a few other knights looked down at the courtyard, observing the cardfight. The king of the Royal Paladin clan paid close attention to William. He noticed Blaster Blade arrive to the viewing area as well.

"Altmile and his Vanguard seem to have a clear connection." Alfred said.

"Indeed. That boy seems to be a strong Vanguard." Blaster Blade agreed. "Now let us see if the Vanguard from our universe's Earth is able to overcome them."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: William(5), Shion(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. "I ride! Lunarfang Knight, Felax!"

 **Lunarfang Knight, Felax**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Milius moves." Shion said. "With a boost from Milius, Felax attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." William said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check." William clicked his tongue when he saw a copy of Blaster Blade Exceed go into his damage zone. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: William(1), Shion(0).]**

"Skill of Milius. Since it boosted a successful attack for a unit with the Brave ability, I send it to the soul and look at the top ten cards of the deck. I then take two cards with Altmile in their name among them. One goes to my hand and the other to my soul." Shion explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: William(5), Shion(7).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Ride! Favored Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew!"

 **Favored Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _I have to get a copy of Blaster Blade Exceed into my hand next turn, no matter what. Otherwise, I'm in trouble.'_ William thought. "Call! Star Hope Trumpeter and Wingal Youth! With Wingal Brave's boost, Llew attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Shion called out, holding out a critical trigger and a grade 1.

William grit his teeth, knowing there was no way for his Vanguard to hit now. "Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to Star Hope! Now Star Hope attacks with a boost from Wingal Youth!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Shion said, letting two cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: William(1), Shion(2).]**

"Since the attack hit, Wingal Youth's skill lets me check the top seven cards of my deck for a card with Blaster Blade in its name and add it to my hand." William said. He checked the top seven cards, widening his eyes when he didn't see either a copy of Blaster Blade or Exceed.

"It seems you didn't find what you were looking for." Shion said.

"... Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: William(4), Shion(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. "Ride! Knight of Ambuscade, Redon!"

 **Knight of Ambuscade, Redon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Peerless Knight, Livarot." Shion said. "Livarot attacks!"

 **(10000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Shion(2).]**

"Redon is up next!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" William said, holding up the critical trigger he had gotten before.

"Drive check. Stand trigger." Shion said. "All effects to Livarot. And now Livarot will attack once again!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Shion(2).]**

"That will end my turn." Shion said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: William(4), Shion(5).]**

William looked at his hand. He couldn't believe his luck so far. Not a sign of either of the versions of his avatar. He looked at the top of his deck, praying Exceed was there. "Stand and draw." William drew his card, but unfortunately he still did not get the card he wanted.

' _It seems I have no choice.'_ William thought. "Ride. New Style Blaster, Llew."

 **New Style Blaster, Llew**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Shion took notice of his opponent's expression. ' _Seems his deck isn't doing him many favors.'_

"Llew attacks with a boost from Wingal Brave."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Perfect guard!" Shion called out.

' _Damn. He shut down my Vanguard attack again.'_ William thought. "Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

Still, no copies of Exceed were coming to him. William had almost never had a game go this badly for him. But he couldn't give up now. "Star Hope attacks with Youth's boost."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Shion(3).]**

"Wingal Youth's skill. Checking the top seven cards of the deck." William said. He checked his cards, but the frown he made told Shion all he needed to know about the result. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(6), Shion(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. He took a card from his hand and raised it into the air. "My passion, together with your sword! Let us carve out a new future! Ride! Higher Deity Knight, Altmile!"

 **Higher Deity Knight, Altmile**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Shion called out. "Immortal Holy Sword, Fides!"

 **Immortal Holy Sword, Fides**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul blast! I superior call Counteroffensive Knight, Suleiman!" Shion said, filling up his front row. "I then call Knight of Discipline, Alectos and Support Sorcerer of Damascus."

William widened his eyes. ' _He completely used up his hand! What's he planning?!'_

"Brave of Alectos. I rest him and add 3000 power to Livarot."

"Brave?"

"It's a skill that I can use when I have three or less cards in hand." Shion explained.

William widened his eyes. "That's quite a bold strategy."

"Perhaps. But as they say, fortune favors the bold." Shion said. "Skill of Fides. Counterblast. Whenever any of my units with Brave attacks this turn, if you only have one guardian out, the attack will hit regardless of the Power."

"What?!"

"Let's get right into the battle phase, shall we? Skill of Alectos! I counterblast and send him to the soul! Now for the rest of this turn, all Brave skills become active, regardless of the number of cards in my hand! Then, I draw!"

William tensed up as he heard this. ' _Shion Kiba. His strength is incredible. I've never seen a fighter like him.'_

"Sulieman attacks! With Brave, Sulieman gains 3000 power!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Shion(3).]**

"Livarot attacks with a boost from Damascus!" Shion declared. "Livarot's Brave. I search my deck for a grade 2 with the Brave ability other than Livarot and call it to rear guard. Superior call, Redon! Redon's skill, add 3000 power. Then with his Brave, my front row gains 3000 power."

 **(10000+3000+3000+7000=23000)**

William watched as Redon was called over the rested Sulieman, giving Shion another attack. He held up a trigger and a grade 1 from his hand. "Guard!"

"Fides attacks!" Shion called out.

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"Perfect guard!" William called out. "Lien's soul blast. I nullify your attack."

' _With a perfect guard, Fides's skill won't matter, even if he only has one guardian.'_ Shion noticed. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Redon! And now Redon attack's the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000+3000+5000=20000)**

"Generation guard!" William called out. "Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon!"

 **Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"I also intercept with Star Hope Trumpeter." William said.

"Turn end." Shion said. "Brave of Damascus. At the end of the turn, I retire her to draw and countercharge twice."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(2), Shion(5).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. He was not liking his odds. Shion had gotten rid of most of his hand with that last turn. Not to mention his field was far from ideal.

' _No choice. No matter what, I have to finish him this turn.'_

"Stride Generation! Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _Usually I would use Exceed's stride skill to add Blaster Blade to my hand. But that's not an option anymore.'_ William thought. ' _I'll just have to make due.'_

"I call Aspire Painter and Favored Pupil of Light and Darkness, Llew." William said. "Aspire Painter's skill. I countercharge and soul chare, as well as add 3000 power to it until end of turn."

"Now you're the one who's used up his entire hand to call units." Shion smirked.

' _He's not wrong. But at this point, it's my only chance.'_ William thought. "Aspire Painter attacks!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard." Shion said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Shion(4).]**

"Gancelot attacks with Wingal Brave's boost!" William called out. "Gnacelot's skill. I countercharge and Gancelot gains a drive. Plus, since there's a face up card in my G Zone, Gancelot gains a critical."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Shion said, holding up the sentinel.

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Llew and I draw. Third check, no trigger. Final check, heal trigger. Power to Llew and I recover one." William said. "And now with Wingal Youth's boost, Llew attacks!"

 **(9000+10000=7000=26000)**

"No guard." Shion said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Shion(5).]**

Once again, William used Wingal Youth's skill to check the top seven cards of his deck. And once again, he failed to find what he needed. He couldn't understand what was going on.

"Turn end." William said. ' _I wasn't able to finish him. But at least I healed a damage. Perhaps I can hold him off until next turn, and go for the kill.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(5), Shion(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. "It seems your deck isn't responding to you. It shows that you're hesitating."

"What?"

"If your mind isn't perfectly clear on what you have to do, then you'll never be able to beat me, let alone save Cray from the threat facing it." Shion said. "I know because my mind was clouded once too. But I managed to overcome that." He stared at William with a fierce look of determination. "Let me show you what I obtained as a result of that!"

' _Here he comes.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Everlasting souls! Use your light to banish all evil! Stride Generation! Immortal Holy Sword, Fides!"

 **Immortal Holy Sword, Fides**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Alectos!" Shion said. "Next I call Felax behind Livarot! Felax's Brave. My front row units gain 2000 power and Resist. Next, I use the skill of Fides. For the rest of this turn, the attacks of my units with Brave will hit if you only have one guardian."

' _I only have five cards in hand. I need to guard carefully.'_

"Brave of Alectos. I rest him and give 3000 power to Redon." Shion said. "And now I use Alectos's other skill. I send him to the soul to allow all Brave skills to be active for the rest of the turn, regardless of the number of cards in my hand. Now Redon will attack!"

 **(9000+3000+2000+3000=17000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Shion(5).]**

"Boosted by Felax, Livarot attacks! Livarot's Brave! I call Counteroffensive Knight, Sulieman over Redon!"

 **(10000+2000+7000+1000=20000)**

"Guard!" William said, throwing down a draw trigger. "I also intercept with Aspire Painter."

"Sulieman attacks! With Brave, add 3000 power! And then with his other skill, I counterblast and discard. Calling Livarot over Livarot!"

 **(9000+3000+2000=14000)**

' _He's calling units over and over for a wave of attacks!'_ William realized with widened eyes. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Shion(5).]**

"I attack with Fides!" Shion declared. "Brave of Fides! Generation Break 4! I superior call Higher Deity Knight, Altmile, Lunarfang Knight, Felax, and Sorcerer of Damascus!"

 **(26000+3000+3000=32000)**

"Perfect guard with Lien!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger! All effects to my resting Felax!"

William widened his eyes. ' _No way?!'_

"With Felax's boost, Altmile attacks!" Shion called out. "Altmile's Brave! Add 5000 power and plus one critical!"

 **(11000+5000+3000+3000=22000)**

"Generation guard! Little Great Sage, Marron!

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Maron's soul blast! I call Blaster-friend Barcgal from my deck to the guardian circle! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Livarot attacks with a boost from Felax! With Brave, call Sulieman!"

 **(10000+3000+3000+7000+1000+5000=29000)**

William looked at his hand. With Suleiman, he'd also have another two attacks at least after this to deal with. "No guard." William said. "Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(6), Shion(5).]**

"It seems that's it then." Shion said. "If you wish to become stronger, know this. First you must overcome despair."

With that, Shion slowly began to fade, leaving the surface of Cray. Now it was just Altmile and William, as well as the other members of Royal Paladin that had been observing the fight.

' _I lost…'_ William thought silently as he fell to his knees. He clenched his fists in frustration. ' _I couldn't do a thing in that fight. How am I supposed to help protect Cray and Earth like this?'_

 **William: Shion Kiba. He was a really strong fighter. He's way ahead of my level right now.**

 **Rose: So what will you do now, William?**

 **William: I'm not sure… Am I even worthy of leading the forces of Cray like this?**

 **Anthony: I hope he snaps out of this soon. United Sanctuary's about to have some unwanted company.**

 **Next time: William's Avatar**


	55. William's Avatar

**A/N: Hey everybody. Here's the second chapter of the three chapter special. No cardfight this time, but we hope you like it nonetheless.**

"Hiyah!" William shouted as he swung the sword in his hands down. Llew blocked it with ease however, keeping a strong stance. While William seemed exhausted, Llew had barely broken a sweat.

"Ready for a break?" Llew asked.

Too tired to even give a verbal response, William simply nodded his head before sitting down. "The warriors of Cray really are amazing."

"I could see you've been given some formal training with a sword from your movements." Llew told him. "But it's clear you lack the experience of fighting on the battlefield."

"Yeah. I was given fencing training throughout my childhood. But I've never used it for anything outside of fencing matches." William confirmed. "And to be honest… it's been a long time since my last official match."

Ever since his loss to Shion Kiba, William had spent the past two days trying to improve himself. Llew had offered to spar with him, curious about Earth's style of swordplay. But he could feel something holding him back. He was furious, but not about the fact that he had lost. It was how the fight had went. Nothing had gone his way in that fight. Most importantly of all, he had gotten zero chances to get Blaster Blade Exceed into play.

It was as if Blaster Blade was… rejecting him.

' _Why?'_ William asked himself as he clenched his fist. ' _Why couldn't I get my deck to respond to me? Blaster Blade is my avatar, isn't he?'_

It was clear he was lacking something. But what? William couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard he thought about it.

"Llew… What am I missing?" William asked the knight sitting near him. "In my fight against Shion and Altmile, I fought the same way I always had. But my deck didn't respond to me at all. I don't get it."

Llew thought about the matter. It was a difficult question. "I'm not really sure, William. Matters of the soul are something that a person needs to reflect on themselves."

"Hmph, the answer should be obvious, boy."

The sudden voice caused William and Llew to both turn to the entrance to the courtyard. Standing there was a knight dressed entirely in black armor. A powerful sword was at his side, almost identical to Blaster Blade.

"Blaster Dark…" William gasped. "But… what are you doing here?! This is the territory of the Royal Paladin clan!"

"Hmph, we are all at war with Conquest Empire. Things like clans don't matter right now." Blaster Dark spoke. "I'm here for a strategy meeting with the other clans of United Sanctuary."

"It's been a long time, Blaster Dark." Llew said, standing up.

The black knight glanced over at the Royal Paladin warrior. "Llew, correct? You've certainly grown."

"Thank you. Though I still have a long way to go." Llew said.

"Blaster Dark" William interrupted. "You said the answer was obvious. What did you mean by that?"

"I was watching your fight against Altmile, boy." Blaster Dark said. "The reason you lost was because you didn't have a connection with your avatar."

"What are you talking about?!" William exclaimed. "Of course I have a connection with Blaster Blade! I've used him in my deck since I started Vanguard!"

"Tell me then, why do you see yourself as him?"

"He's a noble that fights for what is right! He refuses to let darkness overtake him! Just as I do!"

Blaster Dark let out a soft chuckle. "So you say he rejects darkness entirely, and that is why he is your avatar?"

William nodded his head. "That's right."

Blaster Dark shook his head. "Boy, you do not understand the first thing about Blaster Blade if you truly believe that. It's no wonder you lost your fight with that mindset."

William widened his eyes. "What are you talking about."

"Blaster Blade did choose the path of light, opposite to me." Blaster Dark explained. "But he does not reject darkness entirely. He reflects on it, and accepts its strength. You on the other hand seem to reject every aspect of it. In your mind, light will always triumph over shadow."

"Of course it will!" William said.

"You are nothing more than a naive fool, boy." Blaster Dark said. "All things have darkness in their hearts. Thinking you are an exception is nothing more than brash egotism." The knight turned to walk away. "You have a long way to go before you are worthy of leading Cray against Conquest Empire."

William clenched his fists in frustration as Blaster Dark walked away. ' _Darkness? In my heart? Absurd! I've always strove to do the right thing, no matter what!'_

"You know…" Llew said. "I think it would be wise to give some thought to his advice."

William turned to Llew in surprise. "What are you saying? Shouldn't you, one of the Royal Paladin knights of all people, reject the thought of darkness the most?"

"Some may think that darkness and evil go hand in hand." Llew said. "But I believe differently. And I believe Blaster Blade does too."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure many members of the Royal Paladin clan look up to Blaster Blade." Llew said. "But as for me, I hold admiration for both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark. Both of them are extraordinary in their own ways. Blaster Blade holds great courage, always willing to stand up to evil no matter how strong. Blaster Dark holds a powerful determination though. He does what he believes in, no matter what others may think of him."

William looked at where Blaster Dark had been standing. "A strong determination, huh?"

"I think it may be best to consider his words carefully." Llew said. "You may find the answer you're looking for."

William looked at the palm of his hand, lost in thought. ' _Fighting for light… while accepting darkness… Is such a thing really possible?'_

* * *

Blaster Dark walked through the halls of the palace. It had been a long time since he had been here, back in his days of being part of the Royal Paladin clan. Many things had changed since then, but in an odd way it was as if nothing had changed at all.

"That was out of character for you."

Blaster Dark didn't even turn to look at Blaster Blade, standing by a corner in the hallway. "What are you referring to?"

"Giving advice to the human from Earth. You're usually not the type for it."

Blaster Dark let out a chuckle. "Are we really entrusting our future to that boy and his friends?"

"It's true that William is lost right now." Blaster Blade admitted. "But I believe he will realize the truth he is searching for in time."

"Time is something we don't have. I would think you'd know as much Ahmes."

Blaster Blade showed a small grin. "It's been a long time since you've called me that, Junos."

"Look who's talking." Blaster Dark chuckled. As much as he enjoyed the small banter between the two of them, he decided to change the topic. "How are our forces?"

"They've been busy repelling Conquest Empire. Right now it's at a stalema-"

Blaster Blade was cut off as the entire palace suddenly shook. The two knights struggled to keep their balance for the momentary quake.

"What was that?" Blaster Dark asked.

"I don't know." Blaster Blade said. "But I've got a bad feeling about this." Suddenly, he saw a familiar face running through the halls. "Marron! What is going on?!"

The sage turned to the two knights with a worried expression. "It's trouble! Conquest Empire is attacking the city!"

The two knights widened their eyes in shock. "How is that possible?! Their forces should still be far off from here!" Blaster Blade said.

"We're not sure exactly. We're still gathering information."

"Damnit." Blaster Blade cursed. He turned to Blaster Dark. "Are you ready for battle?"

"Heh, always." Blaster Dark said with a grin. "I've been itching for a fight to relieve my boredom."

Quickly the two knights ran through the halls of the palace, making their way to the entrance. As they rushed into the city, they could already see how serious the situation was. Smoke was rising from the streets. Screams and cries of panic filled the air.

"Damn those monsters." Blaster Blade said.

Running out into the city, the duo were greeted by a legion of knights and other soldiers belonging to Conquest Empire.

"There's Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark! Kill them!" one of the soldiers called out.

Blaster Dark showed a smirk. "Kill us? I'm afraid you'll need far more than this sad bunch."

Altogether, a hail of gunfire and soldiers rained down on the two knights. But what they lacked in numbers, the two of them more than made up for with skill and strength. It took little effort for Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark to repel the soldiers and cut them down. In less than a minute, the squad was barely standing.

"Hmph, is that all?" Blaster Dark asked. "I barely broke a sweat."

"The Blaster platoon should have been guarding the bordering forts. There's no way they would fall to enemies of this level." Blaster Blade noted.

"In other words, there's a stronger one leading them." Blaster Dark realized. "But who?"

"That would be me."

At hearing the new voice, both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark turned and saw a lone figure walking towards them. It was a man with short brown hair in full armor down from his neck. A broadsword was grasped tightly in one of his hands.

"Judging by your appearance, I take it you're Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark." he said. "I've heard a lot about you."

"State your name, intruder." Blaster Blade said with a glare.

"Yes, how rude of me. My apologies." he said. "My name is Alexander, one of the four generals that serve the mighty Emperor Caezaros."

The two of them tensed up after hearing this. They had heard about the legendary generals that served directly under the emperor of Conquest Empire. Each of them were known for their deadly skill in battle. Alone, they were rumored to rival a full army fleet in terms of combat ability.

"G-General Alexander!" one of the remaining soldiers exclaimed.

"Fall back for now and tend to your injuries." Alexander told them. "There is no need for you to throw your lives away here."

"Y-Yes, general!" they said. "Good luck!"

Alexander watched as the squad retreated. Once he saw that they were a safe distance away, he turned back to the two knights. "I hope you can give me more of a challenge than your comrades. I was rather disappointed by them." Alexander said.

Blaster Blade widened his eyes. Was he referring to the Blaster platoon? He tightened his grip on his sword. "What did you do to them?"

"You needn't worry about that." Alexander said, holding his sword out and pointing the tip at the two standing before him. "You should keep your focus on me. En garde!"

* * *

William and Llew rushed through the halls of the palace. After hearing the initial quake, the two of them quickly found out that the city was currently under attack. They were now rushing to help out however they could.

"Are you sure you want to come, William?" Llew asked. "It will be extremely dangerous."

"I don't care." William said. "I came here to help protect Cray. If I ran away now, I'd have no right to call myself a Vanguard."

Llew could sense the determination in William's voice. "Very well then. I will do my utmost best to keep you safe."

William looked at the sword sheathed at his belt as they ran. It wasn't much of a weapon compared to Llew's. But hopefully he could deal with a foot soldier or two.

As they ran, the window near them suddenly shattered as a figure jumped in. It was clear from his appearance that he was not an ally.

"Die!" the soldier called out as he swung his blade.

William quickly intercepted the attack meant for Llew, blocking it with his own sword. But the difference in strength was far too big. William was sent flying back, his back crashing into the wall.

"William!" Llew exclaimed. He glared at the soldier that had attacked him. "You will pay for that!"

Llew clashed swords with the Conquest Empire soldier. It was clear how different their skills were as Llew easily overpowered his opponent. With a final slash of his sword, the soldier fell over and collapsed onto the ground.

"That was close." Llew said.

"Yeah." William said, groaning from the pain as he stood up. As he got to his feet, William's eyes widened when he saw another enemy on the ceiling of the hall, aiming to take out Llew when his back was turned. "Look out!"

Acting on pure instinct, William rushed towards Llew. He didn't even know how he was going to protect the knight, he just knew that he had to. Whether it was courage or stupidity, he didn't care. He was determined to protect the knight that had helped him so much.

" _Blaster Blade holds great courage, always willing to stand up to evil no matter how strong. Blaster Dark holds a powerful determination though. He does what he believes in, no matter what others may think of him."_

In that instance, Llew's words resonated with William. He could see why Llew respected both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark. The courage to fight against any adversary, and the determination to do what one believed in.

' _I will take the powers of both and shape my ideal with them.'_

Making eye contact with Llew, William suddenly felt an odd sensation go through his body. He could see it in Llew's eyes that the knight was going through the same phenomenon. He had no clue what he was doing, but his body acted on pure instinct.

"Ride! New Style Blaster, Llew!" William shouted.

In that instant, Llew turned into light and flowed into William. William's entire appearance changed, doning Llew's armor on his body. The large sword the knight had manifested into William's hands. At the same time, William felt his strength increase tenfold. Even more flowed into him. Llew's experience in battle and instincts became his own.

Raising his sword, William rushed at the hidden enemy that had revealed himself to attack Llew. "Take this!"

With one slash, William cut the assassin down. The enemy fell over onto the floor and laid motionless. William breathed heavily, everything that had happened in that brief moment suddenly coming to him all at once.

"What… What happened?" William asked himself.

" _It would seem our spirits have merged."_

The sudden voice that spoke into his mind made William widen his eyes. "Llew?!"

" _I am not entirely sure what just happened, but I could hear you calling out to me."_ Llew spoke telepathically. " _In that instant, I felt the two of us become one."_

William looked at himself. He was unmistakingly wearing Llew's armor and holding his sword. "So… is this permanent? Is there a way to turn this off?"

" _I believe there is. But now is not the time for that."_ Llew told him. " _In this merged state, we are stronger than either of us alone. We should go to the battlefield and help repel Conquest Empire's forces for now."_

"Right." William nodded. He went to the broken window and leaped out from it, taking the shortest route to the city. As he did, a sudden realization hit William. It all finally made sense. Why he had landed so far of from the original mark when he had landed on Cray. Why his deck hadn't been responding to him in his cardfight against Shion. He had been imagining himself as the wrong unit. Blaster Blade wasn't his avatar.

Llew was.

* * *

Alexander let out a war cry as he swung his buster sword down at Blaster Blade. The Royal Paladin knight quickly jumped back to avoid the slash. He fell back and stood next to Blaster Dark. The two of them had been able to somewhat wear down Alexander, but they were also nearing their limit themselves.

"The rumors about you two hold true. It's been awhile since I've met such worthy opponents." Alexander said.

"Damnit. How strong is this guy?" Blaster Dark said, trying to catch his breath while he could.

"Don't falter now. We can still win this." Blaster Blade said.

Alexander took a stance to attack again. "It is time to end this."

"Let's go!" Blaster Blade shouted.

Together, the two knights kicked off the ground and ran towards Alexander. Blaster Blade went in first, swinging his sword down at Alexander. The general blocked with his own blade, but couldn't break the stalemate between the two of them as Blaster Dark closed in from the side. The dark knight thrusted his blade forward, planning to finish the general with one strike.

Finally Alexander managed to break his stalemate with Blaster Blade at the last second. He avoided being cut down by Blaster Dark, but the sword still grazed him.

"Die!" Alexander yelled as he raised his sword. With a great show of might, he swung it down and created a powerful blast that spread out. Being right near him, both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark took the brunt of the blast. The two knights were sent flying and collapsed onto the ground. They were still alive, but could no longer muster the strength to stand.

It was clear Alexander's last attack had taken its toll on him, as he fell on one knee. ' _That was reckless of me. To think I'd have to use my last resort.'_

Mustering what strength remained in him, Alexander stood back up. He was ready to finish things for good. "You both fought well. I will honor you by remembering you as brave warriors of Cray."

"Spare us your pity." Blaster Dark spat. "We're not dead yet."

"Allow me to rectify that then." Alexander said as he stepped forward.

"Stay back!"

The sudden shout caused Alexander to see a figure come crashing down towards him. He jumped back, barely avoiding the collision. As the debris cleared he got a better look at the new arrival.

Blaster Blade recognized who it was and widened his eyes. "Llew?"

William turned his head, showing his face to Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark. "Well you're half right."

Blaster Blade gasped at who it was. ' _William?! But… I don't understand. What is going on?'_

Blaster Dark let out an amused chuckle. "Seems that boy finally found his true avatar."

William turned back to face his opponent. He immediately recognized who it was, having nothing but bitter memories when it came to this particular unit of Conquest Empire. ' _General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander.'_

"So now you wish to battle me as well?" Alexander said. "Very well then. Do your worst."

"My pleasure." William said as he rushed at Alexander. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have anywhere near the level of skill and experience to fight toe to toe with a general who had no doubt seen countless battles. But with Llew's instincts running through him, it was as if his body knew what to do before his mind did.

"You're quite skilled." Alexander said as the two of them locked swords. "But even still… I will not lose to you!"

With a great show of might, Alexander swung his sword upwards, knocking William's sword out of his hands. William gasped as he now found himself disarmed. He leaped back just in time to avoid being cut down.

"This is bad." William said. "Any ideas, Llew?"

" _We can't win if we're unarmed. This opponent is too skilled."_

William looked at his weapon, lying a fair distance away. Any move he made to get to it would no doubt be blocked off by Alexander. He desperately tried to think of a solution. With both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark down, it was up to him to stop Alexander.

' _Wait…'_ William suddenly thought. He glanced at the two knights laying near him. It was a bit of a bold plan. But right now it was his only option.

"What will you do, young warrior?" Alexander asked. "Run away? Or fight and die?"

"I choose neither." William said. He ran forward in a straight charge towards Alexander.

"You run headfirst into your death?" Alexander questioned. "You have no weapon."

"Then I'll just have to borrow a couple." William said. As he ran forward, he grabbed the hilts of the legendary swords, Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark. Taking one blade in each hand, he continued his charge forward.

Both of the collapsed knights widened their eyes as they watched William run forward with their swords. It wasn't just that he had the nerve to touch them. Both swords were fully responding to him.

' _Blaster Dark was right. It was arrogant of me to think I held no darkness in my heart.'_ William thought. ' _Each person has light and darkness within them. So I will accept that fact and take what I can from both sides! The courage to stand up and face any opponent, as well as the determination to do what I feel is right regardless of outside opinions.'_

"Raaaaaahhhhh!" William let out a cry as he leaped into the air and swung both swords down at Alexander. The general knew the attack that was coming would be too big to evade. He brought up his sword in a desperate attempt to guard. The two Blaster armaments crashing down onto him though was too much. He was blown back a large distance, his body sliding along the streets.

' _What incredible power.'_ Alexander thought as he struggled to stay standing. ' _That boy… who is he?'_

William flinched in pain slightly. Using the full power of both swords at once had taken a toll on his stamina. But at least he now had a chance at defeating Alexander.

A quiet gasp caught the attention of both William and Alexander as a girl ran into the street they were fighting on, no doubt trying to escape from the attacking Conquest Empire. The girl could see right away that she had made a bad choice in where to run.

"What are you doing here?!" William exclaimed. "Quick! Run away!"

Suddenly, the weakening structure of a building near the girl began to crumble. A large chunk broke off from the building and began to fall towards the girl. She gasped as she looked straight up at what was about to crush her.

"Look out!" William yelled.

The girl screamed in terror as she closed her eyes. But right when the chunk of the building should have crushed her, a figure sped in and stood near the child, grabbing the chunk and holding it up. William widened his eyes when he saw the one trying to save the girl was Alexander.

The girl slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she saw Alexander struggling to hold up the broken chunk.

"Hurry… Go..." Alexander grunted out, falling to one knee as the weight pushed down on him. The girl nodded her head and ran away. Once she was a safe distance away, Alexander tossed the broken building chunk to the side. He panted, having to use most of his remaining strength to save the child.

William couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. "You… saved her? Why?"

"There is no need for an innocent child to lose their life in a battle between two armies." Alexander explained. He managed to stand, but was still on wobbly feet. "We shall retreat for now. Dragging out this battle any longer will only result in needless deaths for both sides."

William was reluctant to simply let the general go, but he knew there was little choice. Even if he could defeat Alexander here, saving what remained of the city was their top priority. On top of that, he couldn't help but feel he needed to pay off the debt he felt to Alexander for saving the little girl just now.

"We will no doubt meet again." Alexander said as he turned to walk away. Before leaving he took one last glance at William. "Tell me boy. What is your name?"

"William. William Lewis." he answered.

"I see. Well then William Lewis, the next time we face off, you had best prepare yourself. For I will make sure to defeat you when that time comes."

With that Alexander walked away. He shot up a signal into the air, most likely the signal to retreat for his forces. William breathed a sigh of relief that the fighting was over, at least for now. He fell to one knee as Llew left his body, removing the armor he had on. The two swords he had also left him going to Llew as well.

"So that was a real life ride." William said to himself. "It sure does a number on my stamina. I don't even think I can stand up right now."

Llew walked over to William and helped him to his feet. The two of them then walked over to Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark, still weakly lying on the ground.

"You had a lot of nerve grabbing my blade like that, boy." Blaster Dark told him. "However… considering the end result, I suppose I can let it slide this once."

"You did well, William." Blaster Blade told him. "You saved us."

"Thanks, but I never would have been able to do it without the help of my avatar." William told them smiling as he looked up at Llew.

Blaster Blade looked at the destruction left in the wake of the battle. "It will take some time to rebuild everything. We're going to be busy."

William nodded understandingly. "Before all that though… I have a request."

"A request?"

"Yes." William nodded. "Please allow me to fight Altmile and Shion Kiba once again."

 **Llew: William?**

 **William: Yes?**

 **Llew: What made you believe I was your avatar?**

 **William: It's tough to explain. I just felt a sudden connection in that brief instant as I thought about your words.**

 **Llew: I see.**

 **William: I hope I can count on your help in this coming fight. I want to show Shion our power.**

 **Llew: Of course. We will fight him with all of our power.**

 **Next time: Harmony of Light and Shadow**


	56. Harmony of Light and Shadow

**A/N: Hey everyone. Who's ready to see some brand new Royal Paladins? I bet you guys are.**

William and Llew stood together in the courtyard of the palace. They had both rested up from the fight against Conquest Empire yesterday. Reconstruction efforts were currently underway for the town. Now that things had calmed down somewhat, William could finally have his rematch. He was ready this time.

Although there was one improvement he had that even he had not been expecting.

Finally he saw Altmile walk into the courtyard. The blue haired knight kept a calm and collected expression as he stared his opponents down.

"Thank you for agreeing to this match." William said with a polite bow. "I'm very grateful."

"There is no need to thank me." Altmile said. "I'm actually quite curious to see how much you've improved since last time. You seem quite different."

"We can begin anytime you're ready." William said.

Altmile nodded his head and raised his sword. "Come to me! My Vanguard! Across the widest spans of the universe!"

Just like before, a pillar of light shot down from the sky. When it died down, William saw Shion standing before him.

"This is certainly a surprise." Shion said. "To not be summoned once, but twice? And so soon after the first time."

"Shion." William said. "I've reflected on what you said to me during our last cardfight. You were right. My mind was clouded. I was blinding myself." He clenched his fist with determination. "But this time will be different. This time I will be sure to defeat you!"

"Is that so?" Shion asked. "Well I look forward to seeing how you plan to do that."

Both players placed their decks on the sheets of light in front of them. They started simultaneously with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Blinking Knight, Milius!"

 **Blinking Knight, Milius**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." William said. "I ride! Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse!"

 **Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Shion narrowed his eyes when he saw the unit appear as William's Vanguard. "I've never heard of that unit before."

"It's new." William said with a grin. "I think you'll see my new deck has a lot of units you don't recognize."

* * *

 _William stood in the infirmary ward of the royal palace. There were a lot injured during the attack. The ones with some of the most severe injuries however were the Blaster platoon. They had been in charge of guarding a fort near the capital. But Alexander's forces had overwhelmed them out of nowhere. And Alexander himself had been able to defeat all of the members of the Blaster platoon on his own. He had spared their lives however, focusing more on marching towards the capital._

" _This is such a humiliating defeat." Laura said. "We were all defeated so easily."_

" _That general of theirs. His power is unlike anything I've ever faced." Grawl said grimly._

 _William lowered his head. "I'm sorry. Even I wasn't able to defeat him, even after he had been worn down by Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark."_

" _It is not your fault, child." Laura assured him. "We are grateful for the assistance you provided in defending the city."_

" _Seems you found a good partner, Llew." Grawl grinned._

" _Indeed." Llew nodded. "Because of William, I was able to become much stronger than before."_

" _You are also responsible for your own growth." a new voice said. All heads turned to see Blaster Blade walk in. "You have always worked hard as a dutiful knight, Llew."_

" _Are you alright, Blaster Blade?" William asked. "You and Blaster Dark were injured pretty badly from your battle against Alexander."_

" _You needn't worry. We may not be in much fighting shape right now, but we will recover quickly." he assured William. "Actually, I came to see you two. I have a gift."_

" _A gift?" William asked._

" _Yes." Blaster Blade said. He grabbed his sword, and to William and Llew's surprise, held it out towards Llew. "I wish for you to use this in the coming battle with Conquest Empire."_

 _Llew widened his eyes. "B-But this is the legendary sword Blaster Blade! It's a part of your very essence! I can't take something so important to you!"_

" _Do not worry. It is not my actual sword." Blaster Blade told him._

 _William blinked his eyes in surprise. "Are you sure? It looks exactly like it."_

" _Perhaps at a glance, but there are a few slight differences." Blaster Blade explained. "This was actually a prototype version of the Blaster Blade sword I use now. It's not as strong, but it should still provide plenty of power for you."_

" _But… it's still something so precious." Llew said._

" _Just take it. Along with this." a new voice said._

 _Llew looked over at the entrance to the infirmary and saw another sword get thrown his way. Acting on reflex, he caught it. Llew widened his eyes when he recognized its design. The blade Blaster Dark._

" _Before you start, that sword is like the one Ahmes is giving you." Blaster Dark explained as he walked in. "A prototype version of my current sword. You showed that you have what it takes to wield both originals, so these earlier versions should be no problem."_

 _Llew couldn't believe it. Even if they weren't the strongest versions, he was still being given two of the strongest blades ever made in the history of Cray. "But why me?"_

" _You and William will be one of our main forces in fighting Conquest Empire. So it will be best to increase your power as much as possible." Blaster Blade told him. "I have full confidence that in time you will use these swords to become a better knight than either of us."_

" _Heh, speak for yourself." Blaster Dark said. "I just decided to be a little charitable. I have no intention of letting anyone surpass me anytime soon."_

" _I… I cannot thank you enough for this honor." Llew said. He bowed his head before the two knights. "Thank you. I will do my best to live up to your expectations."_

" _Just don't get too cocky. You're not the only one getting new weapons." Blaster Dark said with a grin._

" _What?"_

" _To improve our chances of defeating Conquest Empire, upgrades have been in the works for all of the Blaster armaments for the past few months." Blaster Blade explained. "And they're nearing completion. They should be ready within the coming days."_

" _It's about time." Grawl said. "I can't wait to get back at that Alexander with my upgraded axe."_

" _Don't go rushing in just because your weapon will be stronger." Laura scolded him. "We will still need to be at our peak. And that means resting up for now."_

 _Grawl felt a nervous sweat go down his neck from the glare Laura was sending his way. "Y-Yes ma'am."_

 _William let out a small chuckle as he grinned. Finally things were starting to look up. Perhaps they had a chance at winning this war after all._

* * *

' _A deck of Royal Paladin knights with the upgraded forms of the Blaster Armaments. The Awakened Blasters.'_ William thought to himself, looking at the cards in his hand. ' _With these, I know I can take my game to the next level.'_

"Wingal moves back with forerunner. Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: William(5), Shion(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. "I'm quite intrigued to see this new deck of yours. Show me what it can do. Ride! Lunarfang Knight, Felax!"

 **Lunarfang Knight, Felax**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Milius moves back. And with his boost, I attack with Felax!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." William said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(1), Shion(0).]**

"Skill of Milius. Move to the soul. Then I look at the top ten cards of the deck and search for up to two cards with Altmile in the name." Shion explained. He looked at the cards and revealed them. "I add Higher Deity Knight to my hand and Knight of Heavenly Decree to the soul."

' _He's setting things up for later in the game. Gotta be careful of that.'_ William thought.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: William(5), Shion(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Here we go! I ride Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura!"

 **Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl." William said, calling the grade 2 to his front row. "With Laura's skill, all rear guards with Blaster in the name gain 1000 power during my turn. Now Blaster Axe, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"Guard!" Shion said, holding up a card from his hand.

"With a boost from Wingal Brave, Laura attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! I give all effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Shion said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(1), Shion(2).]**

"Wingal Brave's skill. Since the attack hit, I move him to the soul. Then I search my deck for a card with Blaster in its name and add it to my hand." William explained. "I add another copy of Laura to my hand."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: William(6), Shion(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. "Ride! Peerless Knight, Livarot!"

 **Peerless Knight, Livarot**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I call Redon." Shion said. "And I'll have him attack your Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Shion(2).]**

"Livarot, attack the Vanguard!"

"Guard!" William said, holding up the critical trigger he had gotten last turn.

"Drive check. Stand trigger." Shion said. "All effects to Redon. Now Redon attacks once more!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Shion(2).]**

"Turn end." Shion said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: William(5), Shion(5).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. ' _He really is strong. But if I can't even win this, then there's no way I'll be able to lead Cray against Conquest Empire. And there's no way I'll be able to help Aurora. That's why I have to go beyond my limits!'_

"A light that pierces the blackest darkness! A darkness that covers the brightest light! Watch as two forces combine and create an unstoppable power! Ride! Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew!"

 **Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The new Llew that appeared on Shion's field was not the New Style Blaster, Llew he had used before. This new version held two blades in his hands. In the right hand, Blaster Blade. In the left, Blaster Dark. He wielded both at the same time.

"Skill of Llew. At the beginning of my ride phase or when I ride him, I counterblast. Then I can retire one of my opponent's rear guards." William explained. "Now go! Take out Redon!"

Llew raised the Blaster Blade sword in his right hand and swung it down in Redon's direction. A slash of energy flew forward, hitting Redon and taking him out. Shion grit his teeth as he was forced to place his rear guard in the drop zone.

"I call Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura." William said. "With her skill, all Blaster rear guards gain 1000 power during my turn."

' _Because of that, both his front row rear guards are at 10000.'_ Shion realized. ' _And to think I had Livarot out for some defense.'_

"Grawl attacks!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"Guard!" Shion said, holding a grade 1 from his hand.

"Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." William said. "First check, heal trigger. Power to Laura and I recover one. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Shion(3).]**

"Laura attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+1000+5000=15000)**

"Guard!" Shion said, holding up a trigger.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(5), Shion(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. "I must say, I'm impressed William. You're definitely a lot stronger than the last time we faced off."

"Well I did come here to win after all."

"That's too bad." Shion said. "Cause I came to do the exact same thing." He held up a card in his hand. "My passion, together with your sword! Let us carve out a new future! Ride! Higher Deity Knight, Altmile!"

 **Higher Deity Knight, Altmile**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Shion called out. "Aerial Divine Knight, Altmile!"

 **Aerial Divine Knight, Altmile**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I superior call Livarot from the deck! Next I use Aerial Divine Knight's skill. All units in my front row will constantly be at plus 3000 power until end of turn." Shion explained. "Next I call Felax from my hand. Felax's Brave. All my front row units gain 2000 power."

' _Brave. A set of skills that activate when the player has three or less cards in hand.'_ William recalled. ' _He currently has one card in hand. It certainly is a bold strategy.'_

Livarot attacks!" Shion declared. "Livarot's Brave. I counterblast and superior call Redon from the deck. Redon's Brave. My front row gains 3000 power. In addition, Redon's skill gives him another 3000 power."

 **(10000+3000+2000+3000=18000)**

"Guard!" William said, holding up a stand trigger from his hand.

"With a boost from Felax, Redon's coming in!"

 **(9000+3000+2000+3000+3000+7000+1000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon!"

 **Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Since I have at least one grade 2 rear guard, 5000 is added to the shield!"

"You may have survived that." Shion said. "But what about this?! Altmile attacks the Vanguard!"

"No guard." William said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Critical to Altmile and power to Redon! Final check, heal trigger! Power to Altmile and I recover one!"

William watched as two cards fell into his damage zone. However, considering that was the only damage he would take this turn, he could call it a success.

 **[Damage: William(4), Shion(2).]**

"Turn end." Shion said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(3), Shion(4).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. ' _He's not holding onto much right now. I'll take the opportunity to go on the attack and push him to the edge.'_

"Skill of Llew. At the beginning of my ride phase, I pay a counterblast. Then I retire Redon."

Losing Redon hurt Shion but he could still live with it. Right now he had to focus on defense.

"Stride Generation! Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and search my deck for a card with Blaster in its name and call it to rear guard!" William said. "Superior call! Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse! Then, since I have more rear guards than the opponent, I counter charge and soul charge! Next I use Larousse's skill! I select two cards with Blaster in their name from my drop zone. I choose New Style Blaster, Llew and Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura. I then choose up to one to send to soul. I pick Laura. Then Llew goes to the bottom of my deck."

' _He's replenishing his resources.'_

"Grawl's skill. When a Blaster is called from the deck, he gains 5000 power." William said. "Here goes! Gancelot attacks the Vanguard! Gancelot's skill! I countercharge and he gains a critical and a drive!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard!" Shion called out. "Holy Dragon, Defendhold Dragon!"

 **Holy Dragon, Defendhold Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000+**

"Brave of Defendhold Dragon. I completely guard your Vanguard's attack." Shion explained.

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Grawl! Third check, no trigger Final check, critical trigger! All effects to Laura!"

' _Now both of his remaining units have criticals.'_ Shion realized.

"Laura attacks the Vanguard with a boost from Larousse!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+7000+1000=23000)**

' _Both of his units have criticals. But Grawl is only at 20000 power.'_ Shion calculated. ' _That one will be easier to guard, so I'll take this one.'_

"No guard." Shion said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Livarot."

 **[Damage: William(4), Shion(4).]**

"Skill of Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura. When she lands a successful attack, I can counterblast. Then I search my deck for a card with Blaster in its name, call it to where she is, and return Laura to my hand." William explained.

Shion widened his eyes. "What?!"

"Calling New Style Blaster, Llew and returning Laura to my hand." William said. "Grawl's skill adds 5000 power to himself. And now he's attacking your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+10000+5000=24000)**

"Guard!" Shion called out, holding up a trigger from his hand with 10000 shield.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(8), Shion(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Shion said. ' _That was a relentless assault. I need to end this game here and now.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Everlasting souls! Use your light to banish all evil! Stride Generation! Immortal Holy Sword, Fides!"

 **Immortal Holy Sword, Fides**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I superior call Alectos from the deck! Next I call Support Sorcerer of Damascus and Knight of Refinement, Belenus!" Shion said. "Brave of Alectos! Rest Alectos and add 3000 power to Livarot! And now, skill of Fides! For the rest of this turn, if there is only one guardian out, an attack form a Brave unit will hit regardless of the difference in power!"

' _This skill beat me last time.'_ William recalled. ' _But I won't let that happen again!'_

"Here I come, William Lewis!" Shion declared. "At the start of my battle phase, Alectos's skill activates. I send him to the soul and allow all Brave skills to be active until end of turn, plus I draw. Now Damascus attacks with a boost from Felax!"

 **(7000+2000+7000+1000=17000)**

"New Style Blaster, Llew's skill! If I have a Vanguard with Blaster in the name, he gains 5000 shield and the intercept skill!" William said, moving his grade 3 rear guard to the guardian circle. "Also, I guard with Blaster-friend, Barcgal from my hand!"

"Livarot attacks with support from Belenus! With Livarot's Brave, I superior call Counteroffensive Knight, Sulieman from the deck!"

 **(10000+3000+2000+4000=19000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Shion(4).]**

"Suleiman attacks the Vanguard!" Shion called out. "Suleiman's Brave! Add 3000 power! And with his other skill, discard a card and call Redon from the deck!"

 **(9000+3000+2000+3000=17000)**

' _He keeps calling Brave units out over and over again. It's a relentless assault.'_ William thought. ' _But I will not lose here. I will overcome this!'_

"Guard!" William said, holding up a pair of cards from his hand.

"Redon attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+2000=14000)**

Once again, William held up a pair of cards from his hand. "Guard!"

"Now is the time! Fides attack the Vanguard!" Shion called out. "Skill of Belenus! Move to the soul to add 5000 power and draw one card! Next, skill of Fides! Brave! Superior call Higher Deity Knight, Altmile, Lunarfang Knight, Felax, and Knight of Heavenly Decree, Altmile!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard with Lien!" William called out. "Soul blast to nullify the attack!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Knight of Heavenly Decree, Altmile! Third check, stand trigger! Stand Felax and give the power to Higher Deity Knight, Altmile!" Shion said. "With a boost from Felax, Knight of Heavenly Decree attacks!"

 **(11000+4000+5000+7000+1000=28000)**

"Generation guard!" William called out. "Little Great Sage, Marron!"

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Soul blast! Calling Blaster-friend, Barcgal from the deck to the guardian circle and adding 5000 shield!"

"Here's my final attack! With a boost from Felax, go Altmile! With Brave, add 5000 power and plus one critical!"

 **(11000+4000+5000+5000+7000+1000=33000)**

"Lien once again!" William called out, throwing down the last card in his hand.

Shion widened his eyes, but an entertained grin soon came to his face. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: William(0), Shion(4).]**

"Stand and draw." William said.

"Now the ultimate question. Did the card you draw allow you to stride?" Shion questioned. "This game will likely be decided by that."

William showed a smirk as he revealed the card in his hand. Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew. "Does this answer your question."

Shion showed a satisfied smile. "It seems you've gotten your deck to respond to your call."

"Stride Generation!" William called out. "Holy Dragon, Legit Sword Dragon!"

 **Holy Dragon, Legit Sword Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Here we go! Time to finish this!" William said. "Skill of Legit Sword Dragon. I counterblast and superior call Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl from the deck. Grawl gains 2000 power."

Shion looked at William's field. Other than his Vanguard, all he had was Grawl and Larousse in another column. It was far from an ideal formation. But at the same time, Shion barely had any cards in hand.

' _It will all come down to the drive checks.'_

"Legit Sword Dragon attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard." Shion said. ' _As long as he doesn't pull a critical, I can survive this.'_

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check…" William grabbed the card and looked at it, grinning as he revealed it. "Critical trigger."

"That figures." Shion said with a chuckle.

Legit Sword Dragon attacked Altmile, bringing down a large blast on the courtyard. When the debris cleared, a fifth and sixth card was present in Shion's damage zone.

 **[Damage: William(5), Shion(6).]**

"Congratulations. You win." Shion said as he began to fade away. "I wish you luck in your future battles."

"The same to you." William said as he watched Shion leave. ' _Farewell, Shion Kiba.'_

"Yo dude! That was awesome!"

The sudden shout caused William to widen his eyes as he looked up towards the railings for people to look down on the courtyard from. Up there he saw the others he had come with. Dan, Anthony, Rose, and Sophia were all present.

"Nice finish there, William." Rose said. "Quite the performance."

"That was so cool, William!" Sophia grinned. "You gotta show me those cards of yours sometime!"

"You all… What are you doing here?" William asked.

"Well, the meeting between the clans to discuss our plan of attack was decided to be here." Dan explained. "So we all ended up coming here too."

"And we're ready to kick some butt!" Anthony grinned.

William felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Llew standing at his side. "Shall we go join them, my Vanguard?"

William nodded his head. "Yeah. Let's go, my avatar."

 **William: That was a good test run of my new deck. I feel ready to take on Conquest Empire finally.**

 **Rose: That's good because it's time for us to take them down.**

 **Sophia: Yeah! Let's teach those meanies a lesson!**

 **Anthony: You ready guys? Let's send those losers running for the hills!**

 **Dan: Hang on, Aurora. We'll be there to save you soon.**

 **Next time: The Battle For Cray**

 **Card Gallery:**

Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 or choose one of your rear guards and retire it. At the beginning of your ride phase, or when this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it.  
 **AUTO VC:** SB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for one unit with "Blaster" in its name and call it to RC. Then, if you have more rear guards than your opponent, CC1 & SC1.  
 **CONT:** _This unit is regarded as both Royal Paladin and Shadow Paladin_.

* * *

Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC:** When this unit is placed on RC, choose up to 2 cards in your drop zone with "Blaster" in their name, then choose up to one to send to your soul. Then send the remaining cards to the bottom of your deck in any order. If you sent 2 cards to the deck, draw a card.  
 **AUTO RC:** [Retire this unit.] At the beginning of your main phase, you may pay the cost. If you do, until the end of the turn, you can STRIDE without paying the cost the next time you STRIDE into a G Unit with "Blaster" or "Saver" in its name.

* * *

Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura  
Grade 2  
Power 9000  
 **CONT VC/RC:** Resist.  
 **CONT VC/RC:** During your turn, all of your rear guards with "Blaster" in their name gain +1000 power.  
 **AUTO RC:** CB1 If this unit's attack hits while you have a grade 3 or greater Vanguard with "Blaster" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a card with "Blaster" in its name other than "Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura", return this card to your hand, and call the searched unit to the RC this unit was on.

* * *

Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl  
Grade 2  
Power 9000  
 **CONT RC GB1:** When your unit with "Blaster" in its name is called to RC from deck, this unit gains +5000 power.


	57. The Battle For Cray

**A/N: Hey readers. Sorry for the late update. Yesterday was really busy and the chapter posting kinda slipped my mind. But it's here now. Hope you all enjoy it.**

It had only been a few days since Dan, Anthony, Sophia, Rose, and William had arrived on Cray and been separated. But in those few days, so much had happened for them. Albeit, some had more eventful experiences than others. But it was clear each of them had grown a little. They were each eager to share what had happened. Everyone was surprised when they had heard about William performing an actual ride in the heat of battle and facing off against Alexander, the ace unit of Allen Demacio.

But no news shocked the group as much as Sophia's new deck.

"You have a STAR CHASER deck?!" Anthony exclaimed.

"Yup!" Sophia said with a grin. "Thanks to Messiah's help, I was able to purify Infinite Zero and a bunch of others. Now we're all bestest friends, and they've joined Star Chaser."

"Well if this makes her stronger, then I say we really lucked out." Rose said. "We'll need as much power as possible to take down Conquest Empire."

"I can't wait to show Aurora!" Sophia said cheerfully.

The subject of Aurora reminded everyone of their main objective. Aurora and Hikari were captives of Conquest Empire currently. They had at least been able to confirm that much since coming here. As for whether they were still alive since being captured… they could only hope.

' _Aurora… Wherever you are… please be safe.'_ Dan begged.

The five humans from Earth were currently standing outside the conference room of the palace. Inside, leaders from all the clans were gathered, discussing their attack strategy. Things couldn't afford to continue they way they were now. So it was agreed that the best course of action was to launch a full out assault while they could.

The meeting had been going on for hours. But finally, the doors to the room opened. Blaster Blade appeared and motioned for the group of five to join them. "We've finished coming up with our strategy. Please come in."

The group nodded and followed Blaster Blade inside. As they walked in, they saw important units from each of the clans gathered around, minus a few such as Megacolony. Even with the threat of Conquest Empire looming over their heads, there was still distrust in some of the clans like the crime syndicate of bugs. They joined in the fighting force, but it seemed they were not welcome in important meetings such as the sacred halls of the main palace for the Royal Paladin clan. Other clans missing included ones like Dark Irregular and Tachikaze. They cared little for politics, focusing more on military might. They would join for the battle however.

One unit that the five of them recognized Leo from Star Chaser, most likely the clan's representative since its leader was missing.

"So these are the humans from Earth?" Yasuie said. "They don't look like much."

"It is true that they are not especially powerful themselves." Alfred noted. "But we have experienced firsthand what they can provide to the battlefield. By merging with a unit they share a close bond with, they can increase the power of the unit quite greatly."

Yggdrasil, the leader of the Genesis clan, raised a brow at this. "Oh? That certainly sounds quite interesting."

"Another one has also provided us a great deal in terms of fighting power." Atmos spoke, gesturing to Sophia. "Young Sophia there helped purify a number of Star-vaders. This gives us another group to add to our military might."

"Yes, the Star-savers you called them?" Leo said. "You asked for them to join Star Chaser. Considering the state our forces are in with Lady Hikari captured and Lady Elara… gone, we had little choice but to let them join. That said, I cannot promise that situation will remain the same once they are freed. It will be up to Lady Hikari."

"Ahem." Marron coughed to get their attention. "If I may explain the plan?"

Alfred nodded his head. "Please."

Marron used his magic and an image appeared in the middle of the table. It showed a massive spaceship fleet that was currently landed. "This fleet is currently docked near the borders of United Sanctuary. It is by far the largest fleet that is currently on the surface of Cray."

"So our plan is to take it out a wipe out a large number of their forces?" Anthony asked.

Marron shook his head. "No. Eliminating this fleet would barely leave a scratch on Conquest Empire. They have at least ten times this amount of ships in space near Cray. What we're going to do with this fleet… is hijack it."

"Hijack it?" William asked. "So you mean we'll take the ships for ourselves."

"Precisely." Marron said. "We storm in, take out whoever is in charge, and then take this fleet and storm up towards the main fleet Conquest Empire has in space."

"Hold on, I thought you said they had over ten times this amount up there. They'd massacre us the second they knew it was us." Rose mentioned. "We'd be shot down before we could even get close."

"Which is why we'll have a separate group attacking Conquest Empire's fleet head on." Marron explained. "With that providing as a temporary distraction while we take control of their landed ships near United Sanctuary and fly them up there, we should be able to invade their main ship. That strike force will be in charge of taking out however many higher ups they can, while attempting to rescue those captured."

"And we're sure Aurora and the others are being held in the main ship?" Dan asked.

"According to our intel, it's a very high possibility." Marron said. "That said, keep in mind that Conquest Empire's generals are likely to block our path through all this. Many of us will be in for the fight of our lives."

"And with our main force serving as the distraction, our strike force will be smaller in number." William realized. "It's rather risky."

"Indeed. But as things stand, we have little choice." Marron told them. "To make up for the strike force's lack of numbers, you five and the units you share a bond with will be a part of them. How much of a help you can be will greatly affect whether we succeed or not."

' _Sure. No pressure.'_ Dan thought.

"There is one more thing that should be mentioned." Marron added. "Aboard the head ship won't be just the Generals. It is almost certain that the emperor of Conquest Empire will be there too."

This information made the five humans tense up. "What do we know about the emperor?" Rose questioned.

"Let me put it this way." Marron said. "The emperor is known as the strongest being in all of Conquest Empire. And they've pushed all of Cray into a corner without him even having to take to the battlefield once."

Needless to say, this did not bode well with them. "So we've got the generals to deal with, as well as the emperor." William said. "Yeah, this is definitely going to be tough."

"Right now, our goal is to avoid the emperor if at all possible." Marron said. "If we can take out the generals and free Hikari and your human friend, we will greatly weaken Conquest Empire. Right now, that is our goal."

"There is one question I have." Rose said. "You said we're taking Conquest Empire's ships on Cray's surface to reach their main fleet. Do we have anyone that can fly them?"

"That will be Star Chaser's job." Leo explained. "Do to our clan's long time going to other worlds, we know a lot about intergalactic technology. We should be able to figure out how their ships operate relatively easily."

It made enough sense to the group. The five of them glanced at each other, giving a collective nod. If this was their best chance at success, then they would do it.

"Alright, we're in." Dan said. "When's the attack?"

"In two days." Marron said. "We set out tomorrow and begin the attack on dawn of the next day."

"Until then, you five can stay in the palace." Alfred said. "We will prepare proper rooms for you."

The group nodded their heads understandingly. Whether they liked it or not, this coming battle would probably decide everything for them. The fat of Aurora, Cray, and also their own world.

This was one fight they had to win.

* * *

As night beckoned on United Sanctuary, Dan and the others retreated to their rooms. There was one room set aside for Dan, Anthony, and William, and another for Rose and Sophia.

In their room, Rose and Sophia readied themselves for bed. Rose laid on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. This was all so much. She and the others here were all just teenagers. Heck, Sophia was even younger than that. Yet the fate of two worlds rested on their shoulders. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little overwhelmed.

"Hey… Rose…?"

"Hm?" Rose looked over and saw Sophia sitting on her own bed. "What is it, Sophia?"

"It's just… When this battle happens…" Sophia said. "A lot of people are going to be hurt, aren't they?"

It took something like that to remind Rose of just how innocent Sophia was. A little girl like her honestly didn't belong here. But she had already provided plenty of benefits to coming along. "Yeah. They will."

"Does that mean they might die too?" Sophia asked. "I… I'm not sure I want to do this if our friends are going to die."

Rose sat up from her bed. She thought of what to say to a little girl like Sophia. It was honestly tough. A little girl like her shouldn't have to deal with such things. But this was something they all chose. There was no going back now.

"Our friends are tough. They won't die that easily." Rose told her. "That said… there will probably be a lot of units from Cray that won't survive this coming battle." She got up and walked over to Sophia. "But that's why we're here. To try and end this fighting as fast as possible." Rose put a hand on Sophia's shoulder and looked at her with a caring smile. "The sooner we can save Aurora, the sooner we can end this war. And that means the less amount of people that need to die."

"But I-" Sophia was cut off as Rose pulled her in for a hug.

"I know you're scared Sophia. We all are." Rose said. "But we'll all be there to look out for each other. As long as we stick together, we'll be sure to pull this off. Ok?"

Sophia reluctantly nodded her head. "Ok…"

"Good. Now try and get some sleep." Rose said, tucking the little girl in for the night. Once she did, she walked back over to her own bed.

"Hey, Rose?" Sophia said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Rose told her with a smile. She turned the light out and crawled into her own bed. She stared up at the ceiling once again as she drifted off to sleep.

' _Let's just hope this battle doesn't make me a liar. Above all else, I will protect the people I care about.'_

* * *

Dan, Anthony, and William all laid on their separate beds. Each of them were lost in thought about what the coming battle would bring. They had all come here to save Aurora, Cray, and Earth. But it wasn't until now that it fully dawned on them that they would be in the middle of a war, and just how serious it would be.

"You guys still awake?" Anthony asked.

"Yup." Dan confirmed.

"Same here." William said.

Anthony let out a sigh. "This really is one hell of a situation we've found ourselves in."

"That's the understatement of the year." William said. "But we each chose this."

"Hey William?" Dan asked. "I'm curious. Why did you decide to come here? I mean Anthony and I are here to get Aurora back for the most part. But what about you?"

William let out a sigh. "To be honest, I feel indebted to Aurora."

"Indebted?" Anthony questioned.

"Yeah." William said. "When Allen made Elizabeth suffer… I was powerless to do a thing. He hurt so many people and I just ended up being another victim. But Aurora was able to beat him, and get payback for everyone. So since she's in trouble, I want to help her out. I'm sure Rose and Sophia are here for the same reason."

Dan cracked a small smile. "Yeah. Aurora is one special person. No denying that."

"Of course, I'm also here to stop Conquest Empire. The threat they pose cannot go unchecked." William added. "If Earth is to be saved, Cray must not fall."

Dan and Anthony knew he was right. Cray was their last line of defense. If Cray fell, with their superior technology and magic, Earth would have no chance.

"By the way, have either of you two managed to ride with your avatars yet?" William asked.

"I did. Luquier suggested Harri and I train using it." Dan said. "It was… strange. It was like I was two people at the same time."

"Same with me." Anthony said. "It was crazy. But I've never been in an actual fight while using it."

"The first time I did it, it was from pure instinct." William said. "Even now, I can barely believe just how much stronger I was like that."

"Well it's going to be our main way to fight when the attack happens." Dan said. "We'll just have to hope we'll be strong enough."

"On that note, we'd better get some sleep." William suggested. "Goodnight."

"Night." the two members of Cosmic Trio said as they all drifted to sleep.

* * *

 _ **-The morning of the battle (Dawn)-**_

The strike force was gathered roughly a mile away from the landed Conquest Empire fleet. There seemed to be plenty of soldiers on guard in the distance near the ships. Forces from several clans were gathered together, ready to bring the fight to Conquest Empire and strike a powerful blow to them.

Blaster Blade stood at the forefront of the group, along with Blaster Dark. The two knights addressed the army.

"Is everyone ready?" Blaster Blade said. "If we are to defeat this enemy, then our hearts must unite as one. Right now, we are not separate clans. We are the force that will help defend Cray from these invaders. Give it everything you've got out there." The looks from the army of units told Blaster Blade they were ready. "Alright then. All forces, charge!"

With a collective battle cry, the army charged forward towards the ships. It was clear almost immediately that Conquest Empire noticed them, as multiple guards went into the ship, most likely to bring out reinforcements. Of course, they could have also planned to take off in the ships and flee. But the strike force from the air, combining warriors from Angel Feather and Megacolony, as well as multiple dragons from Kagero and Narukami, kept that escape route closed off as they hovered in the air around them.

In the rear, watching the armies clash, the five humans from Earth readied themselves. The units they shared a bond with stood at their side.

"You ready guys?" Dan asked. "Let's do this."

"Time to send these losers flying." Anthony said with a crack of his knuckles.

"Let us fight together." William said.

"Look out for each other, guys." Rose told them.

Sophia steeled her resolve, ready to fight. She looked up at her avatar, who glanced down at her. "I will protect you, Sophia. You needn't worry."

Sophia nodded her head. "Alright. I trust you, Infinite Star Dragon."

"Here we go!" Dan said. "Ride! Masked Illusionist, Harri!"

"Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher GALVANIZE!"

"Ride! Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia!"

"Ride! Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew!"

"Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon!"

Together, each of the five humans merged with their avatars. For Dan, William, and Rose. They each kept their regular appearance, but dawning the clothing and weapons of their avatars. In Anthony and Sophia's case, they became dragons themselves, looking exactly like their avatars.

' _We're coming, Aurora.'_

Taking off into the battlefield, the five charged forward. Their physical abilities seemed light years further than where they had been as regular humans.

The first priority of the strike force was making a path for Star Chaser to get to the ships. Then, they could get them off the air and move towards the main fleet in space. At this moment, the battle up there was most likely starting too.

"Take this, you Conquest Empire pieces of trash!" Anthony roared as he swung the lightning axe he had down, blowing away several enemy soldiers. He noticed several other soldiers charging towards him. Quickly, he swung his axe down at the ground. As if on cue, a large bolt of lightning came down, striking where the soldiers were.

" _Don't waste too much energy, Anthony."_ Dragonic Vanquisher said in his head. " _Remember, these are the small fry. We'll need to have strength ready for when the real battle begins."_

' _Right. I'll keep that in mind.'_ Anthony thought.

In another section of the battlefield, William stormed through. He could tell that the prototype versions of Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark he was wielding were indeed weaker. But they would still do him plenty of good. He cut down each soldier that came his way.

' _Where is Alexander?'_ William thought. ' _He should be here. And out of the five of us, I'm the only one to face him. I can't let him hurt the others.'_

Finally he was beginning to near the entrance to one of the ships. However, standing in his way was yet another Conquest Empire soldier. He fired energy blasts from a gun at William. Luckily, the increased reaction time he had gotten from Llew allowed him to easily deflect and dodge them. He closed the distance between himself and the soldier, disarming him and knocking him to the ground. William aimed the tip of one of his two swords at the soldier.

"You scum. You think you can attack us and survive?" the soldier spat.

"Where is your general?" William asked. "Tell me where to find him."

"Turn and you'll find out." a new voice suddenly spoke.

William gasped as he turned to where the voice had come from, only to be greeted by a clothesline punch to the face that sent him flying. His body skidded across the ground.

' _Ugh… what the hell?'_ William thought groggily. As the dizziness left him, he managed to make out the figure that had punched him coming crashing down towards him. ' _Crap!'_

Quickly getting out of the way, William barely avoided the incoming attack. He looked to where he had just been seconds ago and finally got a good look at who he was dealing with. It was a bald male with a strong muscular look. He had a ripped shirt on and a face that almost seemed troll-like.

"Who are you?" William asked with a glare.

"I am one of the generals that serve Emperor Cezaros." he answered. "My name is Nalwa."

"Where is Alexander?"

"Alexander?" Nalwa asked. He grinned and pointed up to the sky. "You're a tad late, kid. He went up to the main fleet to meet with the Emperor."

' _Damnit. I hadn't expected him to leave Cray's surface so soon.'_ William thought. ' _If that's the case, then my priority should be taking this one down.'_

"William! Look out!"

William recognized Anthony's voice as Dragonic Vanquisher's body came down from the air. William leaped back as Anthony swung his axe down. But the dragon's eyes widened when he noticed Nalwa was holding his axe back with his bare hand.

"Is this all you can do?" Nalwa asked.

Not liking his chances this close to the muscular general, Anthony fell back next to William. "Who is this guy?"

"One of Conquest Empire's generals, apparently." William answered.

"Looks like they're just as strong as the rumors say." Anthony said.

"I'll grind you both to dust." Nalwa said. "Now come at me, you weaklings!"

Anthony readied himself to fight. "William. Go."

"What? But you can't-"

"I'll be fine." Anthony said. "Remember the mission. We need to get those ships off the ground and get to the main fleet. I'll handle this guy. You guys hurry up and get moving."

William seemed hesitant to leave Anthony alone with Nalwa. He could tell from the short time they had fought that this general had incredible strength. But the longer they stayed here, the worse their chances were of succeeding. Time was of the essence. He glanced to the side and noticed members of the strike force were already managing to get inside the ships. They would probably be able to take off soon.

"Alright then. I'll leave him to you." William said. "Don't get yourself killed."

"Heh, same to you." Anthony said.

Nalwa watched as William ran off. He probably should have tried harder to stop him. But with this being the first good fight he had been able to have in awhile, he didn't want things ending so soon.

"You've got guts to fight me alone." Nalwa said.

"I was about to say the same to you." Anthony said.

Kicking off the ground together, both Anthony and Nalwa charged at each other. The two clashed fiercely, with neither one budging for the other.

"You're pretty tough." Nalwa grinned.

"So are you." Anthony responded. ' _Geez, how the hell is he on par with me in terms of raw power? I should have Vanquisher's strength, plus reserves to spare. Does this guy lift skyscrapers as a workout or something?'_

As the two stayed trapped in a stalemate, a sudden pillar of light shot down from the sky. Both of them gasped in shock as it engulfed the two of them. Anthony and Nalwa soon lost sight of each other, as if they were suddenly separated.

' _What's going on…?'_ Anthony wondered. All of a sudden, he felt his link with Vanquisher break and the two separated. "What the?!"

When the light finally died down, Anthony found himself somewhere else entirely. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. He was standing in what looked like a colosseum. But what was different was what was outside the colosseum. It was a mess of colors, like an abstract painting.

"Where are we?" Anthony asked Vanquisher.

"I'm not sure." the dragon responded.

"Hey!" the sudden shout caused both of them to notice Nalwa on the other end of the colosseum. "What the hell did you do?!"

"Don't blame us! We've got no clue what's going on either!" Anthony argued.

" _That would be my doing."_

All three of them widened their eyes as a voice echoed in the space they were in. "What was that?" Anthony asked.

" _This war has gone on for too long. It has scared the land of Planet Cray far too much."_ the voice spoke. " _As such, I have used my power to let the universe settle this matter."_

"The universe? The hell are you talking about?" Nalwa asked.

" _I'm sure all of you know this, but there is a power that links Cray and Earth."_ the voice told them. " _This battle will be settled through this link."_

Anthony widened his eyes. "Link? Wait, do you mean-"

Before Anthony could even finish asking his question, a table of light appeared in front of him. The same happened for Nalwa. Both knew this could only mean one thing.

" _I will let Vanguard be the judge of the winner."_ the voice said. " _If you desire victory, then claim it for yourself with this cardfight."_

"Vanguard, huh?" Nalwa said. A deck appeared before him, and he reached out to grab it. "Fine then. It doesn't matter how, I'll beat you regardless."

Anthony looked up at his avatar. "You with me, buddy?"

Vanquisher nodded its head. "Of course, my Vanguard."

The dragon turned into light and went into Anthony's deck. Anthony placed his cards on the table. As if by magic, the starting hands for both of them came up from the deck automatically and floated up in front of them.

' _The fate of Cray and Earth resting on a cardfight. Sure, why not?'_ Anthony thought.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

* * *

"Stay down already, you scumbags!" Dan shouted. He unleashed a blast of magic that took down another pair of guards. After a seemingly endless amount of enemies, their numbers were finally starting to look like they were nearing zero. And just in time too. With all the guards he had taken out, Dan needed a breather.

Turning a corner, Gemini appeared and ran over to Dan. "We have control of the ship. Reports are coming from the other squads, saying they're gaining control of the other ships as well."

"Good." Dan said. "We've already wasted a lot of time on the ground."

Gemini nodded and hurried back to the control room of the ship. As Dan caught his breath, he noticed William coming from the distance.

"Hey William." Dan said. "How'd you do?"

"It seems there's only one general here currently. The others are up with the fleet up in space." William explained. "Anthony's fighting the general right now."

"All by himself?!" Dan exclaimed. "We have to go help him!"

William cut off Dan's path before he could run off. "Dan, I know you're worried, but we need to trust in him right now. He's keeping the general busy so we can put our plan into motion. If waste too much time here, our chances of success get even lower."

"But-"

"Even if we had the time to go help him, I don't think we could." William said. He motioned over to the window. "Take a look."

Dan walked over to the window and widened his eyes at what he saw. A dome of white light was on the battlefield. It stretched across a large area of land. "What is that?"

"Not sure. But that's where Anthony and the general were fighting." William told him. "I noticed it right before I boarded the ship. I think we're just going to have to hope Anthony and Dragonic Vanquisher can handle it."

Deep down, Dan knew that William was right. If they wanted any chance at saving Aurora and Hikari, they had to take off as soon as possible. He stared at the dome of light, only able to imagine what was probably going on inside there right now.

' _Anthony… be careful.'_

 **Sophia: I hope Anthony will be alright.**

 **Rose: A stubborn guy like him? I'm sure he'll be just fine.**

 **William: Rose is right. We should focus on our own mission.**

 **Sophia: Ok…**

 **Dan: Don't you dare lose Anthony. We're all going home alive, got that?**

 **Anthony: Everyone's counting on me. Guess I can't let them down now.**

 **Next time: General of the Conquest Fist**


	58. General of the Conquest Fist

**A/N: Here we go readers. First fight against one of the generals. Hope you all enjoy seeing some new Conquest Empire units.**

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Thunderwarning Dracokid!"

 **Thunderwarning Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Should I start us off so you can learn how to play?" Anthony taunted the bald man. "I'd be fine giving you that handicap."

"Don't get full of yourself brat. I know more about this little facade than you realize." Nalwa began his turn proper by drawing a card. "Now ride, Front Line Securer, Albeross!"

 **Front Line Securer, Albeross**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

The unit that appeared was a huge hulking figure that wore a tank esque suit of armor. He held in his hands a mighty sword and a towering shield that equaled his height. A pair of glowing red eyes were the only light that could be seen from the black visor of the helmet.

"Riley moves back with Forerunner. I end my turn." Nalwa said. ' _What's going on? I've never played this Vanguard game. Yet it's like I know the rules inside and out? Like it's no different than an actual fight on the battlefield. Is it because of this weird space?'_

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Nalwa (5), Anthony (5)]**

"Draw!" Anthony looked at the unit with a curious gaze. ' _These aren't like the ones that Allen used. It's like these ones are related to that muscle head.'_

"So you've noticed."

"Huh?"

Nalwa stood proud with a toothy grin. "These soldiers are ones that directly serve under me. I lead around only the strongest that Conquest Empire has to offer. Lilith can have her tricks, Napoleon can have his magic and that weakling Alexander can have his honor. I fight with the true force of the Empire, a strength that can never be matched by any force in the universe!"

Anthony looked unamused by the ugly man's ramblings. He spit on the ground and shook his head. "You think I care about your faceless mooks? Get real, I'll just smash right through them like I did to that idiot Allen! Ride, Thunder Pillar Dragon!"

 **Thunder Pillar Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Thunderwarning moves behind my vanguard and with its boost, Thunder Pillar attacks the vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check! No trigger."

Just like that the dragon moved in and kicked the armored giant in the head. However, even with a direct hit, the unit only moved a few centimeters at best from his position. As the damage fell into Nalwa's damage zone, he raised his eyebrows slightly as if being surprised by something.

 **[Damage. Nalwa (1), Anthony (0)]**

"I see… So that's how that voice wants to settle things."

"What?"

Nalwa shook his head. "You'll see soon enough, you ignorant human. Are you done?"

"Tch, I am. Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Nalwa (5), Anthony (6)]**

"I begin! Stand and draw! I ride Enslaved Imperial Beast!"

 **Enslaved Imperial Beast**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

Another new unit that Anthony hadn't seen before from the clan. The beast was a purple horned mixture between a bull and a wolf with black fur running from its head to its tail. It stood on four legs with chains wrapped around it's maw, claws and tail with an empty saddle on its back.

The beast snarled as Nalwa pointed to his opponent. "Go and attack the vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard!"

"Heh, you'll soon regret that. Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the beast!"

No triggers were found in Anthony's damage check but what was found was excruciating pain. Anthony gasped out as he fell to his knees, barely grasping the border where his cards lay. His breathing became extremely labored from the sudden assalment of his senses. ' _This… is unlike anything I've ever felt before! This makes the pain from Allen seem like nothing in comparison.'_

 **[Damage. Nalwa (1), Anthony (2)]**

The boisterous laughter from the bald man distracted Anthony from his pain long enough to look at him. "And now we see the true strength of the humans from Earth. A bunch of weaklings! You speak big as those you are my equal but in reality you are not but a loud child playing with toys beyond his understanding! You should've ran with that other human when you could've boy! You've only sealed your fate here!"

"... Shut up."

"Hm?"

"I said shut up!" Anthony managed to get back onto his feet and began glaring hatefully at the man. "What do you know about humans!? About me!? Nothing! You're just a pig faced loser serving an emperor who doesn't give a damn about his troops! And after I'm done wiping the floor with you, I'll head straight to that emperor and put my fist through his face!"

The insult to the emperor was not something he would take lying down. But rather than let it get to him, Nalwa waved off the little runt's ramblings. "Big talk for such a small creature. I end my turn, get on with it already."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Nalwa (6), Anthony (6)]**

"Stand and draw!" Anthony knew that he couldn't afford to play around with this match. This was a fight of life or death at this point. "I ride Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs!"

 **Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Call Grizel to the rear guard and take aim at the vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Nalwa blocked the attack with a grade 1.

"Boosted by Thunderwarning, Bargs attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"I don't need to guard such a weak attack."

"Grr… Drive check." Revealing the top card to be nothing, Nalwa took damage with no trigger either. Just like before, the man didn't even flinch at the pain being dealt to him.

 **[Damage. Nalwa (2), Anthony (2)]**

The invader almost had the audacity to yawn at the human's attempts to hurt him. "If this is all humanity has to offer, then it is almost sad. We should've hit Earth first before going for Cray. The invasion of that blue marble will be nothing more childsplay to us."

Anthony was getting real tired of hearing this freak run his mouth but he knew that he'd just be taking his bait if he reacted again. "I end my turn. Get on with it, you ugly eyesore."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Nalwa (5), Anthony (6)]**

"That mouth of yours is going to get you killed. Let me show you the divide in our strength." Just like with Allen, a single card in Nalwa's hand began glowing with an ominous aura. He raised the card above his hand and gave a sudden shout. "This is what true might looks like! Power, strength and dominance! I ride General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa!"

 **General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Just as the name of the card implied, a version of himself appeared in front of him. Looking as tall and battle ready as before. He smiled viciously as he glared down the dragon in front of him.

"I will be all that is needed to crush you. You won't live to sully our emperor's eyes with your arrival. I attack the vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

Anthony looked to his hand and gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to waste too many cards defending since he would have to deal with conquering in the turn after his own. "... No guard."

"Twin drive. Hm, lucky you. No triggers."

The human teen let out a gasp of pain as the damage fell, his knees feeling like jelly as he struggled to keep himself upright.

 **[Damage. Nalwa (2), Anthony (3)]**

"You'll soon learn what real pain is soon enough. Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Nalwa (5), Anthony (6)]**

"Shut up, you'll be singing a different tune when I'm done with you! Stand and draw." Anthony looked to the Vanquisher in his hand. He knew he had to make a stand now so the others could have a chance. "The skies clear the way for the dragon who rules them. Descend like a lightning bolt and crash into my foes! I ride Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The mighty dragon flew down from the skies, letting out a mighty roar towards the ogre in front of him. He pointed his axe right at him as a snarl left his maw. The two units staring each other down with a tense atmosphere washing over the battlefield.

Giving the same look to actual Nalwa, Anthony took another card from his hand and discarded it. Picking up a card from his G zone as he did so. "I'm not going to let you or any of your goons step foot on Earth. I'm stopping you here! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER""

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power:15000+**

Looking at the formation that Nalwa had, it didn't make sense to use the stride skill. But he knew how to make the best of this situation. "I call Dragonic Descendant Sigma and Smash Boxer Dragon! Skill of "VBUSTER"! I soul blast to bind the card in your drop and your forerunner and since I have more units than you, I choose three of my units to gain 3000 power until the end of the turn. I choose Sigma, Grizel and my vanguard! Grizel, get in to attack the vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Don't make me laugh!" Nalwa guarded the tiny poke against him. More insulted at the idea than the attack itself.

"Then how's this for a laugh!? "VBUSTER", attack that eyesore!" Anthony called out. Vanquisher roared with approval as he charged the general.

 **(26000+3000+5000=34000)**

"I don't guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Recovering one and giving the power to Sigma. Third check, draw trigger! Power to Sigma and I draw one!"

 **[Damage. Nalwa (3), Anthony (3)]**

The electrified fist slammed right into Nalwa's face with devastating force. It made the ogre looking invader slid back a few good feet. But before he could return to his position, the blade of Sigma was already at his neck ready to slice. "With the boost from Smash Boxer, Sigma attacks the vanguard!"

 **(11000+7000+5000+5000+3000=33000)**

With no way of guarding it proper, the opponent took the slash and performed a damage check. "Draw trigger. Power to my vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage. Nalwa (4), Anthony (3)]**

Seeing him get an extra card in hand was going to hurt later but there was little he could do about it. Anthony would have to wait for the next turn to do something. "Turn end. Let's see what you have next you freak!"

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Nalwa (5), Anthony (7)]**

"Stand and draw." Nalwa said. "Allow me to show you how a real warrior fights, Earthling. This is the power of Conquest Empire!"

"Your power to talk my ears off and bore me to death? Sounds about right."

"Grr… You won't be joking when I'm through with you! Stride Generation! Conqueror of Iron Will, Sunchi!"

 **Conqueror of Iron Will, Sunchi**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Anthony watched as a being even more muscular than Nalwa appeared. His chest was bare and he had a pair of metal gauntlets on that looked like they packed a serious punch.

"Stride skill! I discard a card to retire Sigma! Then I take a card in my hand or one of my rear guards and Conquer that same circle!" Nalwa explained. "I call another copy of myself! Then, since the unit I card has a base power that's greater than or equal to the retired unit, I draw!"

' _Lovely. So I lost a rear guard and he essentially got a free skill since he drew a card.'_

"Now I call Enslaved Imperial Beast!" Nalwa said. "Enslaved Imperial Beast Conquers over Grizel!"

Anthony couldn't say he didn't see this coming, but it still hurt to have both circles Conquered. "Fine. Grizel moves back."

"Not so fast! See, Enslaved Imperial Beast has a skill that lets me retire the unit it's Conquering over!"

"What?!" Anthony gasped. He watched as the powerful unit ripped through Grizel, who let out a cry of pain as she was retired.

"I'm not done yet! I activate my Vanguard's skill!" Nalwa grinned. "When my rear guard Conquers, I can retire it and call a card from my deck that has a base power that's the same or higher than it! I call Brawler of the Imperial Army!"

Anthony widened his eyes when he saw a new unit that seemed to be a muscular male come in and knock Enslaved Imperial Beast away. "You'd really treat your own comrades like that, huh?"

"The universe is a place where only the strong survive. You're weaker than your opponent, you die. Simple as that." Nalwa said. "And that is why I will always be loyal to Emperor Caezaros. For he is the strongest being in all the universe."

"Then you won't have any complaints when I kick your ass into next week."

"Ha! You're little more than a fly to my emperor! And you won't be seeing him anyway since you're going to die here." Nalwa laughed. "Activating skill of Brawler of the Imperial Army! I counterblast and add 10000 to his power until the end of the opponent's next turn! Now my rear guard lookalike will smash your Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage. Nalwa (4), Anthony (4).]**

"My Vanguard attacks! Now kneel before his power!"

 **(26000)**

"No thanks! Perfect guard!" Anthony said as he held up the sentinel from his hand.

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Brawler of the Imperial Army! Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger! Power to Brawler and I recover one!"

 **[Damage. Nalwa (3), Anthony (4).]**

"Brawler of the Imperial Army attacks!"

 **(9000+10000+10000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma!"

 **Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000+**

"Skill of Brahma! I bind two cards with different grades from my bind zone to add 10000 to the shield!"

"Tch. Turn end then." Nalwa said. "Do your worst.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Nalwa (7), Anthony (4)]**

"Oh trust me, I plan to. Stand and draw." Looking to his field, he had both his front rear guard circles conquered with powerful units. He couldn't afford to let this continue so he had to push hard back. "Stride generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill, I bind the rear guard Nalwa and a card from your drop zone. Since two cards were bound I draw a card and give Smash Boxer Dragon 3000 power until the end of the turn." The invading copy was hit by a bolt of lightning from the sky and vanished from the battlefield. "I then call another Grizel where that unit was and use "VBUSTER"'s skill to retire and bind your other unit and another card in your drop zone. Since I have more units than you, all three of my units gain 3000 power until the end of the turn."

Nalwa grunted with annoyance as the last of his units were blasted away from the field. This human worm was continuing to get on his nerves. "Are you actually going to fight me head on or will you continue to fight the weaklings?"

"Heh, if you insist. Skill of Thunderwarning, when a card is retired and bound I can bind another one from your drop zone. That puts me to thunderstrike 7! With "VBUSTER"'s Generation Break 3, my front row gains 5000 power until the end of the turn and my vanguard gains a drive check and a critical! Finally, I call Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs and activate his skill to give him 2000 power for every card in your bind zone until the end of the turn."

The Narukami warriors all surrounded Nalwa with a threatening aura coming from all of them. It was clear that they weren't going to hold back with their onslaught.

"Bargs, break his face! He gains an additional 1000 power if I have a vanguard with the thunderstrike skill."

 **(9000+1000+5000+14000=29000)**

"No guard. Damage check, critical trigger! Power to the vanguard."

 **[Damage. Nalwa (4), Anthony (4).]**

""VBUSTER" attacks the vanguard, crush him!"

 **(26000+3000+5000+5000=39000)**

"I won't let a weak hit like that touch me. Perfect guard!"

' _He's dropping more cards. Gotta push this for the win.'_ Anthony thought. "Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Grizel and recovering one. Third check, no trigger. Final check…" He sighed revealing no trigger.

 **[Damage. Nalwa (4), Anthony (3).]**

"Boosted by Smash Boxer, Grizel attacks the vanguard! With her skill she gains 9000 for the battle."

 **(9000+9000+7000+3000+3000+3000+5000=39000)**

"I don't fear that attack, no guard." The card fell into Nalwa's damage zone. As it did, the invader suddenly fell to his knee and let out a loud grunt of pain.

 **[Damage. Nalwa (5), Anthony (4).]**

It gave Anthony a pleasant feeling in his heart to see the smug creature finally take some visible damage for once. Being the only one hurting was irritating for the longest time. "Smash Boxer's skill, I send him into soul to counter charge and draw a card. Turn end, "GALVANIZE"'s thunderstrike 4, you bind a card from your drop zone and I soul charge. Since it's the end of my turn I also draw a card."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Nalwa (5), Anthony (9)]**

"It seems that the rat has some sharp teeth after all…" Nalwa muttered while getting up. "This will not pass.

' _I was hoping to finish him that turn.'_ Anthony thought. ' _But it seems I'll have to hold out for another turn.'_

"Bow before my power!" Nalwa roared. "Stride Generation! Conqueror of Iron Will, Sunchi!"

 **Conqueror of Iron Will, Sunchi**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Bargs and call Brawler of the Imperial Army! It has equal to or greater power than your unit so I draw!" Nalwa said. "Now I use Sunchi's skill! I retire Brawler and call a copy of myself from the deck! Oh, and with Sunchi's Generation Break 3, since a rear guard of mine was retired this turn, he gains +10000 power and a critical!"

"What?!"

"Next I call Enslaved Invasive Soldier, Valiter! Conquer over Grizel!"

"Maybe I knocked a few too many screws loose last turn. That's a grade 1 with 7000 power. Grizel's got more power." Anthony said.

"That's what you think! Valiter's skill! When he attempts to Conquer over a unit, I can counterblast to retire that unit! Then, Valiter gains 5000 power and I draw!"

"No way?!" Anthony gasped as he saw Grizel retired. Once again, his front line had been wiped away with ease."

"I'm not done with you yet! I move Valiter back and call Enslaved Imperial Beast in the Conquered circle! Then I move Nalwa back and call Front Line Securer, Alberos! With Alberos's skill, he gains 5000 power so long as he's on a Conquered circle! Finally, I call High Morale Soldier, Simon!"

Anthony tensed up. ' _This isn't good...'_

"My rear guard Nalwa attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Simon, Valiter attacks!"

 **(7000+5000+4000=16000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage. Nalwa (5), Anthony (5).]**

Anthony felt pain unlike anything he had experienced in his life as he fell to one knee. ' _Ngh… damnit! My vision's going hazy!'_

" _Hang in there, Anthony."_ Vanquisher's voice spoke to him. " _If you fall now, it's over!"_

' _I know!'_ Anthony spoke mentally he struggled to get to his feet. ' _I can't… lose… here…'_

"I guess I should put you out of your misery, human." Nalwa smirked. "Sunchi attacks! With Simon's skill, I send him to the soul to draw and add 5000 power to the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+10000+5000=41000)**

"Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Bulwark's Thunderstrike 3! Add 10000 to the shield!" Anthony said. He then held up two triggers in his hand. "I also guard with these!"

"Triple drive." Nalwa said. "First check, no trigger." Without three triggers in a row, the Vanguard now had no chance of breaking through. Not that he would have taken such a massive gamble to begin with. "Second check, heal trigger! Power to Enslaved Imperial Beast and I recover one! Third check, draw trigger! Power to Alberos and I draw!"

 **[Damage. Nalwa (4), Anthony (5).]**

' _Give me a freaking break!'_ Anthony screamed in his mind. "Skill of Bulwark. For every four bound cards in the opponent's bind zone, retire a rested front row rear guard. I choose Valiter!"

"Alberos, attack!"

 **(7000+5000+5000=17000)**

"Guard!"

"Enslaved Imperial Beast, finish him!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

Anthony could just barely make out the two cards he needed to protect himself with his foggy vision. "G-Guard!"

"Turn end." Nalwa said in a disappointed tone. "Oh well. You don't look like you even have the energy to stand, let alone continue."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Nalwa (7), Anthony (3)]**

As much as Anthony hated to admit it, Nalwa wasn't wrong. He was on one knee and it was taking most of his concentration not to fall over. ' _Is this really how it ends for me? Am I gonna die like this?'_

" _Get a grip, kid!"_ Vanquisher's voice just barely saved Anthony from passing out. The dragon roared at him. " _You're not really gonna keel over on me now! All of the Narukami clan is depending on you! And it's not just us! Everyone on Cray put their trust in you and your friends!"_

' _Everyone's… counting on me.'_

" _Not only that. You also came here for something, didn't you?"_

' _Aurora…'_ Anthony thought. He recalled back to when he had first walked into Card Galaxy. He met Aurora and the two of them butted heads. They argued over and over again. But despite all that, they were friends. Friends that had grown stronger as cardfighters together.

' _And I'm not about to drop dead in a pathetic way like this when we have a mission to save her!'_

Using every last bit of strength and willpower he had, Anthony got up from the ground. He stood up firm and glared at Nalwa. "You're going down."

"Heh, you've got spunk human." Nalwa said. "Sadly that's not gonna be enough to win you this fight."

"Even if it isn't, I'll just smash my way through to victory! I'll make a new future with my own hands!" he shouted. Looking down, he saw his G Zone glow. More precisely, a specific card on top of it. He reached out and grabbed it. Looking at it, he widened his eyes. ' _This is… my new future.'_

"Let's go, Anthony." Vanquisher told him. "We've got more important places to be."

"Right! So let's end this!" Anthony said. "Generation Zone, release! Savage thunder! Rain down from the heavens and let your true power take form! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher, V-TURBO!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Vanquisher's new appearance traded in his purple armor for a glowing blue battle robe with intricate designs colored in green and yellow. His chest was exposed enough to show a new glowing rune that had glowing veins filled with power flowing through him. His axe had vanished but the lightning in his hands sparked with an unreal amount of energy. Vanquisher yelled as loud as he could with this new power coursing through him.

"Stride skill, I retire and bind one of your conquering units and a card from your drop zone and give my vanguard 3000 power until the end of the turn." There was no way he could get rid of the other one in his front row. Anthony would have to make due with having only one column to fight with. "Call Dragonic Descendant, Sigma and Thunder Pillar Dragon in the same column."

The small formation made Nalwa laugh hysterically. "Is that all you can muster, child? Is this the extent of the human race?"

Anthony had just about enough of his loud mouth and continued with his turn. "Skill of "VTURBO"!" He paid a soul blast and flipped a copy of his new unit. "Choose one of your units and retire it then I choose two units from your drop zone and bind them. Then my front row gets 3000 power for every card in your bind zone. Since my thunderstrike is 13, My units gain 39000 until the end of the turn!"

Nalwa's smile soon left his face seeing such heavy numbers with his hand. But as long as he had the two perfect guards in his hand, he'd be fine.

"Sigma attacks the vanguard!"

 **(11000+39000=50000)**

' _He isn't boosting that unit? What for?'_ The invader didn't like these strange strategies. It might be a desperate move from a dying rat but it but him on edge. "Perfect guard."

"Idiot! Skill of Sigma!" Anthony discarded the last card in his hand while paying a counterblast. "When Sigma's attack doesn't hit, I can pay the cost to stand him up again! "VTURBO", get in there now and break him!"

 **(26000+3000+39000=68000)**

Again with the lack of boosting. The odd moves were making Nalwa's judgements frantic in the face of this power. "P-Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive check! First, no trigger. Second, no trigger. Third, critical trigger! All effects to "VTURBO"!"

"Why would you give that power to a unit that finished attacking!? You fool, you've sealed your fate!"

Anthony laughed at the assumption Nalwa jumped to and gave a condescending wag of his finger. "No Nalwa, you're the fool here! Skill of "VTURBO"! Generation Break 4, Thunderstrike 8!" He paid his last counterblast and discarded two cards from his hand. "By paying this cost, my vanguard stands with drive minus one! With Thunderwarning's boost, go "VTURBO" end this fight now!"

 **(26000+3000+39000+5000+5000=78000)**

Nalwa looked to his hand frantically searching for a way out. He had no way to guard what was coming to him. "I… can't guard it…" He muttered while staring at the dragon coming at him. ' _This human… This power… Just what is it?'_

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Final check… critical trigger! All effects to my vanguard! GO!"

Nalwa's entire formation broke away as the dragon seemingly teleported in front of him with his fists raised high into the air. The sky turned dark as lightning clashed with his fists, bringing them down and the ogre looking man was smashed back into the wall of the dome. With that hit, two cards magically were damage checked from the top of his deck.

Neither of them were the heal trigger he needed to stay in the game.

 **[Damage. Nalwa (6), Anthony (5).]**

Anthony fell down as a wave of relief fell upon him, the arena disappearing all the while. Sitting on his rear, he saw the general barely able to stand up after taking that direct blow from his new Vanquisher. The human looked at the new card that manifested in his time of need. A new future, a future that gave way to hope. That gave way to a road to Aurora, it gave him enough resolve to stand up on his feet to stare down the fallen general.

"It's over Nalwa. You're beaten and can barely move. And if I beat you, then those other generals you mentioned don't stand a chance against my friends." Anthony said while the alien glared at him. "Do yourself a favor and get lost. If you leave Cray and the Earth alone, I'll let you walk."

"No…" A killing intent rose from Nalwa as the stood over the human. "I will not take this insult lying down! You dare intent to fight Conquest Empire, the Emperor himself relying on the strength of others!? The Emperor is the rightful ruler of this universe because of his strength!" He raised his fist high and brought it down to kill the human. "I WILL NOT LET YOU CHALLENGE HIS GLORIOUS RULE!"

Anthony didn't flinch as the fist came to him because there was no need to fear the attack. A scaled hand grabbed the attacking limb and gripped it tight enough to cause Nalwa to scream in pain.

"You've lost to my vanguard. You were beaten yet you have the audacity to go against the will of Cray!?" Vanquisher growled as he threw back the hand he grabbed and used his free hand to grab Nalwa by the face with skull crushing force. "This ends now!"

The dirt on the ground was raised violently as the dragon flapped his wings and began flying high into the sky. Bolts and strikes of lightning and thunder began raining down around them as they flew higher, nearing the dark clouds that rolled in. With a brilliantly violent flash, a massively wicked thunderbolt hit Nalwa dead on the head, drowning out all other noises on the battlefield.

All troops of Conquest Empire looked on in horror as Vanquisher came down with their unmoving leader. His body charred black from the massive thunderbolt attack. The dragon threw down body to the troops line of sight and set them with the most vicious glare he could give. "Your general is gone! Surrender now or flee, if not then you will all feel the unrivaled wrath of the Narukami and Planet Cray!"

The scattered soldiers of Conquest Empire looked on in fear. With a being as strong as Nalwa dead, their chances of victory in this battle were slim to none. Some laid down their weapons while others ran away in fear of their lives.

Anthony let out a sigh of relief. The first battle was over. Now they just had to pray their battle at the main ship of Conquest Empire would go as smoothly.

"Let's get going, Anthony." Vanquisher said as he landed near his vanguard. "There's still one more ship waiting for us. We should go and back up the others."

Anthony nodded his head. "Yeah. If the other generals are as strong as that guy, they're probably going to need it."

With that, the two hurried to the one ship that had yet to take off. Anthony prayed that his friends were doing alright and that they were finding success in their mission.

 **Anthony: Aw yeah! One general down!**

 **Sophia: Nice going, Anthony! That was awesome!**

 **Anthony: Hehe, yeah I am pretty cool.**

 **William: Let's hope we find the same success in our battles.**

 **Dan: There's three generals left. Which one will we face next?**

 **Rose: I think I can answer that.**

 **Next time: General of the Conquest Strategy**

 **Card Gallery:**

General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **ACT VC: Conquer  
** **AUTO VC:** [Discard a card] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire an opponent's rear guard in the front row and select a unit in your RC or hand to Conquer the opponent's RC. If the card called had equal to or higher base power than the retired unit, draw a card.  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Retire one of your rear guards.] When this unit Conquers an opponent's RC, you may pay the cost. If you do, CC1 and select one unit in your drop zone to add to your hand.

* * *

Conqueror of Iron Will, Sunchi  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC: Conquer**  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up.] When your rear guard successfully Conquers, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire the rear guard that Conquered and search your deck for a card whose Power is equal to or greater than the Power of the retired rear guard, and call it to the same RC.  
 **AUTO VC GB3 1/Turn:** If your rear guard is retired, this unit gets +10000 power and +1 critical.

* * *

Front Line Securer, Albeross  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT RC GB1:** If this unit is on your opponent's field, this unit gets +5000 power

* * *

Invasive Soldier, Valiter  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1. When this unit attempts to Conquer a RC with a unit on it, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire that unit and this unit gets +5000 until end of turn. Then, draw 1 card.

* * *

Enslaved Imperial Beast  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT GB1:** If this unit is on your opponent's RC, this unit's base Power becomes 11000. _(This includes when it is trying to Conquer a RC with a unit on it.)  
_ **AUTO GB1:** When this unit would successfully Conquer, if your opponent has a rear guard on the circle, you may retire that unit.

* * *

Brawler of the Imperial Army  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1 1/Turn:** CB1. If this unit is Conquering, this unit gets +10000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO"  
Grade 4  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [SB1 and Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up]: Your opponent chooses one of his or her rear-guards, retires it, and binds it face up, and you choose up to two cards from your opponent's drop zone, and bind them face up. Until end of turn, this unit gets **(CONT VC: All of the units in your front row get [Power]+3000 for each card in your opponent's bind zone.)**.  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn GB4 Thunderstrike 8:** [CB1 and Choose two cards from your hand, and discard them]. At the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard if you have more units than your opponent, you may pay the cost. If you do, Stand this unit, and it gets drive -1.


	59. General of the Conquest Strategy

**A/N: Time for General fight number 2 readers. Which one will it be this time, and who will be fighting them? You're about to find out.**

The strike force stormed through the main ship, running through the halls and taking down every soldier that blocked their path. This wasn't as easy as it sounded however. They knew they'd be outnumbered. That was obvious going in.

They just didn't realize _how_ outnumbered.

"Anyone got a plan?" Dan asked as they took cover while energy blasts zoomed over their heads from the plasma guns the Conquest Empire soldiers.

"Wait until they reload?" William suggested.

"With this many of them? It'd be a miracle if they all had to reload at once." Rose said.

"Heh, you humans sure don't know a whole heck of a lot about battle." Gemini said with a grin. "Stay down and let us handle this."

None of them had any objections, considering the situation they were in. Gemini looked over at Sagittarius, and the two of them gave a collective nod. Gemini sprang up from the cover and sped at the guards, keeping to the right. Bullets sped towards him, but Gemini easily deflected them with his blades while dodging any strays. With the fire concentrated on him, Sagittarius came up and fired an arrow towards the guards. It detonated on impact, taking a majority of them out. While they were fazed by the blast, Gemini sped in and finished the rest off. When the sound of blasting finally subsided, Dan and the other raised their heads and took a peek.

"I am so glad they're on our side." Dan muttered.

With their latest obstacle out of the way, the group moved on. As they went through the automatic door, they found their path split up.

"Great. Which way do we go?" Rose asked.

"We don't have time to search everywhere." William said.

"Then we split up." Dan suggested. "I'll take Sophia and go right. William, you take left. Rose, you take the center path."

The others nodded and they each went their separate ways, wishing each other good luck. As they pressed on, Sophia glanced worriedly at Dan. "William and Rose are gonna be alright… right?"

"Yeah." Dan assured her. "We all promised we'd make it through this together, remember?"

Sophia could only hope that Dan was right. She prayed for the safety of her friends as they kept moving.

* * *

Rose ran through the halls of the ship down the path she was assigned to. This entire ship was a maze to her. She had no idea how Conquest Empire soldiers knew their way around this place. All she could do was hope she was going somewhere near where the prisoners were.

' _Amelia, how do you think the others are doing?'_ Rose spoke to her avatar mentally.

" _There's no way to tell. But what our forces lack in number, we make up for in skill."_ Amelia told her. " _And if your friends are really as strong as you say, then I'm sure they'll be fine."_

' _I hope you're right.'_ Rose thought.

The teenage girl continued running the interior of the ship. Finally she caught sight of a sign on the wall in one of the halls. She stopped to take a look at it.

' _Let's see here…'_ Rose thought to herself as she took a look. ' _Here we go! Dungeon! Ok, I just have to go through the… Garden?'_ She had no idea what the heck a garden would be doing on a spaceship, but now wasn't the time to be criticizing the interior decoration. She took off running in the direction of the Garden as shown by the map.

Several minutes of running passed as Rose got closer to her destination. Finally, she reached a pair of electronic doors. She wasn't one to usually resort to the direct and brute force approach, but time was of the essence. With a powerful thrust of her sword, she smashed through the doors.

' _This power up really is incredible.'_ Rose thought to herself. Taking a look at her surroundings, she saw flowers and plant life everywhere. ' _Is this the Garden?'_

"It would seem a little pest has found its way into my garden."

The sudden voice made Rose jump as she turned towards its origin. In the distance, she saw a man dressed in gray robes. A book seemed to be in his hand. He didn't show any signs of hostility with his posture, but the aura he was giving off put Rose on edge. He picked up a flower and smelled it.

" _Buttercups have honeyed hearts._

 _Bees, they love the clover_

 _But I love the daisies' dance_

 _All the meadow over"_

Rose narrowed her eyes in confusion. ' _What's he talking about.'_

"Tell me young lady, are you a fan of poetry?" the man asked.

The sudden question caught Rose off guard, but she decided to answer. "Not particularly." she admitted.

"Such a shame." he sighed. "I believe there is so many ways words can describe the beauty of things. Especially flowers." He looked at the many flowers growing in the garden they stood in. "Their aroma. Their color. The poisonous thorns some have."

" _Careful Rose. He's dangerous."_ Amelia spoke.

' _Yeah. I can tell.'_ Rose mentally spoke.

" _Do you want me to take over?"_

' _Yeah. That might be best.'_ Rose thought. She closed her eyes as control of her body switched over to her avatar.

The man raised a brow at this. "Oh? Suddenly you're giving off a different vibe. Like you're a different person entirely. Very interesting."

"I am Amelia, Musketeer of Neo Nectar." she said. "I will not allow you to harm the body of my Vanguard."

"Ah, so you must be one of the beings on Cray that have a connection with a human from Earth." he said. "This is a rare treat indeed."

"Who are you?" Amelia asked.

"Ah, how rude of me. My sincerest apologies." he said as he took a bow. "I am one of the generals that serve his royal majesty, Emperor Cezaros. You may call me Napoleon."

Amelia tensed up at hearing this. This was one of the infamous generals of Conquest Empire? If that was true, then they were in for a tough fight. Even with her newly awakened powers, she wasn't entirely sure she could handle an opponent of this level.

"Now then, I hate to cut our time short, but I cannot afford to waste time here with you." Napoleon said. "Die."

Amelia quickly reacted to the blast of magic that came from Napoleon as she leaped back. She dodged the next wave of magic attacks that came from him as she ran around.

"You're pretty light on your feet." Napoleon said with an entertained grin. "But I wonder little mouse, is all you can do scurry around?"

"You wish." Amelia said. Kicking off the ground she went in for an attack. Aiming the tip of her sword directly at Napoleon, she went in as fast as she could. But her eyes widened when a barrier blocked her path when she was mere feet away from her target.

"You'll have to be faster than that." Napoleon told her.

As Amelia glared at Napoleon, she noticed a white twinkle down at her feet. At first she thought it was the work of her opponent, but when Napoleon caught notice of it, he seemed just as perplexed as her.

"What is that?"

Suddenly, the twinkle expanded into a large burst of light. Amelia and Napoleon gasped as it engulfed them both. The light blinded them for several seconds before finally beginning to fade. When they could see again, the two of them found themselves in an odd colosseum setting, with an odd background to the sky. Rose also noticed that she was her normal self again, with Amelia standing at her side.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

" _This war has gone on for too long."_ a voice spoke. " _It is time for it to end. Everything will be judged by the power that can traverse space itself. Vanguard."_

"Vanguard?"

" _That is correct. Now go, hero of Earth. Prove you have the strength to protect what you care about."_

With that, the voice faded away. A table of light appeared in front of Rose, while another did for Napoleon. A deck of cards appeared in front of Napoleon, which the general grabbed.

"So this is that Vanguard that Lilith spoke of?" Napoleon said. "Very well then. If this is how our battle shall be settled, then so be it."

"I shall assist you." Amelia told Rose as she transformed into light and went into Rose's deck.

Rose placed her deck down on the table. The starting hands came up on their own, floating in front of Rose. She noticed the same happen for Napoleon as well. Both of them showed a look that meant they were ready to settle this.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Calluna Musketeer, Elma!"

 **Calluna Musketeer, Elma**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." Rose said. "I ride Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca."

 **Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Elma moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Rose(5), Napoleon(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Napoleon said. ' _It's weird. Vanguard should be unfamiliar to me. But my instincts are taking complete control here. It's as if its no different than leading soldiers on a battlefield. In that case, then any advantage of experience this human has is useless.'_ Taking a card from his hand, Napoleon placed it on the Vanguard circle. "Ride. Imperial Maid, Ursula."

 **Imperial Maid, Ursula**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

The unit that appeared on the field was a woman dressed in a typical maid uniform. However, unlike most maids Rose had known, this one held several knives in her hands.

"Riley moves back. Then I call Transporter Mage, Lind." Napoleon said. "Lind attacks."

 **(7000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Riley, Ursula attacks next."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Napoleon(0).]**

The second the card fell into Rose's damage zone, a huge amount of pain suddenly flowed into her body. Rose gasped as she put a hand on the table of light to support herself. ' _Unbelievable… I considered that there might be real pain in this cardfight, but still. This is far beyond what I felt when I fought Allen at the World Tournament.'_

"Are you out already?" Napoleon asked with a bored expression.

' _This pain… if I hit six damage, I might not just fall unconscious. I could actually die.'_ Rose thought. ' _This is going to be my toughest fight yet.'_

"No way am I done!" Rose told him, standing firm once again. "I will not lose to you."

"Bold words. But unfortunately little flower, I'm going to have to pluck you." Napoleon said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Rose(4), Napoleon(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "You're about to find out that this flower won't get plucked so easily. Ride! Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila!"

 **Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia. With her skill, I look at the top card of the deck. If that card is a Musketeer, I can call it." Rose explained. She looked at the card and smirked. "Call! Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta!"

' _I've got a good formation set up. But he's using units I've never seen before.'_ Rose thought to herself. ' _I have to be cautious.'_

"Sylvia attacks Lind!"

 **(7000)**

"Guard." Napoleon said.

"Boosted by Elma, Favila attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! Power to Rozeeta and critical to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second, no trigger." Napoleon felt the same sensation of pain that Rose did. But he wasn't going to falter so easily.

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Napoleon(2).]**

"Rozeeta attacks Lind!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

Napoleon held up a trigger from his hand with 10000 shield. "Guard."

' _He used up two cards protecting that rear guard this turn. Just what kind of skill does it have?'_ Rose thought to herself. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Rose(4), Napoleon(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Napoleon said. "Ride! Sorcerer of the Binding Chains!"

 **Sorcerer of the Binding Chains**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I move Lind back and call Sage of Excellence, Peter. And now Peter will attack with Lind's boost."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up her critical trigger.

"Boosted by Riley, my Vanguard attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, stand trigger. All effects to Peter."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Napoleon(2).]**

"Peter attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Napoleon(2).]**

The repeated damage, made Rose lose her balance slightly. But she stayed standing. ' _This pain is unlike anything I've ever felt. But if I play differently because of it, then I have no chance at winning.'_

"I believe that will do for now." Napoleon said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Rose(3), Napoleon(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Tell me… Do you know of the type of flower known as a rose?"

"A rose?" Napoleon asked. "No, I haven't. Is it a flower indigenous to Earth?"

"It's not just Earth. Cray has them too." Rose told her. "It is the flower I was named after. And it is the flower that represents the power within my avatar." She held out a card from her hand. "Let me show you what I mean! Even the smallest bud can one day bloom into a beautiful flower! Let her grace and beauty stun you into silence! Ride Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia!"

 **Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Napoleon quickly recognized the unit as the one he had been fighting in the garden not long ago. "Ah, so this is the unit you share a bond with."

"I will not allow you to bring harm to Rose." Amelia said. "I will protect her. As well as both her and my worlds. Your kind will not lay another finger on any of them!"

"You should know general, that rose's are known for their sharp thorns!" Rose said. "Allow me to demonstrate! Rozeeta attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Napoleon(3).]**

"Amelia's up next with Elma's boost!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check. Heal trigger." The card was a welcome sight to Napoleon. "Power to the Vanguard, and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Napoleon(3).]**

' _I didn't get a trigger, so Sylvia can't even hit his rear guard.'_ Rose thought. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Rose(5), Napoleon(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Napoleon said. "Now then, miss Rose. I think it's time I show you my full power."

' _He's going to grade 3. Does that mean-'_

"Bear witness to the greatest mind in all of the empire! Leader of Conquest Empire's mage corps! Ride! General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon!"

 **General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Next up is this! Stride Generation!" Napoleon called out. "Sorcerer of Imperial Magic, Meric!"

 **Sorcerer of Imperial Magic, Meric**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The unit that appeared on Napoleon's field was a powerful-looking mage with blue hair and a tome in hand. He wore white and blue robes. No doubt this was a user of magic, like Napoleon.

"Stride skill. I soul blast and call Wise Mage, Tibarn." Napoleon explained. "Then I select a rear guard. I pick Peter. Until the end of this turn, Peter can Conquer, even if there's a unit with a higher power on the circle he's Conquering."

Rose gasped as she heard this. "What did you say?!"

"Before we get to the fun part, I activate Meric's skill." Napoleon added. He paid the cost of a counterblast, soul blast, and flipping a copy of Meric over in his G Zone. "Now whenever one of my rear guards Conquer this turn, I can call a rear guard from my deck."

Rose widened her eyes as she heard this. Unlike the usual powering up skills she was used to from seeing Allen wield Conquest Empire, Napoleon's strategy seemed to be entirely different. His stride skill allowed him to Conquer once regardless of the power difference. And on top of that, he would be gaining resources at the same time.

"Peter Conquers over Rozeeta." Napoleon said. "With Meric's skill, I call Unbreakable Shield, Ganon to the spot where Peter was."

"Rozeeta moves back." Rose said.

"Peter's skill. Counterblast." Napoleon said. "Since you had a unit on the circle he Conquered, I can look at cards from the top of my deck, equal to the grade of that rear guard, in this case three. I then select one card among them and add it to my hand. In addition, I use Lind's skill. When my rear guard Conquers, I send Lind to the bottom of the deck. Then I look at the top seven cards of the deck and call a grade 2 or lower card among them. I call Sorcerer of the Binding Chains. Then, I swap it's position with Ganon's."

' _Without even touching his hand, he got a full column.'_ Rose realized. ' _And he's still got Tibarn left to Conquer with.'_

"Go Tibarn! Conquer over Sylvia!" Napoleon called out.

"Sylvia moves back." Rose said begrudgingly.

"Skill of Tibarn. I draw 2 cards and discard one." Napoleon said. "And with Meric's skill, I call Imperial Maid, Ursula from the deck. I also use Riley's skill to call another Ursula behind it. I then use Ursula's skill. By resting her, since I have a rear guard on your field in the same column as her, I countercharge and soul charge for each Ursula I rested."

' _He may have a large field, but it lacks power.'_ Rose thought to herself. ' _He's playing more of a defensive game. But with everything he's doing, he won't have to lose cars from his hand to fill up his board.'_

"Boosted by Ganon, Sorcerer of the Binding Chains attacks!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"I guard!" Rose called out, holding up a card from her hand.

"Meric will strike next."

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Peter and critical to Meric. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Rose said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Napoleon(3).]**

"Peter attacks Rozeeta."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Rose called out.

"In that case, Tibarn will take down your Sylvia."

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Rose said, watching as Sylvia went straight to the drop zone.

"Turn end." Napoleon said. "Skill of myself. At the end of the turn, I can counterblast and draw cards equal to the number of rear guards I have on the opponent's field. In addition, Ganon's soul blast allows me to return him to hand at the end of the turn, since one of my opponent's rear guard circles is Conquered."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Rose(3), Napoleon(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. ' _I can't let him control the state of the game. I need to launch a counterattack here and now.'_

"Stride Generation! Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecilia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I counterblast and look at the top four cards of the deck. I then add one Musketeer to hand and call another to rear guard." Rose explained. "I add Favila to my hand and call Tessa." Rose smirked to herself. Both of the rear guards she had in her back row were at equal or greater power than the Conquering units Napoleon had out. "Rozeeta! Tessa! Time to show these guys they aren't welcome on our field!"

The two Musketeers moved up and pushed back Napoleon's Conquering units. Peter moved to the back row of Napoleon's field, but there were still two Ursula's taking up space for the column Tibarn was in. As such, it was retired.

"Here goes! I call Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri! With the skill of Tessa, she gains 2000 power! Next I use Virginal Cecilia's skill! I retire Rozeeta and Verneri! I then look at the top 7 cards of the deck and call Musketeers up to the amount as rear guards retired! I call Favila and Daphne! They both gain 3000 power for the face up Cecilia in my G Zone! Then Tessa's skill boosts them up another 4000 power while doing the same to herself! After that, I use Favila's skill! When a Musketeer other than herself is called out, I select another Musketeer rear guard! I choose Tessa! Both she and Favila gain 6000 power and Resist!"

Napoleon narrowed his eyes. She had quite the formation set up. And the more Musketeers that kept appearing, the stronger they became.

"Let's go! Favila attacks with a boost from Daphne!"

 **(9000+6000+4000+3000+7000+4000+3000=36000)**

"No guard." Napoleon said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Napoleon(4).]**

"Virginal Cecilia attacks next!" Rose declared. "Skill of Elma! I counterblast and send her to the bottom of the deck! Then I look at the top four cards of my deck and call a Musketeer among them! I call Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri over Favila! Tessa's skill activates!"

 **(26000)**

Napoleon showed an entertained grin. ' _Interesting. By calling Verneri there, she was able to limit the potential of Peter's skill next turn. Plus if I Conquer Tessa's circle, she has room to move it back. Clearly this human knows how to plan ahead. Unfortunately for her, so do I.'_

"Perfect guard." Napoleon said.

"Triple drive! First check, stand trigger! I stand Daphne and give the power to Tessa! Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger! Power to Tessa and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Napoleon(4).]**

"Tessa attacks!"

 **(9000+8000+6000+10000=33000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Napoleon(5).]**

Being pushed to the edge, Napoleon could finally feel himself standing on his last legs. It was difficult to even stand. ' _I'm not… done yet…'_

"Verneri! Daphne! Take him out!"

 **(7000+3000+4000+7000+4000+3000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius! I move the Ursula in my front row to the guardian circle. Then, 5000 is added to the shield."

' _Darn. I couldn't finish him off.'_ Rose thought to herself. "Turn end. Skill of Amelia. At the end of the turn, if I have at least 4 units with Musketeer in their name, I draw and send a Musketeer from my drop zone to the bottom of my deck."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Rose(7), Napoleon(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Napoleon said. "I must say, this little game has been quite enjoyable for me. But it's time for me to bring it to a close." The general discarded a card from his hand and grinned. "Stride Generation! Sorcerer of Imperial Magic, Meric!"

 **Sorcerer of Imperial Magic, Meric**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"There won't be any need for my stride skill." Napoleon said. "I call myself from my hand, and swap the positions of Peter and Sorcerer of the Binding Chains. Then I activate Meric's skill. Now whenever I Conquer this turn, I get to call a card from my deck. And now with that done, I'll have the copy of myself in my front row Conquer over Tessa, and Peter Conquer over Verneri."

Rose grit her teeth as her front row was invaded once again. Tessa was free to move to the back row, but since Daphne was behind Verneri, Verneri was forced to retire.

"Meric's Generation Break 3. Everytime I Conquer this turn, I draw."

"What?!" Rose gasped.

"Let's not forget Meric's other skill, as well as Peter's." Napoleon smirked. "With Meric's skill, I call Ganon and another copy of myself to the board. Then since Verneri was on the circle that Peter Conquered, I look at the top card of my deck and add it to my hand. Finally, I call Imperial Knight, Lucas behind Meric."

' _He's got every single circle filled up. I really am facing an army here.'_

"I will admit, the camaraderie shared by your units is a powerful force." Napoleon said. "But against my strategy and the infinite forces of Conquest Empire, it's little more than a bud that's barely sprouted from the ground." With his formation set up, he began his assault. "I'll have the copy of myself on your field attack first."

 **(11000)**

"Generation guard!" Rose called out. "Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon!"

 **Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Using such a powerful guardian for one measly attack like this? Perhaps you aren't so smart after all."

"Oh I wouldn't count me out just yet." Rose smirked. "Skill of Rain Breath Dragon! I call Amelia from my hand over Peter!"

Napoleon widened his eyes. "What?!" He watched as Peter was forced to retire from Rose's field as Amelia came down and sliced the mage in two.

"That gives you one less attack to work with." Rose said.

"Well played." Napoleon said. "However, I am far from finished! Sorcerer of the Binding Chains attacks with a boost from Ganon!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"No guard." Rose said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Napoleon(5).]**

With all of the damage she had taken up to this point, Rose wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going for. But she refused to lose this fight. Everyone was counting on her.

' _Juliet… Iris… All the people I know and love on Earth and Cray… If we fall here, then they're doomed. I refuse to let them down!'_

"Lucas boosts! Crush her, Meric!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

"Perfect guard!" Rose called out.

"Grr… Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! I give all effects to the rear guard version of myself in the front row. Third check, critical trigger! It goes to the same unit once again!" Napoleon said. "And now I'll finish you with this!"

 **(11000+10000+7000=28000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up two triggers, totalling 20000 shield.

"Turn end. With my own skill, I draw a card for having one rear guard on your field, and I return Ganon to my hand with his soul blast." Napoleon said. "You may have survived that turn, but you have no way of breaking through my defense."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Rose(3), Napoleon(11).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "No way to break through your defense you say? Well I guess I'm just going to have to prove you wrong."

"Let's see you try."

Rose closed her eyes and prayed. ' _Please. Everyone. Lend me your power. Help me defeat Conquest Empire and protect what I care about.'_

Suddenly, Rose felt her vision go black. She found herself in the middle of space, with nothing else around her other than the stars twinkling in the distance.

' _Where am I?'_ Rose wondered. All of a sudden, she felt a pair of hands touch her shoulders. She turned and widened her eyes. "Juliet… Iris…"

"What's wrong, French Queen? A player like you should have finished this a while ago." Juliet smirked.

Iris showed her friend a similar grin. "You have the strength to beat this guy. Now show him what you're made of."

"You two…" Rose suddenly gasped as a small ball of light began to form in front of her. Slowly, Rose reached out and grabbed it. She brought it closer to her, as the light formed into a card. "This is…"

"Go for it Rose. We're with you, always." Juliet and Iris said as they both faded away.

All of a sudden, Rose found herself back in the colosseum where she was fighting Napoleon. She looked at her G Zone and noticed a card glowing on top of it.

"You said the power of me and my clan was nothing more than a bud, correct?" Rose said. "There's a funny thing about flowers. If you raise them with care, they can bloom into something more beautiful than anything else in the world." She looked at Napoleon with a fierce determined expression. "Let me show you what I mean! Generation Zone, release! Now, let true beauty bloom across this battlefield! Witness a spring like none you've ever seen before! Stride Generation! Magnolia Musketeer, Sakuya!"

 **Magnolia Musketeer, Sakuya**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The G Unit that appeared on Rose's field caused flowers to bloom around her, transforming the flat land of the colosseum into a flower filled meadow. The G Unit was a grown woman with long blonde hair. A green hat was on her head with a white flower blooming on it. In her hands were a pair of thin blades with a flower shaped crossguard on each one.

"Stride skill! I look at the top four cards of the deck! I add Rebecca to my hand and call Ernst over Napoleon! Ernst is retired, but Napoleon loses 4000 power! And that's more than enough for Tessa to take him out!" With her field freed up, Rose went in for an all out attack. "I call Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca and Baby-Blue-eyes Musketeer, May Len! Tessa gives both 4000 power, while giving another 4000 to herself!"

' _It's fine. She may have a full formation, but I still have 11 cards in my hand. I can hold her off without an issue.'_ Napoleon told himself.

"Amelia, you and Daphne are up first! Attack!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!" Napoleon said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Tessa and Rebecca! You attack next!"

 **(9000+4000+7000+4000=24000)**

"Guard! Intercept!" Napoleon said, holding up his other critical trigger, and moving Sorcerer of the Binding Chains over to help defend.

"With a boost from May Len, Sakuya attacks!" Rose declared. "Sakuya's skill! I counterblast, soul blast, and flip a copy of her face up! Then I look at the top seven cards of the deck and call Musketeer's among them up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone! And just so you know, that number is four!"

' _Four new units, just like that?!'_

"Call! Prunus Serula Musketeer, Tessa! Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila! Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne! Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca!" Rose said. "The Tessa that is currently on my field gives them all 4000 power, as does the new Tessa appearing in her place! Not to mention, the 6000 power she gains as well! With Favila's skill, I give her and Tessa another 6000 power too! And to top it all off, the units called with Sakuya's effect gain 3000 power!"

"What?!"

"One more thing." Rose added with a grin. "Any units called over by Sakuya's skill aren't sent to the drop zone. Instead, they go to the bottom of the deck."

"Impossible… Napoleon gasped. "I am the greatest mind of Conquest Empire… How could I be pushed so far…?"

"Because you underestimated the power of humans, and the units of Cray." Rose said. "Now go get him, Sakuya!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Napoleon shouted.

"Triple drive." Rose said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Tessa. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Favila! Third check, no trigger." Her Vanguard had finished attacking but she was far from over. "With a boost from Daphne, Favila attacks!"

 **(9000+6000+5000+4000+3000+7000+3000+4000=42000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius! I move Lucas to the guardian circle! 5000 is added to the shield! Then I guard with Death-scope Sharpshooter!"

"Go Tessa! Finish him off! And Rebecca, lend your support!"

 **(9000+6000+6000+3000+5000+7000+4000+3000=43000)**

Napoleon looked at his hand, realizing he didn't have enough to stop this last attack. "No guard…"

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Napoleon(6).]**

With the fight finished, the surroundings went back to normal. Soon, they all found themselves back in the garden on board the main ship of Conquest Empire.

Napoleon fell to one knee. "No… I cannot accept this… How could I allow myself to be beaten?" He looked over at Rose with a glare. Using the last of his strength, he raised his arm, ready to fire a blast of magic. "I'll at least end your life. With my dying breath."

"I won't let you!" Amelia shouted as she moved out from Rose's deck and sped at Napoleon. Before the general even had time to fire his attack, Amelia thrusted her rapier through him. A gasp appeared on his face as the life faded from his eyes. Amelia removed her blade from his body and he fell to the ground.

Rose also fell to one knee, exhausted from the cardfight. "Unbelievable. To think I'd take so much damage from a cardfight."

Amelia hurried over to Rose's side. "Are you alright, Rose?!"

"Yeah… I'll live." Rose said with a weak nod. "But… do you mind if I take a short rest? I don't really think I have the strength to move right now."

Amelia smiled and nodded her head. "Of course. Let your body recover. I'll stand guard over you in the meantime."

"Thank you." Rose said with a smile. She leaned against one of the walls and closed her eyes.

' _Get some rest, Rose. you earned it.'_ Amelia thought silently with a smile.

 **Anthony: That's 2 generals down.**

 **Sophia: I hope we don't run into anymore. They seem really scary.**

 **Dan: Unfortunately, I have a feeling we will. They won't just let us do as we please on their main ship.**

 **William: That works for me. There's one general I need to settle a score with.**

 **Next time: Clashing Blades**

 **Card Gallery:**

General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **ACT VC: Conquer  
** **AUTO VC:** SB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to one card from your hand and call it to RC. Then select one of your rear guards and it gets **(CONT: This unit can Conquer a RC, regardless of the Power of the opponent's unit on it.)** until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO VC GB2:** CB1 At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw cards equal to the number of your rear guards on your opponent's field.

* * *

Sorcerer of Imperial Magic, Meric  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **ACT VC 1/Turn:** CB1, SB1 & Take a facedown card from your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up. This unit gains **(CONT: When your rear guard Conquers, search your deck for one card and call it to RC.)** until end of turn.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** When your rear guard "Conquers", draw one card.

* * *

Transporter Mage, Lind  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC GB1: [** Send this unit to the bottom of the deck.] When your rear guard "Conquers", you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top seven cards of your deck, search for up to one grade 2 or less card among them, and call it to RC.

* * *

Imperial Maid, Ursula  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Rest this unit] If you have a unit on your opponent's field in the same column as this unit, CC1/SC1.

* * *

Sorcerer of the Binding Chains  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1 1/Turn:** CB1 If this unit is on your opponent's field, choose one of your opponent's rear guards in the same column as this unit. Until the end of your opponent's next turn, the chosen rear guard cannot move from the RC it is currently on.

* * *

Sage of Excellence, Peter  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1. When this unit "Conquers", if your opponent's rear guard was on the RC this unit is on at the time of "Conquer", you may pay the cost. If you do, look at cards from the top of your deck equal to the grade of the opponent's rear guard that was on this RC. Search for up to one card among them and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle the deck.

* * *

Magnolia Musketeer, Sakuya  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1, SB1, & Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, reveal the top seven cards of your deck. Take cards among them with "Musketeer" in their name up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone and call them to separate RCs. They each get +3000 power. Then, take any of your rear guards called over by this effect and put them on the bottom of your deck in any order.


	60. Clashing Blades

**A/N: General number 3 everyone. Hope you enjoy the fight.**

William rushed through the halls of the main ship of Conquest Empire. He had no clue where this path was going to take him. But he could only hope it would be to the prisoners.

' _The prison's sure to be heavily guarded. In that case, I need to hope I find it instead of the others. I don't want them getting themselves into danger.'_ William thought to himself. ' _Especially if they have to fight an enemy like Alexander.'_

Even now, William still remembered clearly Alexander's power. How incredible it was. But there was also something that tugged at his mind. The moment when Alexander had moved to save the child. Why had he done that? It made no sense.

William stopped thinking about it when he finally reached another door. It opened up for him and he walked inside. Standing across from him was a lone soldier. But unlike most of the foot soldiers he had fought on his way here, this one was one he recognized. Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel.

"You have quite the gal to step foot on this ship." Rachel told him. "I will not forgive you for this intrusion!"

"You people are trying to enslave the people of Cray. Pardon us if we don't intend to just sit back and let that happen." William told her.

Rachel readied her blade. "I will cut you down here and now!"

William also readied himself to fight. "Bring it on."

Just as Rachel was about to kick off the ground, a voice spoke up. "Hold, Rachel."

Rachel and William both widened their eyes in recognition of the voice. Entering the room from the other end was none other than Alexander.

"M-Master!" Rachel exclaimed. She took a knee in front of him. "I was just about to take care of this intruder. You needn't sully your hands with the likes of him."

"There is no need for such things, Rachel." Alexander told the girl. "I will face this opponent."

"Sh-Shouldn't we fight together then?" Rachel suggested. "It will allow us to make short work of this opponent."

William tensed up as he readied himself. Fighting Alexander would be hard enough. But to have to deal with another opponent at the same time?

"No. You will stand down, Rachel." Alexander said.

William and Rachel both widened their eyes as they heard the words escape from Alexander's mouth. "But Master-"

"This boy is an opponent I deem worthy to face me. I will not fight an unfair match."

"But-"

"Rachel, you are my student. Remember what I taught you." Alexander spoke. "Above all else, one must make sure to fight with honor. Otherwise, victory is meaningless."

Alexander's words seemed to resonate with Rachel. She bowed her head and backed away. "As you wish, Master."

"Thank you." Alexander said. He turned back to William. "I hope you can forgive my student. She's skilled, yet still young and rash."

"I'm surprised you're facing me like this. A fair, one on one fight." William said.

"Conquest Empire's cause is a noble one. With that in mind, I will fight with the same noble heart."

"Noble?" William asked. "What's so noble about enslaving planets one after another? The only thing you are is a bunch of conquerors."

"It is true, we forcibly take planets under our rule." Alexander said. "But by doing so, the entire universe will be united under the rule of Emperor Cezaros. Once that happens, there will be no differing sides. All will be under our empire's banner. And it will bring an end to war throughout the universe."

"So that's your goal?"

"Indeed." Alexander nodded. "But with any type of conquest, there is always resistance." The general held out his sword. "And that is our job. To crush that resistance so peace may be achieved."

"I can sympathize with wanting peace." William said as he took his stance. "But achieving it this way is wrong. I will not allow you to have peace by enslaving the rest of the universe!"

"I figured you would say that." Alexander said. "It seems we will never be able to agree." He readied himself to fight. "In that case, show me your resolve! Unleash the same power you had during our first encounter!"

"With pleasure!" William said with a shout.

Both of them kicked off the ground and sped at each other. With a loud shout, both William and Alexander brought their blades back, ready to strike. With all of their power, they swung their weapons at each other. William's two swords locked with Alexander's one, creating a huge shockwave from the impact.

Alexander grinned as they stayed locked in a stalemate, seeing who's strength would give in first. "I'm impressed. I haven't fought many warriors that wield a sword as well as you."

"You're quite impressive yourself." William said. "But you won't beat the combined power of me and my avatar!"

"Your avatar?" Alexander questioned. Suddenly, he realized what he meant. "I see. So you're one of the humans that came from Earth."

"That's right. And together with Llew, I'm going to beat you!" William shouted.

As the two stayed locked, a small light formed in between them. The two warriors gasped as it expanded and swallowed them up.

"Master Alexander!" Rachel gasped as she watched the light engulf them, leaving her all alone.

When the light died down, William found himself in a stadium with an odd background. He also noticed that he had separated from Llew. Looking over at the other end, he noticed Alexander as well.

"What happened?" Alexander questioned.

"I'm not sure myself." William admitted.

" _I have brought you here, with my power."_ a voice spoke.

"What the?!" William gasped as he heard the voice. "Who are you?!"

" _I am one who watches over the stars."_ the voice said. " _This war has gone on for too long. I will let this matter be settled by the power of the universe."_

"The power of the universe?" William asked. Suddenly, he noticed a table of light form in front of him. He widened his eyes at it. "Wait… do you mean… Vanguard?"

" _That is correct."_ the voice said. " _Settle your battle with this. Prove you hold the stronger conviction."_

"So we shall settle this with the link between Cray and Earth, hm?" Alexander said. He saw a deck form in front of him. "Very well! If that is what it takes, then so be it!"

William took out his deck and placed it on the table. The starting hands for both him and Alexander came out from the deck and floated up to him, as if by magic.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _So my final battle against Alexander will be a cardfight.'_ William thought. He still remembered the fight he had against Allen. That loss still haunted him to this day. ' _But I'm not the same person I was back then. I will not allow things to end the way they did that time.'_

"I'll start." William said. "I ride! Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse!"

 **Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "That knight… he's one of the Blaster Corps."

"That's right! But they're not the same as when you last face them!" William said. "Just like I have awakened to my new self, so have these units! And with our combined power, we will take you down!"

"Interesting. Let's see if you can actually pull such a thing off." Alexander said.

"Wingal Brave moves back with forerunner." William said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: William(5), Alexander(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Alexander said. ' _It's strange. It's like my instincts are kicking in and telling me what moves to make. Could this be an aspect of the power of this thing known as Vanguard?'_

"I ride Supply Soldier, Collin."

 **Supply Soldier, Collin**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Riley moves back. And with his boost, Collin attacks."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." William said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." William suddenly felt pain surge through his body. He took a moment to recover from the shock of it as he brought a hand to his chest.

 **[Damage: William(1), Alexander(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: William(5), Alexander(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Ride! Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl!"

 **Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura. And now she'll attack!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"Guard." Alexander said.

"Grawl is up next, with a boost from Wingal Brave!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to Grawl!"

Alexander grunted as two cards fell into his damage zone. The pain came all at once, forcing him to take a moment to recover.

 **[Damage: William(1), Alexander(2).]**

"Skill of Wingal Brave. I send him to the soul and add Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew to my hand." William said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: William(5), Alexander(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Alexander said. "I ride Emergency Rescuer, Klinger."

 **Emergency Rescuer, Klinger**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel." Alexander said, calling out the grade 2 unit. "Rachel attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Guard." William said.

"Boosted by Riley, Klinger attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Alexander(2).]**

"Turn end." Alexander said. "Boy, perhaps you should give up. You aren't used to taking this kind of damage to your body."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: William(4), Alexander(5).]**

"Just shut up, would you?" William growled as he kept one hand on the table for support. "I'm not quitting. I refuse to give up. Especially to you."

Alexander raised a brow. "Hm?"

"I was born as the heir of the Lewis family. Throughout much of my life, I had things handed to me, just because of my name. But I never took them for granted, or thought of myself as better than others. I worked hard, so I could strive to be the heir that the Lewis family deserved, while making sure to keep my ego in check." William explained. "And then I encountered Vanguard. With that, nothing about a person's family or wealth mattered. All that mattered was their skill. I managed to excel at it. And I became one of the best fighters in my country. But because of that, I got cocky. I arrogantly said I would avenge a dear friend of mine, even though I failed miserably in the end. Even coming to Cray, was just me using the same arrogance I thought I had discarded." His eyes burned with a fierce look. "But since coming here, I've come to realize that I was wrong to think I could be completely perfect like that. I've come to see it was arrogant. And I will continue to move forward, accepting both the good and bad parts of myself! The parts that make up William Lewis! And above all else, I will defeat you to protect those that have supported me all this way!"

"Then show me! Show me your power, William Lewis!" Alexander told him.

"This isn't my power. This is _our_ power!" William said. "A light that pierces the blackest darkness! A darkness that covers the brightest light! Watch as two forces combine and create an unstoppable power! My avatar! Ride! Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew!"

 **Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Llew! I counterblast and retire Riley!" William said. "And now Llew will attack!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check. Critical trigger. All effects to Klinger."

 **[Damage: William(2), Alexander(3).]**

"In that case, Laura will attack Rachel."

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"Guard." Alexander said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(6), Alexander(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Alexander said. "I can see you've grown strong throughout your life. You are indeed a noble person. That said, I will not allow you to get in the way of the dream I hold! I ride! General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander!"

 **General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now for this! Stride Generation!" Alexander called out. "Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I increase Rachel's power by 5000 and lower Laura's by the same amount."

"Unfortunately for you, Laura has Resist. So you can't target her for your skill." William said.

"It doesn't matter. Rachel still has more power than her." Alexander said. "I call Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army. I use his skill to allow me to draw whenever I Conquer this turn. Then I call myself to the rear guard."

' _Not good. At this rate…'_

"Rachel and myself will Conquer!" Alexander declared. "I draw 2 cards from Drill Sergeants skill! And now I use the skill to increase the power of myself on the rear guard by 5000 and draw."

' _The cards he's using. They're all exactly the same as Allen Demacio's deck.'_ William thought. ' _This really is a rematch from back then.'_

"Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Alexander(2).]**

"Rachel attacks! With her skill, 3000 is added for every attack my units make on your field!"

 **(9000+5000+6000=20000)**

"Guard!"

"Darius attacks! With his skill, I restand my two rear guards on your field and add 5000 power to both of them."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard! Guardian Blaster, Iseult!" William called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Rachel. Third check, no trigger."

"I'm not done yet! Get ready for another attack from Alexander!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Alexander(2).]**

"Rachel attacks!"

 **(9000+12000+5000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Little Great Sage, Marron!"

 **Little Great Sage, Marron**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Marron. I soul blast and call Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse! Add 5000 to the shield! I also guard with Grawl from my hand!"

"Turn end." Alexander said. He noticed the one card in William's hand. With the situation as it was, his advantage was large.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(1), Alexander(8).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Skill of Llew. I counterblast and retire Rachel."

Alexander watched as Rachel moved from the field to the drop zone. "You will pay for doing that to my student."

"We'll see." William said. "Stride Generation! Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver!"

 **Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and call Blaster Blade Exceed!" William said. "Then, since I have more rear guards than the opponent, I countercharge and soul charge! In addition, with Exceed's skill, I counterblast and retire your rear guard Alexander!"

' _Darn. I've lost both my rear guards that were Conquering his field.'_ Alexander thought. ' _Now he can move his rear guards forward without issue.'_

"Blaster Blade Exceed attacks!"

 **(11000)**

Alexander widened his eyes. ' _He's not liberating his rear guard?'_ It didn't take the general long to see what William's strategy was. ' _I get it…'_

' _If I move my rear guards forward, he'll likely just Conquer them anyway next turn.'_ William theorized. ' _As long as I don't call anything to my front row, they're still technically Conquered. Which means he can't use skills that activate when one of his units Conquers. With my limited resources right now, this is the best move I can make for the moment.'_

"An interesting strategy. Very clever." Alexander said. "But it will still fail in the end! I guard!"

"Gancelot, get in there!" William said. "With Gancelot's skill, I countercharge, gain a drive, and gain a critical since I have another card face up in the G Zone!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Laura and I recover one. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Laura. Final check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Alexander(2).]**

"Laura attacks!"

 **(9000+1000+10000=20000)**

Alexander looked at his damage zone. He could afford some damage for now. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Alexander(4).]**

"Skill of Laura! Since she hit, I return her to my hand and call a Blaster from the deck to the rear guard circle she was on!" William explained. "Superior call! Guardian Blaster, Iseult!" Most would see calling a sentinel as a bad move, but William knew what he was doing. "Skill of Iseult! When she's called from the deck, she gains 3000 power!"

"Even still, that won't be enough to hit me." Alexander said.

"True, but she doesn't only gain power. She also gains a skill. At the end of the turn she was called this way, she returns to my hand." William said with a grin. "So I think I'll end my turn and return Iseult to the hand."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(7), Alexander(6).]**

' _He focused on strengthening his defenses, preparing for my next turn.'_ Alexander realized. ' _This boy… He knows how to lead his forces.'_

"It is a true shame we meet as enemies." Alexander said. "You have a noble soul. Be that as it may, I have a duty to my emperor! I will not lose here!"

"A duty to your emperor doesn't mean you should obey his every command! You also have a duty to yourself!" William told him. "Open your eyes! You have to know what Conquest Empire is doing is wrong!"

"SILENCE!" Alexander shouted. "I will never betray my emperor! He will unite the universe and bring forth peace! And for that goal, I will give my own life if I must! Stride Generation! Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus!"

 **Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

William braced himself. ' _Desolation Conqueror, Cyrus. That's the unit that beat me last time.'_

"Stride skill! I give 5000 power to my Vanguard and lower Blaster Blade Exceed's by 5000!" Alexander said. "And then I call! Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel! Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames! General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander! Supply Soldier, Collin!"

William watched as Alexander brought out four units all at once. He had Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames and the rear guard Alexander staring him down on his field. And Rachel and Collin stood together in one of Alexander's side columns.

"Cyrus's skill! I retire an opponent rear guard for each of my Conquering rear guards, and my Vanguard gains 10000 power for each one retired!"

William only had one rear guard, so he watched as Blaster Blade Exceed was struck by dark thorns that rose from the ground. He wished that was all, but he knew all too well what would come next."

"Since the opponent has no rear guards, one damage to the Vanguard!"

William watched as the same thorns that had taken out Blaster Blade rose up and skewered Llew. He felt the same pain Llew did as a card went into his damage zone. "Ahhhhhhhh!"

 **[Damage: William(4), Alexander(4).]**

"Behold the power of Conquest Empire!" Alexander said. "Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"G-Guard!" William said as he placed a card down, still on wobbly legs from the damage just now.

"Enslaved Dragon attacks next!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Alexander(4).]**

The damage William had taken was almost too much to bear. He fell to one knee, barely able to stay conscious. ' _Damnit… I can't lose… Not to him…'_

"Cyrus attacks!" Alexander declared. "Since I have at least two rear guards on the opponent's field, Cyrus gains one drive!"

 **(26000+5000+10000=41000)**

"Perfect... guard!" William managed to choke out.

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! I give all effects to Rachel! Third check, heal trigger! I don't heal, but power to Rachel! Final check, no trigger." Alexander said. "Now Rachel! Finish him!"

 **(9000+6000+10000=25000)**

"Generation guard! Great Flash, Iseult!"

 **Great Flash, Iseult**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Alexander widened his eyes. His assault had been stopped. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: William(3), Alexander(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said weakly. It took all of his strength just to stand. ' _I survived that turn, but what now? Can I still win this?'_

" _Are you giving up?"_

William widened his eyes. ' _That voice… did I imagine it?'_

" _Are you giving up?"_ the voice asked again.

' _Of course not!'_ William thought. ' _But… I barely have any strength left.'_

" _Are you the only one fighting?"_

William widened his eyes. ' _Am I the only one fighting?'_

" _I thought you said you and your clan would fight together. Was that a lie?"_

William shook his head. ' _Of course not.'_

" _Then if you are low on strength, borrow some of theirs. Use their power and fight together."_

William suddenly widened his eyes, recognizing the voice. ' _That voice… Blaster Blade?'_

" _Heh, took you long enough."_ another voice said. William watched as faded astral bodies of Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark stood at his side. " _Are you really so weak that you'll fall before the battle is even finished? I don't remember us entrusting those two swords we gave you to someone so weak."_

" _Let your friends be your strength, William."_ Blaster Blade told him. " _Remember, when light and dark join forces, they create an unstoppable power."_

' _Light and dark… join forces…'_ William thought. His eyes suddenly widened as he noticed his G Zone light up. He reached out for the top card on there and took a look at it. ' _This is…'_

" _Unleash your true power, boy."_ Blaster Dark said.

" _Show them the bond with your avatar."_ Blaster Blade added.

With that, the astral figures of Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark vanished. William knew what he had to do.

"Skill of Llew! I counterblast and retire Enslaved Dragon of the Berserk Flames!" William said. "Generation Zone, release! Let two merge into one! The ultimate blade that transcends time and space! Hold it high and let its glow envelop the world! Stride Generation! Blaster Infinity, Llew!"

 **Blaster Infinity, Llew**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Alexander gasped as a new version of Llew descended from the sky. He seemed more grown up than the knight currently was. His armor was a mix between a shining white and a menacing black. Instead of the prototype versions of Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark in his hands, he now had a brand new sword. And a powerful looking one at that. Two strings of light, one white and one black, hovered around the crossguard, forming the symbol of infinity.

"Stride skill! I superior call a Blaster from the deck!" William said.

" _Wherever you may be, our power is always with you."_

' _That's right.'_ William thought. "Here we go! Superior call! Blaster Blade Neo!"

Alexander widened his eyes. "Neo?!"

Appearing in William's back row was a brand new Blaster Blade. The sword he held seemed to be an even more powerful version of his usual one.

"I'm not done! I also call this from my hand." William said. "Come forth! Blaster Dark Neo!"

Appearing in the otherside back row circle was Blaster Dark. Just like Blaster Blade Neo, his sword also seemed to be enhanced to a new and more powerful state.

"I defeated those two once! I can do it again!" Alexander said.

"Maybe before, but not this time." William said. "They're more powerful than ever. And they won't fall when Cray is in danger." The teen held his hand out towards his G Unit. "And neither will I! I call Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse! Skill of Blaster Infinity, Llew! I send Blaster Blade Neo from my hand to the soul! In exchange, all Blaster rear guards gain 5000 power! Then, since I have at least three Blaster rear guards, he gains a skill!"

Alexander couldn't believe it. Throwing everything on the line, William was creating a powerful force unlike anything he had seen before.

"Skill of Blaster Infinity, Llew! Generation Break 4!" William explained. "If I have a card in my soul that is from a different clan than my heart, Llew gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and plus one drive!"

"But all the cards in your soul are Royal Paladin! Just like Llew!"

"Not quite." William said. "Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew isn't just a member of Royal Paladin. He's also a member of Shadow Paladin."

"Shadow Paladin?!"

"Llew has accepted both knights as his role model. Just as I have accepted both my light and dark parts." William said. "This is our power! And you will not stop us! Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark! Time to take back our field!"

Together, the two knights leaped forward. Alexander only had one rear guard Conquering, and Blaster Dark Neo was more than powerful enough to send him packing.

"Here we go! Blaster Blade Neo attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Intercept with Rachel!"

"Blaster Dark Neo goes next!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Alexander called out.

"Blaster Infinity, Llew attacks!" William called out. "Skill activated. When he attacks, I search my deck for up to two Blasters and call them to rear guard. So say hello to my pair of Blaster Axe, Grawl! With Grawl's skill, he gains 5000 power when another Blaster is called from the deck! In addition, the skill of Blaster Blade Neo in the soul! When a rear guard with Blaster is called out, my Vanguard gains 3000 power!"

 **(26000+10000+6000+7000+5000=54000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius! I move Collin to the guardian circle! Add 5000 to the shield! I also guard with High Morale Soldier, Simon and Death-scope Sharpshooter!"

"Quadruple drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check…" William smirked when he saw the card. "Critical trigger. All effects to Blaster Infinity, Llew. Final check, critical trigger. Power to Grawl on the right and critical to Llew."

 **[Damage: William(5), Alexander(6).]**

With the fight over, their surroundings returned to normal. Alexander and William both fell to one knee, utterly exhausted from the fight.

"Master Alexander!" Rachel exclaimed as she rushed to the general's side. "Are you alright?!"

Alexander panted heavily. He could barely move with all the damage he had taken. "It seems I have lost."

"No… that can't be true!" Rachel said.

Alexander looked past Rachel and over to William. "You won our battle, fighting fairly and with honor. Finish me."

William stood back up on his feet as he looked at Alexander. He understood what the general was asking him to do. He wanted William to kill him.

"NO!" Rachel shouted. She stood in front of Alexander protectively, her sword drawn. "I refuse! I will not allow you to die like this! Not to scum like him!"

"Rachel, you are still young. You do not understand how honor works." Alexander told her. "I have failed our emperor. Death is the least I deserve."

"But… But…"

"Rachel, stand aside."

From William's deck, Llew came out and stood at the teen's side. "What do you want to do, William?"

"It should be obvious, shouldn't it?" William said. He walked towards the fallen general.

"Stay back!" Rachel shouted. "I will protect my master with my life!"

Alexander looked at his student. "Rachel…"

"No!" the girl shouted. "You taught me so much, Master! You allowed me to become strong! I can't… I can't just stand here and let you die!"

"You don't have to." William said.

Rachel blinked her eyes in surprise, the tears on her cheeks sparkling as they fell to the floor. "What…?"

William looked down at Alexander. "So you try your best and fail? That's no reason to die." William told him.

"But my emperor-"

"To put things into the words of one of my friends, your emperor should go and stuff it." William said, thinking of the… direct way Anthony would put it, or perhaps even Elizabeth. "If he thinks of his people as disposable pawns, then he has no right to call himself an emperor." He walked past Alexander and Rachel, with Llew following him. "You said you wanted to bring peace to the universe. When I saw how you saved that kid before, even though she was from Cray, I began to wonder about you and your motives. If you truly feel the way you say, then you should think of a way to bring peace where everyone can be happy."

"A way where everyone can be happy?" Alexander asked. "Do you truly believe such a thing is even possible?"

"Who knows?" William said. "But at least it's a better ideal than what Conquest Empire is currently doing."

Leaving things with that, William walked through the doors further into the ship, leaving Alexander and Rachel alone.

* * *

Lilith sat in her lab, relaxing and enjoying herself. She looked up at the monitor she had, seeing all parts of the ship. She could see the forces from Cray moving throughout their ship. On top of that, both Napoleon and Alexander had fallen. Since Nalwa hadn't returned, he was probably dead himself. Not that she cared much anyway. That said, it certainly did not bode well if things continued as they were.

"Let's see… Who should be my first victim?" Lilith wondered. A smirk stretched across her lips when her eyes caught sight of Sophia and Dan moving through the halls not too far off. "A two for one deal. And I love a good bargain. Hehehe."

 **Dan: That's three generals down. Only one left.**

 **William: Yeah, but I think most of us won't be doing much in the condition we're in.**

 **Sophia: Just leave it to us! We'll find Aurora and Hikari and free them!**

 **Dan: I sure hope so. Cause it seems like this last general is gonna be particularly dangerous.**

 **Next time: General of the Conquest Hex**

 **Card Gallery:**

Blaster Infinity, Llew  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up. If you have a heart card with "Blaster" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a card in your hand or on your RC and send it to the soul, and all your rear guards with "Blaster" in their name gain +5000 power until end of turn. Then, if the number of your rear guards with "Blaster" in their name is three or more, this unit gains **(AUTO VC: CB1 When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to 2 cards with "Blaster" in their name, and call them to RC.)** until the end of the turn.  
 **CONT VC GB4:** If you have a card in your soul that is a different clan than your heart, this unit gains +10000 power, +1 critical, and +1 drive.  
 **CONT:** _This unit is regarded as both Royal Paladin and Shadow Paladin._

* * *

Guardian Blaster, Iseult  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC from hand, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO GB1:** If this card is called to RC from your deck, it gains +3000 power and **(AUTO: At the end of your turn, return this card to your hand.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Blaster Blade Neo  
Grade 2  
Power 9000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on VC or RC, choose one of your of your opponent's grade 1 or lower rear guards and retire it.  
 **CONT [soul]:** During your turn, your Vanguard with "Blaster" in its name gets **(CONT: When your unit with "Blaster" in its name is placed on RC from your deck, this unit gains +3000 power.)**.  
 **CONT:** This unit is also treated as "Blaster Blade".

* * *

Blaster Dark Neo  
Grade 2  
Power 9000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on VC or RC, choose one of your of your opponent's grade 1 or lower rear guards and retire it.  
 **CONT [soul]:** During your turn, your Vanguard with "Blaster" in its name gets **(CONT: When your rear guard with "Blaster" in its name is retired for the cost of one of your card effects, this unit gains +3000 power.)**.  
 **CONT:** This unit is also treated as "Blaster Dark".


	61. General of the Conquest Hex

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for the fourth and final General to make their appearance. Hope you like it. Also thank you for those that pointed out the skills I forgot to add to the last Card Gallery. It has been updated.**

 **Ask: I see what you did there.**

Dan and Sophia quickly moved through the halls of the Conquest Empire main ship. It was a bit strange for Dan seeing Sophia as a large dragon, considering it completely reversed the size difference between them as humans.

"Hey Dan…" Sophia said. "The others will be alright, won't they?"

"Of course they will, Sophia." Dan said. "They're all tough. No way will they go down easily."

"I hope so…" Sophia said. "I just… I don't want people to have to get hurt. Why does Conquest Empire have to invade Cray and destroy so much?"

"... I can't really answer that Sophia." Dan said. "But right now, it's our job to stop them." He still had no idea what Yukari was thinking, including Sophia in this crazy mess. But the little girl had already shown to be an asset. Even still, the fact remained that she was only a little girl. That meant it was up to him to keep her safe.

Continuing their assault, Dan and Sophia burst through another door. As they came in, they saw several automated turrets point their way. The two quickly went into action as they dodged their fire.

Sophia wasn't fond of hurting living things. But if it was just a bunch of machines, then she could handle it with a clear heart. She blasted them with an energy beam, causing several turrets to explode in sequence.

"Nice job, Sophia!" Dan grinned. "Now it's my turn!" Waving his rod, he unleashed a blast of magic that took out another row of turrets. Before long, they had the room cleared out.

"We have to be getting close." Dan said.

"I hope so." Sophia said. Suddenly, she noticed a glass barrier begin to fall towards Dan. "Look out!"

"Huh?" Dan barely had time to react as he was pushed out of the way by Sophia. The dragon knocked him out of the way, but she ended up trapped herself instead. Dan widened his eyes when he saw Sophia trapped. "Sophia!"

"Are you alright?" Sophia asked.

"I'm fine. But what about you?"

"I think I'm ok." Sophia said. "Suddenly she noticed the floor below her begin to sink. "Wh-What's happening?"

"Sophia!" Dan exclaimed, pounding on the glass barrier. "Sophia!" Before long, his friend was out of sight. Dan slammed his fist against the glass barrier. "Damnit!"

" _We should get moving."_ Harri spoke to him mentally. " _Maybe we can find out where she's ended up."_

Dan could only hope Harri was right as he hurried on. He went as fast as his legs would carry him. He was supposed to watch out for Sophia. But she instead had protected him. If something happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.

' _Hang on, Sophia. I'm coming.'_

* * *

Sophia could only wonder where she was going as the floor continued to sink down. Finally she noticed herself reach a new floor. And no barrier either. Just when she thought she was free, her eyes widened at where she was.

Horrible wouldn't be anywhere near appropriate to describe what she saw. It all looked so dark and gloomy. There were cages filled with dangerous looking beasts. In another part of the room, there was a pile of bodies. Sophia told herself they were all just sleeping to preserve her sanity, though she knew it was a lie. A foul stench lingered in the air.

"Wh-What is this place?" Sophia shivered. "It's like a nightmare."

" _Sophia. Let me take over. I have a bad feeling about this."_ her avatar spoke to her.

' _Ok.'_ Sophia nodded. She closed her eyes and control of their shared body went to Infinite Star Dragon. It looked around, wary of any possible enemies.

"Ah, you arrived. My first guests."

The sudden voice caused the dragon to jerk its body to the side. Greeting them was a woman with pinkish-violet skin, and a menacing grin.

"Who are you?" Infinite Star spoke.

"My name is Lilith, one of the generals to Emperor Caezaros." the woman said with a bow. "And as for you… I would wager to guess you are a member of Star Chaser based on your appearance, correct?"

"What of it?"

Lilith clapped both her hands together. "Oh goodie! I haven't gotten much chance to experiment on the creatures of Star Chaser! You'll make a fine specimen!"

"Don't think I'll make it that easy for you." Infinite Star told her.

"Very well. That makes it far more enjoyable for me." Lilith said. "I do love a good hunt."

Just as the two were about to fight, a twinkle appeared in between them. Infinite Star widened its eyes in shock. Lilith on the other hand simply smirked, as if she had seen it coming.

Soon the two found themselves in a colosseum that seemed to be in another dimension practically. Infinite Star Dragon and Sophia were separated, standing next to each other.

"What happened?" Sophia asked.

"I figured as much." Lilith said. "When I was observing each of the generals when they fought, this phenomenon seemed to happen. I am quite curious as to what it is though."

" _That would be my doing."_ a voice spoke out.

"What?" Sophia gasped. "Who said that?"

" _This war has gone on for too long. Too many have suffered. As such, I have decided to intervene."_

Lilith smirked with interest. "Intervene, you say? Well to transport multiple lifeforms like this, you must be quite the powerful being."

" _Who I am is not important."_

"Oh I beg to differ." Lilith said. "I'd love to discover your identity and see your power personally. But I have a feeling you won't let us out until I settle things with that girl over there."

" _That is correct."_ the voice said. " _And you will settle things using the power that guides the universe."_

As Lilith was about to ask what the voice meant by that, a table of light appeared before her and Sophia. A Vanguard deck also appeared in front of her.

Sophia widened her eyes. "Wait. You mean… we're cardfighting?"

"Interesting." Lilith smirked. She grabbed the deck with her hands. "This should be entertaining."

Both Sophia and Lilith had their opening hands appear before them. They started the game with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Evolution Star-saver, Carbon!"

 **Evolution Star-saver, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Scout, Riley!"

 **Imperial Scout, Riley**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first." Sophia said. "Ride! Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon!"

 **Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carbon moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Lilith(5).]**

"My turn stand and draw." Lilith said. "I've always been curious about this game. Vanguard. It connects Cray and Earth. Once I discovered about it, I couldn't help but try a little experiment."

"Experiment?" Sophia questioned.

"Yes. You see, I wanted to see if Conquest Empire could use that same link that Cray had with Earth. And in the end it worked. All I needed was a fool on Earth easy enough to trick into becoming our pawn."

Sophia widened her eyes. "That means you gave Allen the Conquest Empire deck!"

"Correct!" Lilith smirked. "Unfortunately for you, I'm far stronger than that fool ever could hope to be. Watch! I ride Enslaved Mutant of Scouting!"

 **Enslaved Mutant of Scouting**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Sophia gasped at the unit she saw. It was an odd-looking beast with black skin and red piercing eyes. It was clearly a dangerous animal if the sharp fangs and claws it had were of any indication. "Wh-What is that?!"

"This is one of my darling little experiments." Lilith grinned. "You see, there's nothing I love more than experimenting on living creatures. Seeing how much pain they can handle. Seeing how I can mutate their DNA to make them stronger. And with the influx of prisoners we get from our conquered planets, I get plenty of new lab rats all the time."

"But that's… so cruel…"

"And? What does that matter to me?" Lilith asked. "The only reason I joined Conquest Empire in the first place was so I could use them. Living creatures from all across the cosmos, all of them possible lab rats for me. And every day, I get to hear their screams of pain and agony."

Sophia clenched her fists and grit her teeth. "How could you… That's unforgivable…"

"I really don't care." Lilith said. "Once this is all over, you'll just be another lab rat for me to experiment on. I'm curious about what the body of a human from Earth is like."

"I won't let you. Cause I'm gonna win." Sophia said.

"I'd like to see you try. Riley moves back. And now he'll boost my Enslaved Mutant of Scouting for an attack!"

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

Just like that, two cards fell into Sophia's damage zone. Pain rushed into her body as she let out a scream of pain. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Lilith(0).]**

"Oh my, was that too much for you already?" Lilith asked. "That's no fun. If a little pain like that affects you that much, you'll be dead long before I can get to any of the fun experiments."

Sophia fell to her knees, her whole body trembling. ' _It hurts… It hurts so much…'_

" _Sophia"_ The sound of Infinite Star Dragon's voice echoed in her head. " _You have to get up."_

' _But it hurts. I don't know if I can.'_

" _You can. I believe in you."_ her avatar spoke. " _Believe in yourself, and your cards."_

' _Ok… I'll try.'_ Sophia slowly got back to her feet, trying to endure the pain.

"I guess that's turn end for me. Now let's see what you can do." Lilith said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(5), Lilith(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride Papilion Star-saver, Photon!"

 **Papilion Star-saver, Photon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Salvation Star-saver, Krypton." Sophia said. "Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Lilith said.

"Boosted by Carbon, Photon attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Lilith(1).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(5), Lilith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Lilith said. "Ride. Terrifying Conquest Beast, Verni."

 **Terrifying Conquest Beast, Verni**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

This unit was similar to her last Vanguard, though it seemed a bit more vicious and scary.

"Verni attacks with a boost from Riley."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Sophia shook in fear of the coming attack. She knew she couldn't risk a gamble by guarding this attack now. "No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger." Sophia said. Once again, she cried out in pain. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Lilith(1).]**

"Mmmm, such a delightful scream you have." Lilith said with a smile. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(5), Lilith(6).]**

Sophia could barely stand. She was too focused on the pain she felt. She never thought a cardfight could hurt this much.

' _I can't quit now.'_ Sophia thought. ' _Everyone's counting on me.'_ Using all her willpower, she started her turn. "Stand… and… draw." she said. She looked at one of the cards in her hand. ' _Please, Infinite Star. Lend me your strength.'_

"Banish the darkness so the light of the twinkling stars can shine and give everyone hope! Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon!"

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Lilith smirked as she saw the dragon appear. "You're another subject I'm interested to experiment on."

"You will not lay one hand on me or Sophia, you witch." the dragon roared.

"Ooooo, scary." Lilith giggled. "Give me your best shot."

"Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"Infinite Star Dragon attacks with a boost from Carbon!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Lilith shrugged.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Lilith(3).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(7), Lilith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Lilith said. "Well now sweetie, I think it's time for me to get serious. Stare into the face of true terror. Ride! General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith!"

 **General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Don't think I'm through with you yet little girl! Stride Generation! Savage Conquest Beast, Grimmod!"

 **Savage Conquest Beast, Grimmod**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Sophia gasped as a creature unlike anything she had ever seen appeared before her. It was something straight out of a nightmare. It had the same design as Lilith's previous mutant animals. But it was far bigger, and much more dangerous. Its fangs could be clearly seen outside its closed mouth. At the end of its tail was a sharp bone-like blade. Its claws stretched out, looking like they could rip through concrete as if it were tissue paper.

"Stride skill! I lower the power of my opponent's rear guards in the front row by 5000!" Lilith smirked.

Sophia widened her eyes as she watched Krypton fall to one knee, weakened from the stride skill. "Krypton!"

"I hope he enjoys my poison. Because he's not going to be feeling so well for much longer." Lilith giggled. "I call Explosive Behemoth and Terrifying Conquering Best, Verni! Now go Explosive Behemoth! Conquer over Krypton! And Verni will Conquer the other rear guard circle that's open! With Riley's skill, I send him to soul and call Enslaved Mutant of Scouting!"

Sophia was forced to move Krypton back as her front row was invaded. This was her first time against a Conquest Empire deck, although she had seen the clan in action plenty of times before. But having its units so close, staring her down like she was prey intimidated her.

"Skill of Enslaved Mutant of Scouting. I rest him. Then I add 3000 power to Explosive Behemoth and take away 3000 power from Krypton." Lilith said. "I also activate Verni's skill. Retire Enslaved Mutant of Scouting. Now until the end of the opponent's next turn, Verni gains 10000 power."

Sophia gasped as she watched Lilith's units bite down on the other one, devouring it. "What? But that's one of your allies!"

"I rarely grow attached to my creations. After all, I have such an influx of them, it doesn't really matter." Lilith smirked.

"But that's… so mean…"

Lilith sighed and shook her head. "You are such a naive brat. It seems I need to show you how grown ups do things." She grinned as she prepared her assault. "Explosive Behemoth! Attack!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

Sophia saw the attack coming her way. ' _What should I do? I don't know if I can stay standing after another hit.'_

" _Do not let your fear overtake you."_ Infinite Star Dragon spoke to her. " _I will protect you. I swear it."_

' _Infinite Star Dragon…'_

" _Trust in me Sophia. I will keep you safe."_ the dragon said.

"... Ok. I trust you." Sophia said. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Lilith(3).]**

Sophia braced herself for the incoming pain, but it surprisingly never came. She widened her eyes however when she noticed her avatar roar in pain. "Infinite Star Dragon!"

Lilith raised a brow in interest. "What's this? Are you taking the hits for her?"

"I told you already. I will not allow you to harm my Vanguard." Infinite Star glared.

Sophia could hardly believe it. ' _Infinite Star Dragon is taking the damage in my place…'_ She called out to her avatar. "But if you do this, you'll get hurt instead!"

"I can handle it." the dragon told her. "You are still young. Your body cannot handle this level of pain. I can endure it without issue."

Sophia clenched her fists. She was supposed to be the one guiding her units. But instead they were protecting her from harm. She felt pathetic. But right now, all she could do was trust in her avatar.

"Savage Conquest Beast, Grimmod attacks the Vanguard!" Lilith declared. "Skill of Grimmod! I counterblast and flip a copy of it! Then I can retire rear guards on the opponent's field up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone! Go Grimmod! Devour Krypton!"

Sophia gasped as Grimmod roared and inhaled, pulling Krypton in. With a powerful bite, her rear guard was utterly destroyed. "Krypton, no!" Sophia exclaimed.

"There's more. For each of your rear guards retired by this effect, Grimmod gains 5000 power." Lilith added.

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Sophia called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Verni!" Lilith called out. "And now Verni will attack!"

 **(9000+10000+5000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Lilith said. "With the skill I possess, I can draw at the end of a turn where my rear guard was retired."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(4), Lilith(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Skill of Infinite Star Dragon. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can soul blast and bind one of my rear guards. I bind Carbon. Then I call Carbon back out. I draw. Then with Carbon's skill, I bind Star-saver, Star-saver, Globuladia from my deck face up. And now, Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Carbon and call Globuladia! With Carbon's skill, I bind Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star from the deck!" Sophia said. "Globuladia gains 5000 power! Then with its counterblast, I bind the Krypton in my drop zone! Then I can retire an opponent rear guard with the same grade as the bound unit! I retire Verni!"

Lilith watched as her rear guard was blown away and sent to the drop zone. But it seemed to matter very little to her.

"I activate Binary Star's counterblast from the bind zone! I bind Globuladia and call Binary Star! Then I use Binary Star's Warpdrive to call Krypton from the bind zone!" Sophia said. "Krypton's Warpdrive! Whenever a card is called from the bind zone, Krypton gains 5000 power! And now he'll take back my front row from Explosive Behemoth!"

Lilith showed a smirk. "So naive! I activate Explosive Behemoth's skill! When he would be successfully called over, I can retire both him and the unit attempting to call over him!"

"What?!" Sophia gasped. She watched as Krypton moved up, only for Lilith's rear guard to detonate, taking them both out.

"Too bad. Seems you lost your rear guard." Lilith said.

Losing Krypton hurt, but Sophia still had the advantage. Now Lilith didn't have any rear guards out. She was free to call out cards. "I call Photon. Using Photon's skill, I counterblast and bind Binary Star, then call it back out. Since I called a Star-saver, I counter charge and soul charge. Then I use Binary Star's Warpdrive and call out Carbon. Finally, I call Renowned Star-saver, Radon from my hand." With this, Sophia had a strong formation out, ready to go on the attack. "Photon attacks with a boost from Binary Star!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard." Lilith said, holding up a trigger.

"Radon attacks next with Carbon's boost!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Lilith(4).]**

"Infinite Cosmos Dragon attacks!" Sophia declared. "Skill activated! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break! So I call three units! Come out, Photon, Radon, and Binary Star! With Carbon's skill, I bind Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon from the deck! Then I use Binary Star's Warpdrive to call out Neon!" Sophia explained. "Photon's Warpdrive also gives herself and the Vanguard 5000 power! And with the Generation Break 3 of my Vanguard, whenever a card is called from the bind zone, both it and my Vanguard gain 3000 power!"

 **(26000+5000+12000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Photon!" Sophia said. "Now Photon attacks with a boost from Binary Star!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+3000+7000+3000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"I also guard with Death-scope Sharpshooter." Lilith added.

"Radon attacks with Neon's boost!"

 **(9000+3000+7000+3000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Lilith(5).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said. "Neon's skill. I bind him at the end of the turn to draw."

"At the end of the turn, I get to draw since one of my rear guards was retired." Lilith said with a smirk.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(7), Lilith(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Lilith said. "Well now, as much fun as our little playtime has been, I think it's time I finish you off." A mad grin came to her face. "I can't wait to hear you scream in agony along with your friends! Stride Generation! Savage Conquest Beast, Grimmod!"

 **Savage Conquest Beast, Grimmod**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I weaken both your rear guards in the front row by 5000!" Lilith smirked. "Next I call Experimented Berserk Soldier! And I'll have it Conquer over Radon!"

Sophia watched as her rear guard was pushed to the back row by Lilith's unit. It seemed like a human soldier, but any expression of sanity was gone. It looked more like a weapon with the face of pure rage on his face.

"Experimented Berserk Soldier's skill. When he Conquers, he gains 5000 power and plus one critical. In exchange however, he is retired at the end of the turn." Lilith explained. "I also call a copy of myself to the rear guard. Now let's have Experiment Berserk Soldier attack your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Sophia called out.

"Grimmod attacks next." Lilith said. "Grimmod's skill. This time I can retire four rear guards on your field. And I choose every rear guard there is on there."

Sophia gasped as all three of her rear guards were inhaled and devoured by Grimmod. Even Lilith's own rear guard had been consumed by her destructive Vanguard. "But why would you retire your own rear guard?!"

"You're about to find out." Lilith said. "For each opponent rear guard retired with the skill, add 5000 power, for a total of 15000. Then for each of my rear guards retired with the skill, countercharge and soul charge. Since three rear guards were retired, I draw. And finally, since four rear guards were retired, Grimmod's attack cannot be guarded by grade 1 or higher units from the hand."

 **(26000+15000=41000)**

Sophia gasped in shock. She had a perfect guard in hand, but it was completely useless right now. She had to do everything she could to stop this attack.

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Andromeda! Since there are two or more face up cards in the bind zone, add 10000 shield!" Sophia explained. "Then I guard with Star-saver, Meteor Liger and Star-saver, Empiricism Dragon!" With the two critical triggers added in, it made for a total of three triggers to pass.

"Triple drive." Lilith said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to my remaining rear guard. Third check, draw trigger. Power to the same target and I draw." She smirked at Sophia. "Well I suppose it's only appropriate I be the one to put the nail in the coffin. Now perish!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Turn end. With my skill, I draw since a rear guard of mine was retired this turn." Lilith said, annoyed she couldn't end the game there. "Oh well. It's not like you have much left to help you anyway."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sophia(1), Lilith(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. She frowned. What could she do in this situation? She only had two cards in her bind zone. And she barely had anything in her hand.

' _I'm not strong. Not compared to everyone else.'_ Sophia thought. ' _Rose… Dan… even Infinite Star Dragon. They've protected me this entire time. But I… I can't do anything.'_

" _Dry your tears, Sophia."_

' _Huh?'_ Sophia blinked as she heard the voice of Infinite Star Dragon.

" _You are strong, child. Stronger than you will ever know."_ the dragon told her. " _And strength is not your greatest feature. What is most important… is you heart."_

' _My… heart?'_

" _Yes. You have the kindest heart of any being I've ever known. It is what gives you your strength."_

' _But I-'_

" _You are strong Sophia. Your friends all believe in you. I believe in you. Now show that our faith was not misplaced."_

With that, her avatar's voice faded. Sophia dried her watery eyes with her sleeve. ' _Alright. If everyone believes in me, then I'll do my best!'_

"Skill of Infinite Star Dragon! I soul blast! Then I get to choose one of my rear guard circles and bind all cards on it face up! Then I call a card from the bind zone!"

"Have you forgotten? You don't have any rear guards out." Lilith said.

"Maybe so, but I don't need to. I just need to choose a circle on my field. Whether there's a card on it or not makes no difference." Sophia said with a grin.

Lilith widened her eyes. "What?!"

"I call Carbon from the bind zone! Since he's a Star-saver, I draw!" Sophia said. "Generation Zone, release! Now shine brightly! Star of the future that lights my path! Stride Generation! Peace Star Saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star Saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Carbon and call out Radon! With Carbon's skill, I bind Krypton from my deck!" Sophia said. "Infinite Cosmos Dragon's Generation Break 3! When a Star-saver is called from the bind zone, both it and the Vanguard gain 3000 power! I also call Neon from my hand!"

Lilith grit her teeth in frustration. ' _Damn her. Of course she'd be able to create a decent formation out of thin air.'_

"With a boost from Neon, Radon attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+7000=19000)**

"Guard!"

"Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon attacks!" Sophia called out. "Skill activated! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break number! Come out! Krypton! Radon! Carbon! And finally, two Neons! With the skill of the Vanguard, they each gain 3000 power! Also, since I called five rear guards, my Vanguard gains a critical! And Krypton's Warpdrive increases his power by 5000 whenever another card is called from the bind zone!"

 **(26000+18000=44000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Radon! Third check, draw trigger! Power to Krypton and I draw!" Sophia said. "Radon attacks with a boost from Neon!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+7000+3000=27000)**

"Guard!" Lilith said, holding up three cards from her hand.

"Time for the finishing blow!" Sophia said. "Boosted by Neon, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+20000+3000+5000+7000+3000=47000)**

"GO!" Sophia shouted.

Lilith only had one card left in her hand, nowhere near enough to defend herself. Krypton closed the distance between them and drove its blade into the Lilith on the field. The real Lilith felt every ounce of that pain as she hit six damage.

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Lilith(6).]**

"Impossible…" Lilith gasped, falling to one knee as the scenery returned to normal. "I… lost?"

"I won." Sophia said. "Now you've gotta stop doing these mean things to everyone!"

To Sophia's surprise, Lilith began chuckling to herself. Soon the chuckling broke out into full laughter. "You really think you've won?! You're a fool! The only thing you've done is bring about even worse suffering for yourself!"

Before Sophia could ask what she meant by that, Lilith waved her hand out by Sophia. A circle of light formed around the girl. In a blink of an eye, she was teleported away.

Lilith let out a weak laugh, feeling the strength in her body fading. "Feel honored, human child. You will get to suffer… at our emperor's hands."

Muttering out those last few words, Lilith fell to the ground. Her body laid there, completely motionless and devoid of life.

* * *

When Sophia could see again, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. She jerked her head left and right, wondering where she had been transported. "Wh-Where am I?!"

"You are trespassing. On my ship."

The voice Sophia heard made her entire body go stiff. It was unlike any voice she had ever heard. It was filled with so much… malice. Slowly, the girl turned to where she had heard the voice speak to her. At the top of a long set of stairs was a lone figure sitting on a throne. He had dirty-blonde hair and red eyes. His body was decorated in armor that was a mix of black and violet. At his side was a massive broadsword decorated with red jewels at the hilt and a shining golden metal blade.

"Who are you?" Sophia asked, though she couldn't hide the trembling in her voice.

"It would seem my generals are failing me." the man said. He glared down at the girl, sending a shiver down her spine. "I am Caezaros, emperor of Conquest Empire."

The sound of his title made Sophia's eyes widen, her fear growing even further. This was the emperor of Conquest Empire? The one whose strength was rumored to be so powerful that they should avoid him at all costs?

"You have some nerve trespassing on my ship." Caezaros glared. "What are you here for?"

Despite her fear, Sophia summoned all her courage and called out to the emperor. "I'm here to rescue Aurora and Hikari! I won't let you hold them prisoner any longer!"

Cezaros stared at the girl for several seconds before slowly breaking out into laughter. His voice echoed throughout the throne room.

"What's so funny?!" Sophia asked.

"You came to save the girl from Earth and the daughter of Star Chaser's leader?" Caezaros asked. "You were a fool to even come here and try."

"Aurora is my friend! And I'm not leaving without her!"

"Very well then." Caezaros said. "If you want her, then why don't you speak with her?"

As if on command, a lone figure walked out from the shadows. Sophia considered it to be another one of the generals, but as the figure slowly came out into the light their figure became clearer. Sophia gasped at what she saw.

It was a teenage girl, with blonde hair that flowed down her back and bright blue eyes. Her attire was different than when Sophia had last seen her, with the girl now wearing a military uniform. But there was no mistaking who it was.

Aurora.

"Aurora…" Sophia gasped. "What are you-"

"You shouldn't have come here, Sophia." Aurora said. "Leave. Go back home and don't come back to Cray."

Sophia could barely believe what she had just heard. "Aurora… What are you saying?"

"I told you to leave." Aurora said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Vanguard deck. "If you refuse… then I'll have to make you leave."

 **Sophia: Aurora, what's going on?! Why are you saying all these things?!**

 **Aurora: Things have changed, Sophia. I fight with Conquest Empire now.**

 **Sophia: But we came all this way to save you! Me and everyone else!**

 **Aurora: I don't need saving. But if you insist on staying, then you'll be the one needing it.**

 **Sophia: The others said they weren't leaving without you Aurora. Neither am I.**

 **Next time: The Star That Lost its Light**

 **Card Gallery:**

Enslaved Mutant of Scouting  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Rest this unit]. Choose one of your opponent's rear guards, and one of your opponent's rear guards. Until end of turn, your rear guard gains 3000 power and the opponent's rear guard loses 3000 power.

* * *

Enslaved Mutant of Kamikaze  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [Retire this unit] When this unit attempts to "Conquer" a RC with a rear guard on it, you may pay the cost. If you do, the opponent's rear guard on that RC.

* * *

Terrifying Conquering Beast, Venri  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Choose another one of your rear guards and retire it] If this unit is on your opponent's RC, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains 10000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Explosive Behemoth  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [Retire this unit] If this unit would be successfully called over by your opponent, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire the unit attempting to be called over this unit.

* * *

Experimented Berserk Soldier  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB2:** When this unit "Conquers", you may have this unit gain 5000 power and +1 critical. If you do, retire this unit at the end of the turn

* * *

General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **ACT RC: Conquer** _  
_**AUTO VC:** SB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two of your opponent's rear guards in their front row. Those units get -5000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** At the end of either player's turn, if your rear guard was retired this turn, you may draw 1 card.

* * *

Savage Conquest Beast, Grimmod  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **AUTO VC:** CB1 & Take a facedown card from your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose units on your opponent's RC up to the number of face up cards in your G zone and retire them. For each of your opponent's rear guards retired with this effect, this unit gains 5000 power. For each of your rear guards retired with this effect, CC1/SC1. If three or more rear guards were retired, draw 1 card. If four or more rear guards were retired, your opponent cannot guard this unit's attack with cards from their hand that are grade 1 or higher.


	62. The Star That Lost Its Light

**A/N: Hello readers. Time to find out what's happened to Aurora while everyone's been trying to save her. What will happen next? You'll just have to read and find out.**

 _So much had happened to Aurora since she first arrived on Cray. She had finally been able to meet her sister Hikari. She had met all of the units of Star Chaser that had fought alongside her throughout the Vanguard World Tournament. She remembered all of the laughs they shared. The battles she had helped win by combining her power with Hikari's. How everything seemed like it would be alright._

 _Such naive foolishness._

 _It had all happened so suddenly. In one of the battles against Conquest Empire, things had been looking up for them. It looked like another victory that would come their way. But all of a sudden, things changed for the worse. They were ambushed. Several members of Star Chaser were killed. And Aurora found herself utterly defeated. She was taken prisoner along with Hikari._

 _Aurora and Hikari spent the next few days in a prison cell on Conquest Empire's main ship. They had no idea what would become of them. For the first time in her life, Aurora found herself fearing for her life. Those days were utter hell. But finally they came to an end. The guards came and brought the two of them before Emperor Caezaros._

 _Never in her life had Aurora ever felt so intimidated simply by standing before someone. She could immediately tell that they had no chance of winning against him. The aura he gave off was far too intense. What had she been thinking? How could she have believed that she had any chance of helping save Cray from something this powerful?_

" _You two have been quite a thorn in my side." Caezaros spoke. "You've set back my plans for conquering Cray quite a bit."_

" _If you're going to kill us, just do it already." Aurora said, the hope in her face completely drained._

 _Caezaros let out a chuckle. "Straight to the point I see. Very well." He held out his hand and a dark aura surrounded it. He fired off a blast of energy aimed directly at Aurora. She stayed kneeling on the ground, waiting for the blow that would end her life._

" _No!" Hikari shouted, quickly moving herself in front of Aurora to intercept the attack. Both she and Aurora widened their eyes, but for different reasons. Aurora widened her eyes from the shock of Hikari moving to protect her. Hikari's eyes widened however when she realized the attack was not aimed at Aurora. It instead hit the ground right near them, not even a foot away._

 _Caezaros smirked, as if he had foreseen this happening. "How interesting."_

" _You can do… whatever you want to me." Hikari said, her whole body trembling as tears rolled down her face. "But please… spare her life. I'm begging you."_

" _Hikari…" Aurora gasped._

" _Spare her life?" Caezaros asked. "I'm afraid I'm not so generous as to allow that out of the goodness of my heart. Why should I?"_

" _If you spare her…" Hikari said. "I'll do whatever you want. Use me as a slave. A soldier. Whatever you want."_

 _Caezaros smirked at the idea. A warrior of Cray, and a skilled one at that, as one of his personal soldiers. And loyal, so long as one human child stayed alive. "How intriguing. You'd actually turn your back on your home planet? Your own clan?"_

" _If you'll spare Aurora's life… then yes."_

 _Aurora couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had gotten to know Hikari over these past few weeks. She was an honorable warrior. She loved Cray, and the members of Star Chaser. But she was willing to give all of that up for her? In the end though, what choice did they have? With how much power Conquest Empire held, Cray was doomed anyway._

 _If that was the case… then at least she could try to save the people she loved from Earth._

" _I'll fight with her!" Aurora said, standing up. "If I fight at Hikari's side, she becomes more powerful. But in return… I have a request."_

" _You insolent fool! Know your place, prisoner!" a guard spoke. He was quickly silenced however, when Caezaros gave the signal to be quiet._

" _I have heard rumors about the power gained when someone from Cray merges their soul with a human they share a bond with." Caezaros said. "What is your request?"_

" _When Cray is Conquered, you are to spare Star Chaser." Aurora said. "In addition, you have to promise not to attack the Earth either."_

 _Caezaros considered the offer. Star Chaser was an interesting force, but frankly after losing both Elara and now Hikari they were of little threat to Conquest Empire. And while Aurora could enhance Hikari's power, Earth's humans themselves were rather weak. With such a weak species, there wasn't much worth in enslaving them. Plus he could always take it over after these two had outlived their usefulness._

" _Your highness, if I may." Napoleon interrupted. "We have seen their power in action. Adding them to our ranks as loyal soldiers could prove quite useful."_

" _Quite the interesting proposal." Caezaros agreed. "Very well. I will agree to these terms. But you two will swear your full loyalty to Conquest Empire. Even if you are faced with your old comrades, you will cut them down without a second thought._

 _Aurora and Hikari hated the idea of having to fight the members of Star Chaser. Of having to fight any of Cray's residents. But they had resigned themselves to their fate. There was nothing else that they could do._

" _We swear our loyalty." Aurora and Hikari said together._

* * *

And thus, Aurora had joined Conquest Empire as its prized soldier from Cray. She had already participated in a few battles. Each one sickened her to her stomach. But if it meant protecting the lives of Hikari and her friends, then she was willing to suffer this horrible fate.

Though that made things difficult when one of her friends was now standing before her as an enemy.

"Aurora, what's going on?!" Sophia asked. "Why are you on Conquest Empire's side?!"

"That doesn't concern you." Aurora told her.

"Yes it does! We're friends aren't we?! Remember the World Tournament?!"

"Things have changed, Sophia. I fight for Conquest Empire now." Aurora said. "I'm not going with you. Now go home."

"No! You're lying!" Sophia cried out, tears forming in her eyes. "You're not the real Aurora! Aurora would never say the things you're saying!"

"Whether you want to admit it or not, I am Aurora." she said.

"Then why are you doing this?!"

"Sophia, I'm only going to tell you this one more time." Aurora said. "Go home."

Sophia shook her head. "No! We all promised each other that we'd bring you home with us no matter what! We're not leaving without you and Hikari!"

"Fine then." Aurora said. "Then I guess I have no choice." She waved her arm and a table of light appeared in front of herself and Sophia. "Fight me, Sophia."

Sophia couldn't make sense of what was going on. The Aurora she knew would never act this way. But this person's appearance, their voice, it was all Aurora.

"Fine then." Sophia said, placing her deck on the sheet of light. "I'll beat you and bring the real Aurora back."

"You can't beat me, Sophia." Aurora said. "Conquest Empire is invincible. And I'm about to prove that to you here and now."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Evolution Star-saver, Carbon!"

 **Evolution Star-saver, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Emperor's Aide, Brutus!"

 **Emperor's Aide, Brutus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As both players flipped over their starting Vanguards, the field around them changed. Suddenly, Aurora and Sophia found themselves standing in the middle of space. Nothing else was present around them except for the stars.

"I'm first." Sophia said. ' _Aurora's really using a Conquest Empire deck. Has she forgotten about Star Chaser? In that case, I need to remind her of who she is. Everyone, lend me your strength.'_

"I ride! Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star!"

 **Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carbon moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Aurora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride. Enslaved Princess, Mira."

 **Enslaved Princess, Mira**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Brutus moves back." Aurora said. "Mira attacks with support from Brutus."

"No guard." Sophia said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Aurora(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(5), Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride Salvation Star-saver, Krypton!"

 **Salvation Star-saver, Krypton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Photon." Sophia said. "Photon attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Aurora said.

"With Carbon's boost, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Aurora(1).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(5), Aurora(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride. Wise Mage, Tibarn."

 **Wise Mage, Tibarn**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel." Aurora said. "And now Rachel attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Brutus boosts an attack for Tibarn."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Sophia said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Aurora(1).]**

"That ends my turn."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(4), Aurora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. Looking at Aurora, she could see the expression on her face. It was clear. She didn't want to be doing this.

' _Her heart isn't even in the cardfight.'_ Sophia realized. She thought back to her fight with Aurora during the World Tournament. That was one of the most enjoyable cardfights she had ever had. She had lost in the end, but it had been so exciting. If there was one thing Sophia knew without a shadow of a doubt, it was that Aurora was someone who loved Vanguard.

But this Aurora? There was no love at all.

"I'm gonna bring back the old Aurora." Sophia said. "And this card will help me do it! Spread your wings and bring hope to banish this darkness! Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon!"

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Here goes! Photon attacks Rachel!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"Boosted by Carbon, Infinite Star Dragon attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check. Aurora said. "Stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard. Stand Rachel."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Aurora(2).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(6), Aurora(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She held out a card in her hand and closed her eyes. ' _We share this burden, my beloved sister. I never hoped to fight with you like this. But please lend me your strength so I may keep my friends safe.'_

"Swordswoman enslaved to a life of misery and betrayal! Walk by my side in sin! My avatar! Ride! Star of Ruin, Hikari!"

 **Star of Ruin, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Sophia gasped as she saw the new Hikari appear on Aurora's field. This one was not like the one she had known from the Vanguard World Tournament. This Hikari had lost the bright light that she usually shined with. Her outfit was changed with one more befitting a Conquest Empire soldier. Everything about her seemed… wrong.

"That's… Hikari?" Sophia asked.

"Like me, she has become a member of Conquest Empire." Aurora said. "Now I'll show you this clan's power! Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. My opponent's rear guards in the front row are forced to retire." Aurora said. Sophia gasped as a momentary astral image of Hikari appeared and swung her blade, creating an energy slash that flew at Photon and sliced right through her. "In addition, Brutus's skill. When I stride, I can rest him. Then I get to search my deck for a grade 3 card with General in its name and add it to my hand." Aurora searched through her deck and took a card out from it. "I add General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander to my hand."

' _She can add a grade 3 to her hand just like that? She's practically guaranteed to stride each turn.'_ Sophia thought.

"I call Wise Mage, Tibarn." Aurora said. "With your front row wide open, Tibarn and Rachel Conquer!" Just like that, Sophia found her front row infiltrated by Aurora's units. She didn't even have any rear guards out to put up a fight against them. "Tibarn's skill. I draw 2 and discard 1. And now Tibarn will attack."

 **(9000)**

"The attack is too weak so it doesn't hit. But since a unit on the opponent's field attacked, Rachel gains 3000 power." Aurora explained. "Now Rachel attacks! Another 3000 added to her power!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"Guard!" Sophia called out, holding up a card from her hand.

"Darius attacks. With his skill, I restand Tibarn and Rachel. Both of them gain 5000 power."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Rachel. Third check, another critical trigger. All effects to Tibarn." Aurora said. "Tibarn attacks once again."

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Rachel swings in."

 **(9000+12000+5000+5000=31000)**

"No guard." Sophia said, letting two cards fall into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Aurora(2).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Skill of Star of Ruin, Hikari. At the end of my turn, I discard a card. Then I can add grade 3 cards with General in their name from my drop zone to my hand up to the number of rear guards I have on my opponent's field. I discard Alexander, then add him back to my hand along with General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(3), Aurora(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Aurora… I still don't get what's going on. I don't understand why your doing this."

"You wouldn't understand." Aurora said. "The hard truth is that you never should have come here in the first place."

"Your wrong!" Sophia yelled. "Because now I see you need our help more than ever!"

"Will you just shut up?!" Aurora shouted, getting annoyed by the girl. "You don't know me! You're just a little girl! So why won't you listen to me and go home?!"

"Because Dan and Anthony want you back!" Sophia shouted back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at Aurora. "They've been so worried about you. We all have. But they're the ones suffering the most. I don't want to see anymore sad faces!"

"Sophia…"

"I'm bringing you back, Aurora! Skill of Infinite Star Dragon! I soul blast and bind all cards on one of my rear guard circles, then call a card out from the bind zone! I bind Carbon, and call him back out! Carbon's skill! I bind Photon! Then I draw!" Sophia explained. "Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Carbon and call Photon! Photon's Warpdrive! Both she and the Vanguard gain 5000 power! Carbon's skill! I bind Binary Star from the deck! Next, with Binary Star's counterblast, I bind Photon and call Binary Star from the bind zone! With his Warpdrive, I call Photon back out! Photon's Warpdirve activates again!"

' _She's calling units in and out of the bind zone.'_ Aurora noticed. ' _I don't know where she got that Star Chaser deck, but she's clearly mastered it.'_

"I call Star-saver, Globuladia and use its skill. I counterblast and bind Photon from my drop zone. Then I can retire a rear guard with the same grade as the bound unit. I retire Tibarn. Globuladia moves up to where Tibarn was. Photon also moves up and liberates the circle Rachel is on."

"Rachel moves back and her power becomes 0 until end of turn." Aurora said.

"I use Photon's skill to bind Binary Star and call it back out. Since it has Star-saver in the name, I countercharge. Then with Warpdrive, I call Carbon."

' _Four rear guards, and she barely had to touch her hand. There's no doubt about it. You're strong, Sophia.'_

"Globuladia attacks with a boost from Binary Star!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

' _But Conquest Empire is even stronger.'_ Aurora held out a card from her hand. "I guard!"

"Photon attacks next with Carbon!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Aurora(3).]**

"Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon attacks the Vanguard!" Sophia declared. "Skill of Infinite Cosmos Dragon! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break! I call Photon, Globuladia, and Binary Star! Binary Star's Warpdrive calls out Carbon! Photon's Warpdrive gives herself and the Vanguard 5000 power! And Carbon's skill lets me bind Barrier Star-saver, Promethium from the deck! Finally, with Infinite Cosmos Dragon's Generation Break 3, any Star-saver called from the bind zone gains 3000 power, along with the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+15000+12000=53000)**

"Take this!"

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Photon and critical to the Vanguard!" Sophia held her hand out on top of her deck. If she could pull one more critical trigger, she could get Aurora to six damage with this attack.

' _Please… I really need this card.'_ Sophia pleaded. She turned the card over and frowned. "No trigger…"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Rachel."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Aurora(5).]**

"Photon attacks with Carbon's boost!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+5000+5000+3000=30000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"It's up to you, Globuladia and Binary Star! Attack!"

 **(9000+3000+7000+3000=22000)**

"I guard with High Morale Soldier, Simon."

Sophia frowned. But she had still gotten Aurora to five damage. All she had to do was survive this next turn and she could win. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(6), Aurora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She closed her eyes. ' _I'm sorry Sophia. But I won't let you or anyone else from Earth suffer under Conquest Empire's rule.'_

"It's time for me to end this Sophia." Aurora said. "I said Conquest Empire is invincible. And now you'll see why."

Sophia braced herself. Whatever Aurora was planning, it was going to be big.

"Generation Zone, release!" Aurora called out. "Now tremble in fear before the strongest being in the universe! Unmatched power, come and bring an end to this battle! Stride Generation!"

Sophia gasped as a portal opened up, swallowing Hikari. Soon, a figure began to step out from it. The little girl felt her whole body shiver when she realized what was coming out from it.

"Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros!"

 **Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

There was no mistaking it. This was the same Emperor of Conquest Empire Sophia had encountered before. And somehow, he seemed even more intimidating than before.

"You know what to do." Caezaros spoke.

Aurora nodded her head. "Brutus's skill. I rest him and add General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon to my hand. Next I move Rachel back." Aurora took two cards from her hand and called them out. "Call. General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander. General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa." Aurora called out both generals to her front row. She held her arm out as if to order a charge. "Conquer."

Sophia watched as her front row was taken over by the two generals. Since she already had Binary Star and Carbon in the back, both Photon and Globuladia were retired on the spot.

"Next I call. General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon. General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith."

"What?!" Sophia gasped. She saw both units appear on Aurora's field. With that, all four generals of Conquest Empire were out. Every instinct Sophia had told her to be cautious.

"The continuous skill of Caezaros." Aurora said. "My grade 3 units with General in their name can Conquer the back row."

The words entered her ears, but Sophia didn't want to believe it. Conquest Empire's Conquer skill was powerful, but it had always been limited to the front row. But now with Caezaros out, even the back row could be Conquered?

"Alexander and Nalwa Conquer the back row." Aurora said. "Then Napoleon and Lilith move up towards your front."

Just like the units in her front row, Sophia's back row units were helpless against Conquest Empire's generals. Sophia had no more rear guards out. All that was left was her Vanguard. With four generals staring her down.

"Skill of Caezaros. Generation Break 4." Aurora said. "I counterblast and flip three G Units in my G zone face down. Until the end of the next turn, all my rear guards on the opponent's field gain 5000 power. In addition, they cannot be called over until the end of the next turn."

"What?!" Sophia exclaimed. Even if she had units that could overpower Aurora's generals, she couldn't call over them until her next turn ended. Both of her side columns would stay Conquered for 2 rows of assaults.

"Finally, Caezaros gains 10000 power for each of my rear guards in rows in front of him."

That was the nail in the coffin. As if taking away her field wasn't bad enough, Caezaros had its power reach an absurd level.

"Rachel moves back up." Aurora said. "Alexander attacks first."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Aurora(5).]**

"Nalwa."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Napoleon."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Lilith."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Skill of Barrier Star-saver, Promethium! I call him to the guardian circle from the bind zone! He gains 10000 shield!"

"Caezaros attacks."

 **(26000+40000=66000)**

Sophia felt her legs shake. She didn't have a sentinel in hand. And there was no way what she had left could stand up to the incredible power of Caezaros. "No guard…"

The emperor of Conquest Empire raised his sword. It turned into energy and extended up to an unbelievably height. With a powerful swing, the sword came down on Sophia and her avatar.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

 **[Damage: Sophia(6), Aurora(5).]**

The force of the blast sent Sophia flying back as the scenery returned to normal. She flew back until her body slammed into the wall. She fell to the ground, too weak to even move.

"Au...ror….a…" Sophia muttered as her consciousness faded. "Why…?"

Aurora turned her head away. "You should have gone home when I told you to, Sophia."

"Well done." Caezaros spoke. "It seems you have proven your worth, dealing with that nuisance."

"Just remember our deal." Aurora said, disgusted that she had to obey such a vile ruler.

"Aurora!"

The sudden shout caused Aurora to turn to the entrance of the throne room. Standing at the door was someone she was all too familiar with. He looked at her with eyes of disbelief.

"It's been awhile, Dan." Aurora said.

 **Dan: Aurora, what's going on?! Why are you doing this?!**

 **Aurora: You need to go home Dan. Take everyone with you and leave before you end up like Sophia.**

 **Dan: Not without you! I came all this way to find you and you better believe I'm gonna bring you back!**

 **Aurora: Fine then. It seems I'll have to make you leave by force.**

 **Next time: Sting of Betrayal**

 **Card Gallery:**

Emperor's Aide, Brutus  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO RC:** [SB1 & Rest this unit] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one grade 3 or greater card with "General" in its name and add it to your hand.

* * *

Star of Ruin, Hikari  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **ACT VC: Conquer** _  
_ **AUTO VC:** CB1. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to one of your opponent's front row rear guards and retire them.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** [Discard a card from your hand]. At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, take any number of grade 3 or greater cards from your drop zone with "General" in their name up to the number of your rear guards on your opponent's field and add them to your hand.

* * *

Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **ACT 1/Turn GB4:** CB2 & Take 3 face up cards from your G zone and turn them face down. All of your rear guards get +5000 power and **(CONT: This unit cannot be called over by your opponent's unit)** until the end of your opponent's next turn. Then, for each of your rear guards in rows in front of this unit, this unit gets +10000 power until the end of your turn.  
 **CONT:** All of your rear guards with "General" in their name gain **(CONT: This unit can Conquer your opponent's RC in their back row in the same column as this unit.)** until end of turn.


	63. Sting of Betrayal

**A/N: Hey readers. New chapter. Hope you all enjoy this next cardfight.**

 **On another topic, a ruling question was brought up regarding Conquer. As a result, here is a new rule regarding the Conquer skill:**

 **If the Vanguard no longer has the Conquer skill, due to riding/striding into a unit that does not have Conquer, or its skill being negated through Dust, being Deleted, or any other method, any Conquering rear guards can no longer be Conquering. They will have to move to their owner's field in the same column they currently are, or be retired if there is no open RC to move them to in the column.**

 **With that out of the way, onto the chapter.**

Silence hung in the air of the throne room as Dan and Aurora stared at each other. Dan looked at Aurora. The girl that had been his team leader. The girl that had been standing by his side when they won the Vanguard World Tournament. The girl that he had come all this way to save. Which is why it made him a little shocked to see her the way she was now.

"Aurora…" Dan said, unable to hide even an ounce of his shock. He looked over to the side where Sophia was unconscious. "What's going on?"

"I should have figured you'd all come after me eventually." Aurora sighed. She looked at Dan with a hard glare. "Listen to me Dan. Take Sophia, and everyone else, and go home."

"What are you saying, Aurora?!" Dan asked in disbelief. "We came all this way to rescue you! Now you expect us to just leave?! Why are you with Conquest Empire?!"

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't!" Dan shouted. "Do you have any idea how worried we've been?! How worried your dad's been?! We didn't know if you were alive or-"

"Damnit Dan, why can't you just leave?!" Aurora shouted. "I fight with Conquest Empire now! You can't change that! No one can! So just shut up, forget you ever knew me, and GO HOME!"

Dan looked Aurora directly in the eyes. "You really expect me to leave a friend when they're suffering so much?"

"You don't know I'm suffering!"

"Then why are you crying?"

It took Dan saying it for Aurora to realize it, but tears were rolling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped her eyes. ' _Damnit… Why do you all have to be so stubborn? I'm trying to protect you.'_ she thought to herself.

"I'm not leaving Aurora. Not without you." Dan said. He took out his deck and held it out in front of him. "And I'll bring you back by force if I have to."

"You're a fool Dan…" Aurora muttered. She held out her deck as well. "Fine. Let's settle this with a cardfight. And if I win, you leave."

"That's fine. Cause I won't lose."

A sheet of light appeared in front of Dan and Aurora. Both of them placed their decks down and drew their opening hands. They started the fight with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Happiness Performer!"

 **Happiness Performer**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Emperor's Aide, Brutus!"

 **Emperor's Aide, Brutus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the fight started, their surroundings changed. Dan and Aurora soon found themselves standing in the middle of space, just as it had been when Aurora and Sophia had fought.

"I'm first." Dan said. "I ride Miracle Juggler, Lance!"

 **Miracle Juggler, Lance**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"That's it for my turn."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Aurora(5).]**

"My turn." Aurora said. "Ride! Imperial Knight, Lucas!"

 **Imperial Knight, Lucas**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Brutus moves back. And now I'll have Lucas attack with support from Brutus!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Aurora(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(5), Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Ride! Spotlight Star, Elen!"

 **Spotlight Star, Elen**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _Conquest Empire's tactics is going to make calling units harder for me. In that case, I'll save my hand for when I'll need it.'_ Dan thought. "Elen attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Aurora(2).]**

"My turn ends with that."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(6), Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride! Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel!"

 **Devoted Swordswoman Rachel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With a boost from Brutus, Rachel will attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Aurora(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(6), Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "I don't get it, Aurora. Why would you side with Conquest Empire?"

Aurora was beginning to get annoyed having the same question asked in front of her over and over again. "You really want to know why? It's because they can't be defeated!"

"Yes they can! That's why we're here!"

"You don't get it! I TRIED to stop them, Dan! I gave it everything I had! But they're too powerful! In the end I lost! I couldn't do anything! They're forces are practically infinite in number! And they're strength is unmatched! I can't beat them!"

Dan shook his head. "You're the one who doesn't get it. Of course you couldn't beat them. You left the most important thing you needed to beat Conquest Empire back on Earth."

"And what is that?"

"US!" Dan yelled at her. "You left your friends behind!" He looked at her with a hurt expression. "Don't you even remember all the times we were together as Team Cosmic Trio?! You, me, and Anthony! With every victory, you said we won it together! That you were able to get that far because we were there! So why the hell did you leave us behind and go off on your own for the most important battle yet?!"

Aurora kept her gaze away from Dan, not being able to look him in the eye. "This was my battle. Not yours. I didn't want to get you involved and burden you both."

"If we thought it would have been a burden, we wouldn't be here right now!" Dan told her. "What happened to the old Aurora?! The one that always believed in her friends?!"

"She died. She got a glimpse of reality." Aurora told him. "Don't you get it?! I'm doing all this to keep everyone on Earth safe! Cray is finished! And Earth will be next if I don't do something!"

"That's exactly why you should have asked us for help!" Dan said. "I'm going to wake you up Aurora. It's time for you to remember your old self."

"I told you already. She's gone."

 **(A/N: Play "Break Your Spell")**

"Well then I just have to find her." Dan said. He held up a card from his hand into the air. "Now more than ever, take to the stage! Bring back the smile that she has lost! My avatar! Ride! Masked Illusionist, Harri!"

 **Masked Illusionist, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

As he placed the card onto the Vanguard circle, Harri appeared onto the field. The unit glanced back at Dan. "You ready, pal?"

Dan nodded his head. "Yeah. Let's do this." He pointed over at Rachel. "Go get 'em, Harri!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

Harri leaped into the air and tipped his hat as he twirled his rod in one hand. "Perhaps the lady needs to see some razle dazle. Here you go!" Aiming his wand at Rachel, a blast of magic came out from it and hit Rachel, sending a card into Aurora's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Aurora(2).]**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(8), Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She looked over at Dan and the unit he had out. "Harri. He's always been your avatar, hasn't he?"

"Of course. I've always used him. Even when we first met." Dan told her.

Aurora closed her eyes. "I'm going to miss being able to cardfight with you and everyone like we used to." She took a card from her hand and held it in the air. "Swordswoman enslaved to a life of misery and betrayal! Walk by my side in sin! My avatar! Ride! Star of Ruin, Hikari!"

 **Star of Ruin, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Dan watched as the Conquest Empire version of Hikari appeared onto the battlefield. She shared the same look as Aurora. Determined, but full of regret and sorrow.

"So even Hikari's lost her way, just like you." Dan realized.

"We walk this path together, for better or worse." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Brutus. When I stride, I rest him. Then I add a grade 3 or greater General from my deck to my hand." Aurora explained. "I add General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander. Then I call him, as well as Wise Mage, Tibarn. And now both of them Conquer!"

Dan watched as Alexander and Tibarn invaded his field. The downside to his deck was that he had next to no field presence on the opponent's turn, so it left him extremely vulnerable to Conquer.

"Alexander's skill. I draw and add 5000 power to him until the end of the opponent's next turn. Then I use Tibarn's skill to draw 2 and discard 1." Aurora said. "I move Tibarn back to my field and call a copy of Star of Ruin, Hikari in the Conquered circle and call Unbreakable Shield, Ganon behind Tibarn." With her formation set up Aurora began her assault. "Hikari attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Aurora(2).]**

"Tibarn attacks next with Ganon's boost!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

"Guard!"

"Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Darius attacks." Aurora declared. "Skill of Darius. I counterblast. Then I stand Alexander and Hikari. Adding 5000 power to both of them."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Dan declared.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Alexander. Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Hikari attacks for a second time!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Aurora(2).]**

"Alexander wraps things up!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill. I check the top three cards of the deck and add one to the soul." Dan said. "I add Flying Peryton. 5000 is added to the shield."

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Skill of Hikari. I discard General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith. Then I add her back to my hand from the drop zone, along with General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(3), Aurora(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Stride Generation! Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica!"

 **Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I soul charge and call Spotlight Star, Elen from the soul. She gains 3000 power. And since she has magia, I countercharge." Dan explained. "Next, the skill of Happiness Performer. When I stride, I can call her from the soul. Then I draw since Lyrica has magia. In addition, with her skill, I soul charge and call Flying Peryton. It has magia so I draw. Then, I use Peryton's magia to soul charge and call Cutie Paratrooper from the soul over Alexander."

"Alexander's power is 16000, so Cutie Paratrooper is retired." Aurora said.

"And Alexander loses Cutie Paratrooper's 7000 power, bringing it down to 9000." Dan finished. "Let's go! Elen! Peryton! Let's take back our stage!"

Just like that, Elen and Peryton moved up, pushing Alexander and Hikari back to Aurora's field with their power reduced to 0 for the turn. Alexander was in the front row of his column, but Hikari was put behind Tibarn since that unit was currently in the front row of her column.

"I call Darkside Swordmaster." Dan said. "With Swordmaster's boost, Peryton attacks Alexander!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"No guard. Alexander is retired."

"Elen, you're up next!"

 **(10000+3000=13000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said.

"Elen's skill. I counterblast, and send Elen to the soul. I then call Lance to the spot she was at." Dan said. "Lance's magia. I soul blast, then soul charge and call Cutie Paratrooper. With her magia, I soul charge and call nothing. She gains 5000 power from Lance's skill. And now she'll give Lance a boost!"

 **(7000+1000+7000+5000=20000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Aurora(3).]**

"Lyrica attacks! Darkside Swordmaster's skill lets me send her to soul to add 5000 to the Vanguard and draw! With Lyrica's skill, I send all my rear guards to the soul! Lyrica gains 3000 power for each one, for a total of 12000! And since 4 or more rear guards were sent to soul with her skill, she gains a drive!"

 **(26000+12000+5000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, grade 2. Lyrica's skill. I soul blast to draw 1, soul charge, and call Happiness Performer. With her magia, I soul charge, call Elen, and draw." Dan said. "Second check, heal trigger. Power to Elen and I recover one. Third check, grade 3. Lyrica's skill. This time, I call out Lance. Using his magia to call out Masked Phantom, Harri. Add 5000 power. Final check, critical trigger! All effects to Harri!" With the extra cards in hand, Dan felt a lot better about his defensive options.

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Aurora(3).]**

"Harri attacks with Lance's boost!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+7000=28000)**

Aurora held up two triggers from her hand. "Guard!"

"Elen attacks with a boost from Happiness Performer!" Dan said.

 **(10000+5000+5000=20000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Aurora(4).]**

"Turn end." Dan said. "All rear guards called with magia return to the soul."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(13), Aurora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"With the skill of Brutus, I add General of the Conquest of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa to my hand." Aurora said. "I call Nalwa. And then he and Tibarn Conquer! With Tibarn's skill, draw 2 and discard 1. Then with Nalwa's skill, I retire Tibarn to countercharge and add Alexander to my hand. Calling Alexander to where Tibarn was and moving Hikari up to my front row."

' _Three grade 3 rear guards. She's going to be hitting hard this turn.'_

"Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"Generation guard! Doting Harlequin, Maja!"

 **Doting Harlequin, Maja**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With Maja's skill, I call Happiness Performer from the soul. Using her skill to soul charge and call Masked Phantom, Harri from the soul over Alexander." Dan said.

Aurora widened her eyes. ' _He's calling over my units in the middle of an attack?!'_

"Since their power is equal, Alexander moves back to your field, and his power goes down to 0."

Having Alexander moved to her back row behind Hikari was not something that boded well with Aurora. She had lost out on another potential attack with Darius's skill, and Dan would have an easier time calling units next turn. But there was little she could do about it so she pressed on.

"Nalwa attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Darius attacks! With his skill, I restand Nalwa and add 5000 power!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Nalwa. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. I give power to Nalwa once again and heal." Aurora said.

 **[Damage: Dan(3), Aurora(3).]**

"Nalwa attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+10000=26000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up two triggers.

"Hikari goes next!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Aurora(3).]**

"Turn end."

"At the end of the turn, Happiness Performer and Harri return to the soul due to being called out from magia." Dan said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(8), Aurora(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Stride Generation! Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Elen from the soul to the back row behind Nalwa, and add 3000 power! Since she has magia, I countercharge! Then, Happiness Performer's skill! I call her out and draw! With her magia, I call out Lance and draw! With Lance's magia, I call Darkside Swordmaster! Add 5000 power! Next up, Elen moves up and kicks Nalwa back to your field where he belongs!"

Having Nalwa move back to her field, Aurora looked at Dan's almost full field. The only empty circle was the one behind Elen, and with her power it didn't matter much if she had a booster or not.

' _She's got a decent hand, but at least 2 of them are grade 3s.'_ Dan thought, remembering the generals Aurora had added to her hand. ' _If I hit her hard enough, I should be able to cripple her resources.'_

"Elen attacks the Vanguard!" Dan called out. "And remember, there's two face up copies of Masquerade Master, Harri face up in my G Zone! So that's a 6000 power boost to all magia rear guards with my Vanguard's skill!"

 **(10000+3000+6000=19000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a trigger with 10000 shield.

"Darkside Swordmaster goes in next with a boost from Lance!"

 **(4000+5000+7000+1000+6000=23000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Aurora(4).]**

"Masquerade Master, Harri attacks with a boost from Happiness Performer!" Dan declared. "Darkside's skill. Go to the soul to add power and draw. Then, with the skill of Harri, I counterblast and flip a copy of him! I then send Lance and Elen to the soul. Because of that, I can call out up to three rear guards from the soul. Appear on stage! Lance! Cutie Paratrooper!"

' _He's only calling two units. But then again, he doesn't need anymore.'_ Aurora noticed.

"Magia of Lance! I call Elen and add 5000 power! I then use Cutie's magia to call Masked Illusionist, Harri! 5000 power is added!" Dan said.

 **(26000+5000+9000=40000)**

' _Now's my chance.'_ Aurora thought. "Generation guard! Rallying Commander, Ikuga!"

 **Rallying Commander, Ikuga**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Dan widened his eyes. ' _I've never seen that unit before!'_

"Skill of Ikuga." Aurora said as she counterblasted and flipped a G Guardian face up in her G zone. "I target the circle that Elen is on. Now I choose a card in my hand. I pick General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith. Since her base power is higher than Elen's base power, I can call over her and Conquer that circle!"

Dan gasped. "You're Conquering during my turn?!"

"It's like I told you, Dan. Conquest Empire's power is infinite." Aurora said. "Go Lilith! Conquer!"

Dan watched as Lilith appeared behind Elen. She smirked viciously as she used her magic to blast a hole through Elen. The female elf fell over and dissolved as her card moved to the drop zone and was replaced by Lilith.

' _Damnit. I planned on using Elen to get more attacks in.'_ Dan thought.

"I also add on these two." Aurora said, bringing out two more triggers to the guardian circle.

' _I need 2 triggers to break through that.'_ Dan thought. "Triple drive. First check, critical trigger." After thinking about his options, Dan decided to go for the push. "All effects to the Vanguard. Second check, no trigger. Third check… no trigger."

"Face it Dan. You can't win this." Aurora said.

"Lance attacks!"

 **(7000+1000+9000=17000)**

"Guard." Aurora said, holding up 2 cards from her hand.

"Harri attacks with a boost from Cutie!"

 **(11000+5000+9000+7000+9000=32000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Aurora(5).]**

"Turn end." Dan said. "All rear guards called out with magia go to the soul at end of turn."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Dan(14), Aurora(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's just like I told you, Dan. Conquest Empire can't be beaten in the end. What Allen had was just a fraction of their power. The full strength of Conquest Empire is hundreds of times more powerful."

"I don't care if it's a million times more powerful. I won't give up." Dan said.

"Then you leave me no choice." Aurora said. "Generation Zone, release! Now tremble in fear before the strongest being in the universe! Unmatched power, come and bring an end to this battle! Stride Generation! Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros!"

 **Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Caezaros's skill. All Generals can Conquer the back row." Aurora said. "And now I call! General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon! And now I Conquer your field with my four Generals!"

With Dan's field empty of his rear guards, the four Generals of Conquest Empire were free to invade his field. Soon both of his side columns were occupied by them.

"I'm not done." Aurora said. "Call. Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel. Enslaved Princess, Mira. Imperial Knight, Lucas."

Dan widened his eyes. Aurora had emptied out her hand. But in exchange, she had a full field on her side, no to mention the four Generals she had on his field."

"This is Conquest Empire's true power." Aurora said. "And this is why no one can ever beat them."

 **Dan: Aurora, you need to wake up! You're not some slave to Conquest Empire!**

 **Aurora: If this is what it takes to protect Earth and Star Chaser, then that's what I'll do.**

 **Dan: Well I won't accept that! I won't accept a world where you sacrifice yourself so the rest of us can live a hollow peace!**

 **Aurora: If you think you can beat me, then go ahead and try. But in the end, you'll fail just like I did.**

 **Next time: Light of the Stars**

 **Card** **Gallery:**

Rallying Commander, Ikuga  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO GB1:** CB1 & Take a facedown G Guardian from your G Zone and flip it face up. When this unit is placed on GC if you have a Vanguard with the Conquer skill, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a card from your hand, and a RC in your opponent's front row. If there is no unit on the selected RC, call the card from your hand to that RC. If your opponent has a unit on the chosen RC, compare the base powers of it and the card from your hand. If your has a higher base power, call it over that rear guard and "Conquer" the RC.


	64. Light of the Stars

**A/N: Hello readers. Time for the exciting conclusion of Dan vs Aurora. What's going to happen you ask? Why are you asking me you lazy butts. Read the chapter!**

Dan and Harri stood together on the battlefield, completely alone. The situation was far from ideal. Aurora had all four of Conquest Empire's generals Conquering his field. Not to mention the fact that her field had a full five rear guards. And to top it all off, she had Conquest Empire's emperor as her Vanguard. Caezaros.

"I told you Dan. Conquest Empire's power is infinite." Aurora said. "So that's why I have no choice. To protect Star Chaser and the people of Earth, Hikari and I resigned ourselves to this fate."

"Well maybe you're ok with sacrificing yourself to save everyone, but we aren't." Dan told her.

"Damnit Dan, will you open your eyes?! Look at the situation you're in?! You're surrounded from all sides! You're outnumbered! So how can you stand there and act like you have a chance at winning this?!"

"Simple." Dan said. "Because a good friend of mine that I knew wouldn't give up in this situation either."

Aurora clenched her fists in frustration as a tear rolled down her eye. ' _You idiotic fool…'_

"Activating the skill of Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros." Aurora called out, paying the cost for the skill. "All my rear guards on the opponent's field gain 5000 power, and cannot be called over until the end of my opponent's next turn. In addition, Caezaros gains 10000 power for each Conquering rear guard I have." With this, her formation was set. "I then activate Mira's skill. I soul blast and retire her. All my rear guards on the opponent's field gain 5000 power and Resist until the end of the opponent's next turn."

With that, all four generals were each at 21000 power. It was clear Aurora planned to end this fight on this turn.

"Hikari will attack first!"

 **(11000)**

"Guard!" Dan said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Nalwa!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Aurora(5).]**

"Napoleon!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

Dan held up a trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

"Alexander!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

This time, Dan was forced to use his grade 1s and 2s, holding a pair of them up. "Guard!"

"Lilith!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

Once again, Dan held up a pair of cards from his hand. "Guard!"

"Boosted by Brutus, Cezaros attacks!"

 **(26000+40000+5000=71000)**

Caezaros raised his sword up, the energy the surrounded it raising up to incredible heights. "This is where you fall, weak human." the emperor said as he swung his blade down with all his might. "Now die!"

Aurora watched as the sword crashed down on top of Dan and Harri. She looked away. She hated having to hurt her friends like this. But if it meant it would keep them safe, then it was what she had to do. "It's over."

"You wish!"

Aurora gasped as she looked back at Dan. Caezaros was being held back by a single unit. Aurora gasped when she recognized it.

"Perfect guard." Dan said. "You're not beating me that easily."

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, critical trigger! All effects to Rachel! Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to Alexander!" Her Vanguard's attack had failed, but Aurora was far from done. "Alexander! Attack once more!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

Dan threw down three cards from his hand. "Guard!"

"With a boost from Lucas, Rachel attacks!" Aurora called out. "Five rear guards on your field have attacked! That means she gets 15000 power!"

 **(9000+15000+5000+7000=36000)**

"It's over!" Aurora shouted.

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

Aurora gasped. "What?!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Coulthard's skill! I flip a G Guardian face up! Then, since I have four units of different grades in the soul, I add 15000 to the shield!" Dan said.

Aurora couldn't believe it. She had thrown every ounce of power she had at him. Every ounce of power Conquest Empire had. And yet, Dan was still standing. "Turn… end…"

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Dan(4), Aurora(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said.

Aurora looked at the board. With how everything was, Dan would only have one attack this turn. The one with his Vanguard. And one of the cards Aurora had gotten in her drive check was a sentinel.

' _There's no way he can win. He has to know that.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Then why… Why does he look so determined?'_

Dan closed his eyes. ' _Please. Give me the strength I need. The strength to bring forth a miracle.'_

Suddenly, a light flashed before Dan's eyes. He looked in front of him, seeing small clusters of light gather together, forming an orb of pure warm light.

Aurora noticed what was going on too and widened her eyes. "What's happening?"

Even Dan wasn't sure what was going on right now. He had no idea what this was. But right now, he had a pretty good guess.

" _Grasp it."_ a voice called out to him. " _Grab a new future, with your own hands."_

' _A new future… one in which Conquest Empire can be beaten…'_ Dan thought to himself. He reached out his hand and grabbed the orb of light. Once it was in his hands, the light transformed, taking the form of a card.

"Let's do this, my Vanguard." Harri said. "Let's put on a show that'll bring back your old friend."

Dan nodded his head. "Generation Zone, release! Now behold! The ultimate show that will be talked about for generations to come!" he yelled. "Stride Generation!"

 **[A/N: Play "Knock Your Gate".]**

Aurora gasped as a new unit appeared on the field. It wasn't like any G Unit she had ever seen before. But there was one thing she could see. This G Unit was Harri.

His appearance was clearly much older than the current Harri. His hair was grown out a bit. He was dressed up in a fancy violet suit. In his right hand was his trusty rod. And at his side was a majestic purple dragon.

"Masquerade Showstopper, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Showstopper, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I use Happiness Performer's skill to call herself out and draw." Dan said, calling the grade 0 unit right behind his Vanguard.

"Even if you have a new G Unit, it doesn't matter!" Aurora said. "I have a full army of rear guards out! You're surrounded from all sides and you can't push them back by calling other rear guards out! So what can you possibly do!"

"Simple." Dan said. "I'm going to win. Boosted by Happiness Performer, Masquerade Showstopper, Harri attacks the Vanguard."

"Did you forget I had this in my hand?!" Aurora said, revealing her sentinel as she was about to play it.

Dan smirked. "I didn't forget. But whoever said that my Vanguard would be the only one attacking?" He held out his hand over his G Unit. "Skill of Masquerade Showstopper, Harri! When he attacks, all rear guards of both fighters are sent to their respective souls!"

Aurora gasped as she heard this. "What did you say?!"

"Let's do this, Harri! Time for the ultimate disappearing act!"

Dan's Vanguard waved his rod and a thick mist enveloped the field. One by one, Aurora watched as each of her rear guards became swallowed up in the mist. And on her board, all of her rear guards, even the Conquering rear guards on Dan's field, went into her soul. Before long, the mist surrounded everything around them. The only thing Aurora could see was herself and Dan.

"You see now? You kept saying Conquest Empire had so many soldiers. But where are they now?" Dan said with a warm smile. "Right now, it's just the two of us here."

"Dan…"

"As much as I'd like to keep this privacy, I'm not finished with my Vanguard's skill just yet." Dan said. "For every opponent rear guard sent to the soul with this skill, I can call out a magia unit from the soul."

"What?!"

"Come on out! Let's put on the best finale ever!" Dan called out. "Lance! Elen! Cutie Paratrooper! Flying Peryton! Happiness Performer!" Just like that, Dan had a full field out. "They each gain 5000 power! In addition, for each rear guard called with this skill, Masquerade Showstopper, Harri gains 5000 power! Finally, since five or more were called, he gains plus one critical!"

 **(26000+25000=51000)**

Aurora had felt like this once before. Being all alone. No chance of victory. But it was different this time. This time… she was happy that she was being defeated. "No guard."

Harri twirled his rod and launched a blast of magic at Aurora and Hikari. The impact created a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared however, Aurora's damage zone had six cards present in it.

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Aurora(6).]**

Aurora fell to her knees as their scenery went back to normal. Her entire body shook as she tried to process what had just happened.

Dan's cards returned to him as he slowly walked over to Aurora. "See Aurora? You lost before because you were all alone." As he came up to her, he kneeled down and looked at her with a warm smile. "But with all of us here together, there's no way we can lose."

"Dan…" Aurora muttered. Tears began to form in her eyes as she threw herself at her friend. She hugged him tightly as she cried. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"I know. It's alright, Aurora." Dan said as he held her soothingly. "All that matters is you're back."

"It seems you have failed me."

The sudden sound of Caezaros's voice caused Dan and Aurora to turn, seeing the emperor rise from his throne. It was clear he was not pleased with the outcome of the fight.

"I will not tolerate failure. Especially from trash like you." Caezaros said with a glare. "You will pay for this."

Dan let go of Aurora and stood protectively in front of her. "You're not laying one hand on her!"

"You insolent child! What does a weakling like you think he can do?!"

"Then how about us?" a voice spoke. Two lights came out from Dan and Aurora's decks. Harri and Hikari stood in front of the two humans.

"If you wish to die before them, then so be it!" Caezaros said. "You worms have annoyed me for the last time!"

"Get ready. Here he comes." Hikari said, readying herself to fight.

"Yeah." Harri said. "We have to protect these two no matter what."

" _That will not be necessary."_

The sudden voice cause everyone to stop, widening their eyes. Harri and Hikari looked around the room. "What was that?" Hikari asked.

"Who said that? Show yourself!" Caezaros demanded.

" _I will not allow you to harm anyone else, Caezaros. Especially my children."_

The emperor's eyes widened. "That voice… It can't be…"

" _It is."_ the voice said. Out of nowhere, a blinding flash of light appeared in front of Hikari and Harri. Everyone widened their eyes as a figure slowly became visible. It was a woman with long beautiful blonde hair. She was dressed in a white and yellow dress. A warm light emanated from her, a warm comforting light. Almost like a mother cradling their child.

Hikari couldn't believe her eyes. "Is it really you…? Mother?"

"Elara." Caezaros glared. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead!"

"I almost was dead." Elara said. "But I managed to hang on, just by a thread. I went into hiding, biding my time until I could recover."

"So it was you. You were the one that trapped each of my generals in that strange light. You and your cosmic magic."

"Indeed I was." Elara said. "And the heroes from Earth defeated each of them, just as I hoped."

"Mother…" Hikari said. Tears formed in the swordswoman's eyes. "You're really alive? This isn't a dream?"

Elara turned her head back towards Hikari and showed her an affectionate smile. "It's not a dream, my sweet Hikari. I'm here. I'm sorry I had to burden you with the responsibility of leading Star Chaser in my absence."

"No. Please don't be sorry." Hikari sobbed as she wept her eyes. "I'm just so happy to see you again."

"I am happy too." Elara told her. She looked over at Aurora. "And my sweet little Aurora. I see you've grown into such a beautiful young girl."

Aurora couldn't believe her eyes. She had searched for so long. She had thought her journey had ended in failure. But this was the person she had wanted to meet all her life. Her mother.

"Mom…"

"Enough of this!" Caezaros shouted. "If you didn't die last time, then I'll just have to kill you this time!"

"That won't happen, Caezaros." Elara said as she brought her gaze back to the emperor. "I will defeat you here and now. I will not allow you to harm anyone else."

"What utter nonsense! I will not hear of this any longer!" Caezaros shouted. He grabbed his sword, coating it with a dark ominous energy. "I am Emperor Caezaros! I am the strongest being in existence! I will not be defeated by the likes you garbage like you!"

"Hikari! Aurora!" Elara said as she got ready to fight. "I need you two to focus your power on me! Help me defeat Caezaros!"

"Our power?" Aurora questioned. "But how do we-"

Hikari answered her sister's question by holding her hand. "Just focus." Hikari told her. "Aim your feelings at mother."

Aurora did as she was told and closed her eyes. She focused deep within herself. Suddenly, her body began to glow, as did Hikari's. Energy flowed out from the two girls and into Elara. Aurora couldn't describe the sensation. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. "What is this…?"

"This is your power, Aurora." Elara told her. "Stride force. The ability to grasp a better future."

"The ability… to grasp a better future."

"Just focus. What is it you want?"

"What I want…" Aurora said. "I want… I want to get to know my mother and sister! I want to be with my friends! But most of all… I want Conquest Empire to go away!"

Elara smiled at her daughter. Light began to form in her palms. "That's good. Keep up those thoughts."

"Damn you all to hell!" Caezaros shouted. "I've had enough of you! Now DIE!"

Aiming his sword at the group, Caezaros fired a blast of dark energy at them. Elara countered this however, as she fired a blast of light from her hands. The two beams collided with each other. It quickly became a battle of tug and war with Elara and Caezaros.

"Damn you. Why won't you just give up?"

"You've hurt far too many people." Elara told him. "I will not allow you to harm the people of Cray! And I will not allow you to harm my children!"

The two beams stayed locked with each other, clashing in a stalemate. The throne room was being ripped apart from the force of the blasts. But Elara was starting to lose ground. "Ngh…"

"You can do it!" Hikari shouted.

"We believe in you!" Aurora told her.

"Well maybe she could use some help." Dan said, placing a hand on Aurora's shoulder. Just like the two girls, his body began to glow too.

Aurora turned her head towards her friend. "Dan…"

"I'll help too!" a sudden shout came as Sophia came over to them. She touched Aurora and her body began to glow just like the rest.

"Sophia…"

"Seems we're a bit late to the party."

Looking over to the entrance of the throne room, the group saw William, Rose, and Anthony present. Dan grinned at seeing his teammate. "Hey man. What took you so long?"

"Traffic was a nightmare." Anthony joked back. "I hopped aboard the last ship taking off. Looks like it was a good thing I did."

"William… Rose… Anthony…" Aurora gasped.

"We can save the details for later." William said as the three of them hurried over. Placing their hands on Aurora, their power also flowed into her and into Elara.

Caezaros could feel Elara's energy getting stronger and pushing his back. ' _Their power… It's being absorbed by that woman? No… it's not just them. There's even more power coming from outside of this room.'_

"Do you feel it, Caezaros?" Elara asked. "You're not facing just my power. This is the power of everyone on Cray! All of the souls that wish for peace!"

Caezaros couldn't believe it. He was losing ground. He, the emperor of the strongest empire in all the universe, was being pushed back.

"Damn you…" Caezaros glared. "I refuse to accept this! I will not allow myself to fall to the likes of you!"

"This is for all of the lives you've taken for your grand ambition!" Elara said. "Now be judged by the will of the stars! Urano Metria!"

Elara's blast pushed Caezaros back further and further. He struggled to fight it, but the combined force was too great.

"No… this is impossible…" Caezaros grunted. Finally, Elara's attack overpowered him and the light swallowed him up. "NOOOOOOO!"

A large blast came from the throne up where Caezaros had been standing as Elara's attack hit him full force. When the light finally died down however, Aurora and the others gasped when they saw the emperor still standing.

"No way… He survived that?!" William exclaimed.

"No." Elara said with a shake of her head. "It is over."

Slowly, Caezaros fell forward. His body hit the ground and tumbled down the stairs leading up to the throne. He laid down before them all, finally defeated.

Elara fell to one knee, her attack clearly exhausting her. Aurora and Hikari rushed over to her side.

"Mom!" Aurora exclaimed. "Are you alright?!"

"Do not worry. I am fine." Elara assured her. "I'm just tired."

Aurora let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Elara smiled as she placed her hand on Aurora's head. "You've become so beautiful. And you've made such wonderful friends. I'm proud of you, Aurora."

As Aurora looked at her mother, tears began to form in her eyes. Eventually she couldn't hold herself back anymore and threw herself at her mother, hugging her tightly. "Mom I… I…"

"It's alright, my child." Elara told her. "I am here. Cry all you wish."

"I've wanted to meet you for so long!" Aurora cried. "And then I heard you were dead! And I… I…"

The touching moment between Aurora and her mother brought smiles to the faces of the others there. They had finally did it. They had rescued Aurora. They had beaten Emperor Caezaros. They had defeated Conquest Empire.

They had won.

* * *

 _ **-Three days later-**_

 **[A/N: Play "Infinite Rebirth".]**

After losing their emperor, Conquest Empire was thrown into disarray. It also didn't help that three of their four generals had lost their lives as well. With them dead, along with Caezaros, it didn't take long for Cray to force the empire to surrender. Alexander called all of the empire's forces back and ordered a ceasefire. Now, they were leaving. Back to their home planet, where Conquest Empire originated from.

Now, all that was left was one final squad of soldiers getting on the final ship. Alexander turned back and looked at the leaders of Cray, as well as the humans from Earth. "You're really just letting us go?"

"Hey, don't look at me." Anthony said. "I was all for dishing out some serious hurt. But these softies here wouldn't listen."

"Would you shut up?" Dan said as he smacked the back of his friend's head. "We brought an end to the war. That's what's important."

William walked up to Alexander. He looked the general right in the eye. "You said you wished for universal peace, correct? Well then next time, you should try a more peaceful solution for your ambition."

"Perhaps you're right." Alexander said. "You and your avatar Llew. The two of you soundly defeated me." He turned and walked away. "I look forward to us possibly meeting again. Hopefully under better circumstances."

William cracked a small grin as he watched Alexander walk away. "Yeah. Me too."

Everyone watched as Alexander boarded his ship. Soon, it took off into space with the rest of the remaining fleet. It was a sign that all of the fighting was finally over.

"Well, I'd say this was a job well done." Rose said.

"Indeed." William nodded. "Conquest Empire has finally been stopped for good."

"Plus we saved Aurora!" Sophia cheered. "Now everyone can be happy again!"

"Guess all that's left for us to do is go home." Dan said.

Blaster Blade stepped forward towards the group of humans from Earth. "Cray owes you all a great debt. It is because of all of you that we were able to repel Conquest Empire."

"No. It was because of all of us. Cray and Earth, working together." William said.

Anthony showed a big grin. "But if you want to keep praising us, please go ahead. By all means."

As the group sighed at Anthony's usual antics, they noticed Atmos descend from above. He looked down at the six humans that had come from Earth. "I thank you for your assistance, brave Vanguards. We can never thank you enough for your help. Now, I will send you all home. Back to Earth."

Dan looked over at Aurora. "Looks like we're finally going back. Huh Auro-" he cut himself off when he noticed the expression on the girl's face. "Aurora?"

"About that…" Aurora said. "I don't think I'm going back just yet."

"Huh?!" the other five gasped in shock.

"I-I'm not talking about forever. Just a little longer." Aurora said. "Ever since I came here, it's just been one fight after the next. I want a chance to get to know my family. My sister and mother."

Dan and the others all looked at each other. They couldn't really blame Aurora. It only made sense she'd want to spend some quality time with her sister and mother. Especially since this was likely the last time she'd ever have the chance to do so. At the same time however, going back without her when she had been the main reason for all of them coming felt… off.

"We came here to bring you back." Dan said with a frown.

"I know. And I'm sorry for being selfish like this." Aurora said. "But I'll come back soon. I promise."

"How do we know that?"

To answer Dan's question, Aurora walked up to him. He looked her in the eyes, wondering what she was going to say. But to his surprise, Aurora didn't say anything. She did something entirely different. She slowly leaned forward in towards him.

And pressed her lips against his with a kiss.

There were mixed reactions from the group as they saw this happen. Dan's eyes were opened wide from the kiss. Anthony had his mouth so wide open, it looked like his jaw might hit the ground. Rose showed a knowing smirk, with her making sure to remember this moment for a long time. Sophia was blinded from the interaction as William covered her eyes with his hand.

After a bit, Aurora separated herself from Dan. She looked at him with a kind smile. "There. That'll be my reason for coming back."

Dan's cheeks were completely red from the sudden kiss. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "O-Oh, well I guess if you put it like that…"

"Alright, come on lover boy." Rose said, making the rest of the group share a laugh at his expense. "Some of us want to get home today."

Dan quickly ran over to the others gathered by Atmos. The being waved his arms and a circle formed around the five of them. Light began to rise up from it as they each felt their bodies becoming lighter and lighter. Looking over, they could see each of their avatars standing together, waving goodbye to them. They each smiled back and waved goodbye as well. Soon, the light around them became too bright and they could no longer see anything around them. They were beginning their journey back.

They were finally going home.

* * *

 _ **-Two weeks later-**_

Card Galaxy was as busy as ever. Kids and teens were all at different tables. Some were discussing with each other, showing off new cards they had gotten from packs. Others were busy fighting it out in a cardfight.

"Looks like another good day for business." Dan commented to Ryuji as he stood at the register.

"Indeed." Ryuji agreed. "It's always nice to see passionate players gathered like this and having fun."

"Yeah, but I just wish we had some better players." Anthony sighed. "Aurora's still not back yet, and Dan's the only one here who can keep up with me."

"Hey! We can totally beat you!" one of the kids shouted, overhearing Anthony's comment. "We've gotten way stronger since last time!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Anthony asked. "Well I guess a little warm up couldn't hurt. Heck, I'll take you all on."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Some things never change."

"I guess not." Ryuji said with a chuckle. "At least he's got energy to burn."

"Among other things." Dan commented dryly. He stretched out his arms.

It had been two weeks since they had defeated Conquest Empire and returned from Cray. They had each gotten thanked by Yukari for their hard work. After that, it was back to their own lives. William, Rose, and Sophia each went back to their home countries, promising to stay in touch. For Dan and Anthony, it was back to waiting daily at the card shop. Enjoying their lives while awaiting Aurora's return.

Ryuji was relieved to know that his daughter was alright. That both his daughters were. Hearing everything that happened put his mind at ease. He'd be lying if he said he didn't wish Aurora had come back with Dan and Anthony. But he could understand her feelings. She wanted to get to know her mother and sister. And if she promised she'd be back, then he believed her.

Time passed as the day continued. Before long, Anthony was standing triumphantly over the kids that had challenged him. "Heh, come back in another few years."

"No fair! You have to be cheating!"

"No I wasn't!" Anthony argued. "It was pure skill! Nothing else!"

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you're the real little kid among them, Anthony." Dan commented.

"Oh yeah?! Why don't you fight me and see for yourself?!"

"Can't. I'm working." Dan said with a grin.

"Tch. Smartass."

"Then how about I take you on?"

The sudden voice caused everyone's heads to turn to the entrance of Card Galaxy. They each widened their eyes at who was standing there. The person they had all been waiting to return.

Aurora.

"Big sis, Aurora!" the kids all cheered as they ran over to her. "You gotta beat Anthony over there! He's been super mean to us!"

"What?!" Anthony exclaimed. "You little liars!"

Aurora patted them on the heads. "Don't worry. The leader of Team Cosmic Trio will put that dolt in his place." She walked over to her friends. A long moment passed as they silently stared at each other. Finally Aurora broke the silence as she smiled happily at all of them.

"I'm home, everybody."

 **Next time…**

 **Aurora is finally back home and Conquest Empire has been defeated. Life has gone back to normal for everyone. A new semester of school has started for everyone, with one exciting event after the next. But while life may seem peaceful to everyone, a sinister plot is brewing in the shadows. One that could mean not only the destruction of Earth, but the entire universe. Once again, Aurora and everyone will have to bring their A game to save the day.**

 **Stay tuned for the next arc of Cardfight Vanguard: Bonds Beyond the Cosmos. Purgatory Demise**

 **Card Gallery:**

Masquerade Showstopper, Harri  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, send the rear guards of all fighters to their respective owners' souls. Then, call cards from soul with magia up to the number of opponent rear guards sent to the soul with this skill to RC, and they each gain +5000 power. This unit gains +5000 power for each unit called. Then, if five or more units were called, this unit gains +1 critical.


	65. SPECIAL: Decklists 2

*** SPECIAL CHAPTER: CHARACTER DECKLISTS 2***

 **Hey readers. I know you're all excited for the next arc to begin, but before that, here is a set of decklists for each of the characters for this arc. This will not include the lists for the anime characters that made cameo appearances here, and will also not include Allen since his decklist he used is the same as last time. Decklists of the 4 generals will also be left out since the main units they used, outside of a few generic extras (PGs and whatnot), are shown in the Card Gallery for the fights they were in. There will also be another special chapter for unit lore that will be up later today. Hope you all enjoy.**

Dan Kisha

Grade 0:  
Happiness Performer (x1)  
Darkside Swordmaster (x4)  
Silver Thorn Assistant, Dixie (x4)  
Prankster Girl of Mirrorland (x4)  
Psycho Magician, Coulthard (x4)

Grade 1:

Miracle Juggler, Lance (x3)  
Lovely Companion (x4)  
Cutie Paratrooper (x3)  
Purple Trapezist (x2)  
Masquerade Bunny (x2)

Grade 2:

Spotlight Star, Elen (x4)  
Flying Peryton (x4)  
Crescent Moon Juggler (x4)

Grade 3:

Masked Illusionist, Harri (x4)  
Masked Phantom, Harri (x3)

G Zone:

Masquerade Master, Harri (x4)  
Dragon Masquerade, Harri (x2)  
Melodious Megatrick, Lyrica (x2)  
Jester Demonic Dragon, Lunatec Dragon (x2)  
Masquerade Showstopper, Harri (x1)  
Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival (x2)  
Doting Harlequin, Maja (x1)  
Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard (x1)  
Scream Dragon Master, Droll Kimberly (x1)

* * *

Anthony Ferges

Grade 0:

Thunderwarning Dracokid (x1)  
Lightning of Triumphant Return, Reseph (x4)  
Dragon Dancer, Vianne (x4)  
Eradicator, Yellow Gem Carbuncle (x2)  
Eradicator, Drag Phoenix (x2)  
Meditate Dracokid (x4)

Grade 1:

Thunder Pillar, Dragon (x3)  
Smash Boxer Dragon (x3)  
Dragon Dancer, Fatine(x3)  
Summon Lightning Dancing Princess, Anastasia (x4)

Grade 2:

Demonic Dragon Berserker, Chatura (x3)  
Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel (x3)  
Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs (x3)  
Martial Arts Dragon (x3)

Grade 3:

Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE" (x4)  
Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant Sigma (x4)

G Zone:

Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER" (x4)  
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VOLTAGE" (X4)  
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VMAX" (x1)  
Conquest Dragon of Immolation, Baal-Hadad (x2)  
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO" (x1)  
Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Bulwark Dragon (x2)  
Spiritual Wisdom Creator, Brahma (x1)  
Sky guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon (x1)

* * *

William Lewis

Grade 0:

Wingal Brave (x1)  
Floral Paladin, Flogal (x4)  
Arongal (x4)  
Margal (x4)  
Yggdrasil Inheritor, Elaine (x4)

Grade 1:

Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse (x4)  
Guardian Blaster, Iseult (x4)  
Little Tactician, Marron (x4)

Grade 2:

Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura (x3)  
Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl (x4)  
Blaster Blade Neo (x3)  
Blaster Dark Neo (x3)

Grade 3:

Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew (x4)  
New Style Blaster, Llew (x4)

G Zone:

Holy Divine Knight, Gancelot Peace Saver (x4)  
Divine Knight King, Alfred Holy Saver (x2)  
Holy Dragon, Legit Sword Dragon (x1)  
Transmigratory Dragon, Holy Squire Dragon (x2)  
Holy Dragon, Religious Soul Saver (x2)  
Blaster Infinity, Llew (x1)  
Great Flash, Iseult (x1)  
Holy Divine Beast, Maskgal (x1)  
Holy Dragon, Laserguard Dragon (x1)  
Little Great Sage, Marron (x1)

* * *

Sophia Perez

 _ ***Note: They were not put into the card gallery, but Star-saver Meteor Liger and Empiricism Dragon are both critical triggers with no skills***_

Grade 0:

Evolution Star-saver, Carbon (x1)  
Star-saver, Meteor Liger (x4)  
Star-saver, Empiricism Dragon (x4)  
Gravity Gunner (x4)  
Cosmo Nurse (x4)

Grade 1:

Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star (x3)  
Barrier Star-saver, Promethium (x4)  
Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon (x3)  
Cosmos Storm, Aquarius (x3)

Grade 2:

Salvation Star-saver, Krypton (x4)  
Papilion Star-saver, Photon (x3)  
Star-saver, Globuladia (x3)  
Renowned Star-saver, Radon (x3)

Grade 3:

Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon (x4)  
Star-saver, Gravi-Schwarz Dragon (x3)

G Zone:

Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon (x4)  
Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus (x4)  
Nebula Beast, Draco Nova (x4)  
Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda (x4)

* * *

Rose Orchards

Grade 0:

Caluna Musketeer, Elma (x1)  
Baby-blue-eyes Musketeer, May Len (x1)  
Marigold Musketeer, Rachel (x4)  
Gardenia Musketeer, Alain (x4)  
Blue Rose Musketeer, Ernst (x4)  
Anthurium Musketeer, Nikla (x4)

Grade 1:

Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca (x3)  
Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri (x3)  
Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne (x4)  
Artemisia Musketeer, Kiara (x4)

Grade 2:

Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila (x4)  
Prunus Serrulata Musketeer, Tessa (x4)  
Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia (x3)

Grade 3:

Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia (x4)  
Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta (x3)

G Zone:

Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecelia (x4)  
Rubellum Lily Splendorous Musketeer, Myra (x3)  
Midsummer Flower Princess, Lieta (x4)  
Magnolia Musketeer, Sakuya (x1)  
Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero (x2)  
Sacred Tree Dragon, Rain Breath Dragon (x2)

* * *

Aurora Fujou

Grade 0:

Emperor's Aide, Brutus (x1)  
High Morale Soldier, Simon (x4)  
Death-scope Sharpshooter (x4)  
Drill Sergeant of the Imperial Army (x4)  
White Witch of the Imperial Army (x4)

Grade 1:

Imperial Knight, Lucas (x4)  
Enslaved Princess, Mira (x3)  
Unbreakable Shield, Ganon (x4)  
Imperial Maid, Ursula (x2)

Grade 2:

Wise Mage, Tibarn (x4)  
Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel (x4)  
Sage of Excellence, Peter (x4)

Grade 3:

Star of Ruin, Hikari (x4)  
General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander (x1)  
General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa (x1)  
General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith (x1)  
General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon (x1)

G Zone:

Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros (x1)  
Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius (x4)  
Sorcerer of Imperial Magic, Merric (x4)  
Ruination Conquest Dragon, Tiemot (x3)  
Imperial Guardian, Nerokius (x3)  
Rallying Commander, Ikuga (x1)

* * *

Yukari Tatsunagi

Grade 0:

Prophecy Child, Atmos (x1)  
Flame Element, Magum (x4)  
Wind Element, Seizos (x4)  
Thunder Element, Gororo (x4)  
Life Element, Yggdrasil (x4)

Grade 1:

New Star, Atmos (x4)  
Rain Element, Tear (x3)  
Air Element, Fwarlun (x3)  
Stone Element, Ballista (x4)

Grade 2:

Potential Element, Atmos (x4)  
Freeze Element, Blizza (x4)  
Thunder Element, Volt (x4)

Grade 3:

Prophecy Element, Atmos (x4)  
Sacrifice Element, Totem (x3)

G Zone:

Cosmic Element, Paleos (x4)  
Savior Element, Atmos (x4)  
Miracle Element, Atmos (x2)  
Metal Element, Scryew (x2)  
Protection Element, Barrios (x4)


	66. Normal Life

**A/N: Hey readers. It's finally time. The first chapter of the new arc is about to begin. Hope you all like it.**

The refreshing morning breeze blew through the air as Aurora came up to the front gate of Kousei High School. Summer break was finally over, and today was the first day of school starting back up again. After a VERY long summer break, things were finally starting to become normal again for the blonde teenager.

"Hey! Aurora!"

"Huh?" Aurora turned her head and saw two of her friends, fellow female students at Kousei High. "Oh hey girls. You have a good summer?"

"Yeah. It was lots of fun." one of them said. "I went to the beach."

"I went traveling to some cool places." the other one said.

' _Bet those places weren't as amazing as Planet Cray.'_ Aurora silently thought in the back of her mind.

"What about you, Aurora? How was your summer?"

Aurora couldn't very well tell them exactly what had happened over her summer. All she did was find out her mother was from another planet, she had a sister she never knew about, and she became enslaved to an intergalactic empire bent on universal domination. Yeah, that would go over well with her friends if she explained it to them.

"Oh right, you said you were gonna be in some big tournament, didn't you?" one of the girls said. "It's for that game you play right? Vanguard?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yup. And me and my team got first place."

"No way, really?! Oh my gosh, that's so cool!"

"So did you get some sort of cash prize or something?"

It suddenly hit Aurora. Technically she and her team had gotten a large sum of prize money. But they had all given it to Team Sightless Vision to help Sarah's sister. "Well… not really. It was pretty small."

"That's a shame." one of them said. "Well at least you had fun, right?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Oh yeah. It was lots of fun. Dan, Anthony, and I had a blast."

"Dan and Anthony?"

"Oh right. Those are my teammates." Aurora explained. Suddenly she noticed both her friends get mischievous grins on their faces. She knew immediately what they were thinking. "No, no, no, it's not what you think! We're just teammates is all!"

"Oh really? Come on, all that alone time and neither one tried to make a move on you?"

Aurora's mind went back to Cray. In that moment that she had stayed on the alien planet for two more weeks, while the others went home. How they were all sad to go without her.

And how she kissed Dan.

' _No, no, no, get that out of your head!'_ Aurora told herself. "O-Oh look at the time! We better hurry or we'll be late!" Not saying another word, the blonde girl took off running.

"Aurora?!"

"Hang on!"

Aurora ignored the calls from her friends. If she stopped for them, they'd see her face. And then they'd see how hard she was blushing. She hadn't really talked with Dan much about the kiss they shared. To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure why she did it herself.

' _I was just trying to get him to not worry, right? Yeah, that has to be it.'_ Aurora thought. ' _It's not like I love him or anything… do I? No! Get that out of your head, Aurora! You're just friends! There are so many things that could go wrong if you and him end up in a relationship!'_

She treasured her friendship with Dan, just like she treasured her friendship with all of her friends. And she knew how hard it could be to stay friends if a relationship happened then went horribly wrong. She didn't want to risk that.

Hurrying into class, Aurora took her seat a few minutes before the bell rang. Once homeroom began, their teacher walked in. His name was Mr. Kagaguchi. He had neatly combed brown hair and a pair of glasses over his yellow eyes.

"Welcome back, class. I hope you all had a fun summer." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Now then, before we begin, I have a special announcement to make." Multiple students perked their heads up in interest. "Over the summer, we had one student make a very big accomplishment." With a dramatic motion, he pointed over to Aurora. "Miss Aurora Fujou! Let us all give a big round of applause for the girl who took first place in the Vanguard World Tournament!"

Aurora widened her eyes as all the attention in the class came flooding her way. Nearly every student was looking at her with her cheeks blushing in embarrassment."Wh-Wha?!"

"I was watching the Vanguard World Tournament from home." the teacher said with a smile. "I was so surprised to see one of my very own students participating in it."

"I… I wasn't aware you were interested in Vanguard, Mr. Kagaguchi." Aurora said.

"Oh yes. I'm a big fan." Mr. Kagaguchi said with a proud smile. "But clearly I'm nowhere near your level, Miss Fujou."

Aurora sank into her seat as students in the class gossiped about her. This was one thing she was hoping to avoid. Attention. She didn't know of anyone in school that even played Vanguard. And now people were talking about it, and the fact that she was now one of the top players in the world? Needless to say, it was more than a little overwhelming.

As the day continued, the theory of gossip spreading like wildfire was proven all too true to Aurora. At lunch, and even sometimes as she moved through the halls, she could see people looking her way. Most of these students probably didn't even know what Vanguard was. And now they were suddenly interested in it.

' _Maybe this is a good thing.'_ Aurora tried to convince herself. ' _If people get interested, maybe they'll start playing the game. Then I'd have more to talk about with people. Wait, but then I'm gonna be treated like a celebrity since I won the World Tournament, which means I won't get to just enjoy playing the game. Oh, this suuuuuuuuuuccckks.'_

By the time school was finally over, Aurora hurried out and made her way to Card Galaxy. At least there people knew her better and would treat her normally. Plus she could test out some of the changes to her new and improved deck.

After a short run, Aurora arrived at her family's shop. Card Galaxy. The bell at the door chimed as she walked in.

When she walked in, Aurora couldn't help but notice the large amount of people there.

"Woah! It's really Aurora Fujou!"

Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise. Standing in the shop were several students, all wearing the same uniform. But it wasn't any school that Aurora recognized.

"Alright, hold it you all. Don't go mobbing her and asking for autographs, or I'll clobber you." another voice said. A girl walked out from the crowd and stood in front of them. Aurora recognized the girl as Akari Hermonia from Team Genius Prodigy. "Hey Aurora. Long time no see."

"Akari!" Aurora exclaimed with a bright smile. "Good to see a familiar face. But what's going on?"

"It's a bit of a field trip." another familiar voice said. Coming out from the crowd, Aurora saw the other two members of Genius Prodigy come into view. Yuma Koto and Kenta Irigaki.

"So all three of you are here." Aurora realized. "What's the occasion?"

Akair pointed to the group of students behind her, all wearing the same uniforms as Genius Prodigy. "This bunch goes to the Tokyo Institute of Technology like we do. They wanted to do some special training by fighting against the leader of the winners of the Vanguard World Tournament."

"So we brought them here." Yuma chimed in. "But when we arrived, you hadn't gotten here yet. So they've been fighting Dan and Anthony for practice."

"And getting their butts handed to them." Akari said with an annoyed sigh. "You bunch of idiots can't even handle those two! What makes you think you can keep up with Aurora?!"

"They have yet to win one game." Kenta said, scrolling through his tablet as usual. "It's clear Team Cosmic Trio is much stronger than when they fought in the World Tournament."

Just as Team Genius Prodigy had said, Dan and Anthony were busy cardfighting a pair from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Although it wasn't so much of a cardfight as much as a massacre. The two students sighed in defeat simultaneously.

"See?! This is what I'm talking about!" Akari yelled. "You're making our school look bad!"

The group of students shrunk back in fear of Akari. Yuma let out an amused chuckle. "Alright Akari, I think you've laid into them enough." He looked over at Aurora. "Well Aurora? Since it's been awhile, how about a cardfight with me?"

"Oh come on!" Anthony complained. "You throw this bunch of losers at us, but the first person you guys challenge is Aurora?!"

Dan shrugged his shoulders. "Face it. Being team leader makes her a little more popular than us." he said. "Though I wouldn't mind fighting Genius Prodigy myself."

"Wait! We want to fight Aurora Fujou too!" one of the students asked, several more chiming in.

"Clam it, you losers!" Akari shouted, silencing them all at once.

Aurora let out a nervous chuckle at the commanding presence Akari seemed to have over the other students from her school. "Sure thing. Why don't we-"

"Umm… excuse me?"

The sudden voice came from behind Aurora. The blonde girl turned around and all eyes fell on a young girl with long silver hair. "Is this Card Galaxy?"

"That's right." Aurora nodded. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Well… I'm looking for someone named Aurora Fujou."

"Huh?" Aurora blinked in surprise. "Well you're looking at her."

The young girl gasped. "Oh, my apologies!" she said. "Umm… Miss Aurora. Would you please cardfight with me?"

"A cardfight?" Aurora asked. It was rather surprising. If this girl was just another fan of hers, it was odd that she didn't know what she looked like. So perhaps there was another reason. At the same time however, she had just agreed to a fight with Yuma. She looked up at him.

"Go ahead." Yuma said. "We can fight afterwards."

Aurora nodded her head understandingly and looked back at the young girl at the door. "Alright sure. Let's fight… um… Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"My name?" she asked. "It's… Kione."

"Alright then. Pleasure to meet you, Kione." Aurora said. "We can use one of the tables over there."

Aurora walked over with Kione to one of the tables used for Vanguard. The two of them stood across from each other as they shuffled their decks. Meanwhile, nearly every person in the shop crowded around the table to watch. Aurora let out a sigh. It seemed winning the World Tournament had brought its fair share of troubles along with its rewards.

Finally the two girls placed their decks on the table and drew their opening hands.

"You ready, Kione?" Aurora asked.

"Mhm." Kione nodded.

Both girls started the game with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Steam Maiden, Lele!"

 **Steam Maiden, Lele**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _Interesting. She uses Gear Chronicle, like me.'_ Yuma thought.

"You can go first if you want, Kione." Aurora offered.

Kione nodded her head. "Alright then. I ride Steam Maiden, Melem."

 **Steam Maiden, Melem**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Lele moves back with forerunner." Kione said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Kione(5).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." Aurora said. "I ride Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius!"

 **Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Kenta looked on with interest. "That's not the same Sagittarius she used to have."

"Yeah. Some of Aurora's units have new forms." Dan explained. "There's some pretty cool ones too. Just watch."

"Vivi moves back." Aurora said. "And with her boost, Sagittarius attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Kione said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Kione(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(6), Kione(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Kione said. "I ride Stem Maiden, Ophelia."

 **Steam Maiden, Ophelia**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Gear Whip Steam Maiden, Ishin." Kione said, calling the grade 2 to her side column. "Ishin attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said.

"Boosted by Lele, Steam Maiden Ophelia attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "No triggers for either of them."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kione(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Kione(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Let's go! I ride Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I'm not done yet. Next I call Cosmic Harp, Lyra." Aurora said. The unit that appeared was a woman with bright orange hair flowing down her back. At her side was a large golden harp. "Lyra attacks Ishin!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Kione called out, holding up a card from her hand.

"With a boost from Vivi, Gemini's coming in!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger." Aurora said.

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kione(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Kione(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Kione said. She closed her eyes and held out a card. "Show me the path that has, is, and will always be my own! Ride! Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru!"

 **Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Uluru's skill. Counterblast." Kione said. "I give Ishin a skill. Every time an opponent's rear guard is returned to the deck this turn, she gains 3000 power."

Aurora widened her eyes. "What?"

"There's more. This is skill also sends your Lyra to the bottom of your deck." Kione added. "As a result, Ishin gets 3000 power."

' _Interesting. Sending rear guards to the bottom of the deck.'_ Yuma thought to himself. ' _It's not an often focused style of play for most modern Gear Chronicle decks. But this girl… has she mastered the style?'_

"Here we go! Ishin attacks!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Guard!" Aurora declared.

"With Lele's boost, I attack with Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Ishin."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I heal one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kione(2).]**

"Ishin attacks once more!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kione(2).]**

"Turn end." Kione said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(4), Kione(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said.

"This kid's not half bad." Anthony commented. "She's holding her own against Aurora."

"She knows what she's doing, that's for sure." Dan said. "But now is where the fight really starts. And she's still got her new weapon."

"New weapon?" Yuma questioned.

Dan and Anthony both showed grins. "Come on. You think with the new forms of her units that _she_ wouldn't be included?"

Yuma widened his eyes in realization. "That unit…"

"Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path!" Aurora called out. "Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The new Hikari on Aurora's field was a Hikari that Yuma and the others had never seen before. Her weapon had also changed. Her metal blade was replaced by a sword with a shining blade of golden light, with the crossguard in the shape of a star.

"Now I'll show you Hikari's true power! Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"A new G Unit too, huh?" Akari commented with interest.

Aurora's G Unit was a woman dressed head to toe in a long white robe. In her has was a staff that was nearly as tall as her. It had an odd pattern at the end, forming the constellation of Pleiades.

"Stride skill! I bind Maiden of Balance, Libra from my deck. Then I'll call Libra out from the bind zone." Aurora explained. "Since Libra has Warpdrive, I draw one card."

"Warpdrive?" Kione asked.

"It's a skill that activates when the unit with it is called from the bind zone." Aurora explained. "Libra's Warpdrive. I look at the top three cards of the deck. Then I choose one card to add to my hand, one card to go to the bind zone, and put the remaining card on the bottom of the deck. I bind Cosmic Harp, Lyra. Next I use Lyra's soul blast. Since she's in the bind zone, I can call her to the rear guard. And with her Warpdrive, I bind Sagittarius from my deck. Because he has Warpdrive, 2000 is added to Lyra. Next I call Cosmic Brawler, Aires from my hand."

The grade 1 appearing behind Libra was a teenage girl with brown hair. Two small curved horns came out from the side of her head. Her outfit left her stomach exposed, and she wore a pair of gauntlets with two curved spikes on each of them.

"Lyra will start things off! Attack!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard!" Kione said, holding up a card from her hand.

"With a boost from Aries, Libra attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kione(3).]**

"Vivi boosts! Attack Pleiades!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard! Guardian Steam Maiden, Arlim!" Kione called out.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kione. I activate the skill of Pleiades!" Aurora said as she paid a counterblast and flipped a card in her G Zone over. "When it attacks, I can bind any number of my own rear guards. Then I get to call out cards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break."

Kione widened her eyes. "What?!"

"I bind Vivi, Libra, and Aries! Then I call out Libra and Sagittarius!" Aurora declared, calling her two units to the same column. "With Libra's Warpdrive, I look at the top three cards of the deck. I bind Sagittarius, add one to my hand, and put the other on the bottom of the deck. Then with the Warpdrive of Sagittarius, he gains 2000 power for every card in my bind zone. I have 3 right now so that's 6000 power."

Kione braced herself. ' _So this is Star Chaser's power.'_

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Libra. Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Now go Libra! Attack with a boost from Sagittarius! And with Sagittarius's skill, he gains 1000 power and Resist so long as Hikari is my Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+1000+6000=28000)**

"No guard." Kione said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kione(5).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Hikari's skill. At the end of the turn, I can bind a card from my drop zone and soul charge."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(8), Kione(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Kione said.

"Aurora's sure not holding back." Akari noted. "She's already got the kid to five damage."

"True, but I wouldn't count her out just yet." Yuma commented.

"Huh?"

"Take a look at Kione's eyes." Yuma said. "You can see it in her expression. She hasn't given up yet."

"Stride Generation!" Kione said. "Interdimensional Beast, Time Storm Pegasus!"

 **Interdimensional Beast, Time Storm Pegasus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I give Ishin a skill that increases her power by 3000 every time an opponent's rear guard is returned to the deck." Kione said. "I then send Libra to the bottom of the deck. In addition, I use the effect of Temporal Blade Steam Maiden, Elul! Since she was discarded as the cost to stride, I can call her to rear guard!"

' _She's got a full front row now. It's a good move, considering she doesn't have many cards in her hand.'_ Aurora thought.

"I use Time Storm Pegasus's skill! I send all opponent rear guards to the bottom of the deck!" Kione declared.

Everyone gasped as they heard this. "Come again?!" Aurora exclaimed.

"After the cards are returned, the opponent then reveals cards from the top of their deck equal to the number of cards returned." Kione explained. "I can then decide where to call those units to your field."

' _A card that can destroy an opponent's formation.'_ Aurora realized. She sent Sagittarius and Lyra to the bottom of the deck, then revealed the top two cards of her deck.

"Call Gemini behind the Vanguard and Cosmic Rage, Tauros to the front right." Kione said.

Aurora did as she was told. It was not a good spot for either of them to be placed, which was obviously what Kione was going for.

"Skill of Elul. since a card was returned to your deck, she gains 10000 power and a skill. Next, skill of Steam Maiden Lele. I counterblast and send her back to my deck. I send Tauros to the bottom of the deck. Then I can call a card of the same grade as Tauros from my deck. Tauros was a grade 0 so I call my grade 0 Vainglory-dream Gear Cat." Kione said. "Ishin attacks! And with her counterblast, I send Gemini to the bottom of the deck! Ishin gains 5000 power and you can't guard her attack with cards of grade equal to that of Gemini from your hand! And with Gear Cat's skill, I send it to the deck to have Pegasus gain 10000 power!"

 **(9000+15000=24000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kione(5).]**

"Time Stream Pegasus attacks!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard! Armored Pincer, Cancer!"

"Triple drive." Kione said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Elul. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Elul and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kione(4).]**

"Go Elul! Cut her down to size!"

 **(11000+10000+10000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Andromeda's skill. Since I have at least two cards in the bind zone, add 10000 shield."

"Turn end." Kione said. "Eluls skill returns her to my hand. In addition, since a card was returned to the deck this turn, I can draw one card with Uluru's skill."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Kione(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said.

"That Kione girl sure did a number on Aurora's field." Anthony noted. "She's got nothing left."

"That may be true." Dan said. "But Aurora's not going down that easily."

"Generation Zone, release!" Aurora called out. "Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Multiple onlookers widened their eyes at Aurora's G-Unit. It was a slim majestic looking dragon, with teal blue scales and beautiful white wings.

"Stride skill! I bind Gemini from my deck! Then I call Gemini!" Aurora said. "Gemini has Warpdrive so I draw. Then, Gemini's Warpdrive activates, giving it 5000 power. Next I use Star Shimmer Dragon's skill. I counterblast and soul blast. Then, I bind the top card of my deck and call Vivi from the bind zone. Her Warpdrive increases her power by 5000." With one side column filled, Aurora took three cards from her hand and called them out to the field. "Call! Star of Hope, Hikari! Caller of Cosmic Winds, Capricorn! Cosmic Storm, Aquarius!" In addition to Hikari and Aquarius, the stand trigger Capricorn appeared on her board. It was a humanoid goat that had a strong breeze blowing around it. "Capricorn boosts. Go Hikari!"

 **(11000+4000=15000)**

"Ishin intercepts."

"Activating Capricorn's skill. I counterblast and bind the Hikari that he boosted. I then call Sagittarius from the bind zone. With his Warpdrive, a total of 6000 power is added. And he'll be using it to attack!"

 **(7000+1000+6000=14000)**

"Guard!"

"With Vivi's boost, Gemini swings in!"

 **(10000+5000+5000+5000=25000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kione(5).]**

"With a boost from Aquarius, I attack with Star Shimmer Dragon!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger."

"So… her turn's done?" one of the students asked.

"Fool. Haven't you been paying attention?" Akari asked. "You've seen by now that she runs stand triggers. And she gave the trigger effect to her Vanguard, which she swung with last."

"Basically it can only mean one thing." Kenta said.

Yuma grinned. "Aurora's Vanguard has another skill."

"Skill of Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon! Generation Break 3!" Aurora declared. "I bind Sagittarius and Capricorn, and discard two cards! Star Shimmer Dragon restands with drive minus one!"

Kione widened her eyes. "No way?!"

"Star Shimmer, time for another attack!" Aurora grinned.

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Retroactive Time Maiden, Uluru!"

 **Retroactive Time Maiden, Uluru**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Uluru! Send a normal unit and a trigger unit from the drop zone back to the deck and add 5000 to the shield!" Kione said. "I also guard with Steam Maiden, Sadum and Steam Maiden, Elsa!"

"She used up the rest of her hand. But now the attack won't go through." Anthony said.

"Twin drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Now her turn's over." Yuma said. "Though I'm not sure I like Kione's chances."

"Not exactly." Dan said with a smirk.

"Hm?"

"Star Shimmer Dragon's a bit more powerful than you think." Anthony told them.

"Activating Star Shimmer Dragon's skill one more time." Aurora said. "I discard two cards, and bind Vivi and Aquarius. Restand the Vanguard with drive minus one."

All of the students, including Team Genius Prodigy, gasped as they saw this. "That skill isn't once per turn?!" Akari gasped.

"Star Shimmer Dragon! Attack the Vanguard one last time!" Aurora called out.

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

Kione let out a sigh. "No guard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kione(6).]**

"Looks like I lost." Kione said. Despite her loss, Kione showed a bright smile to Aurora. "That was a fun cardfight though. You're really strong."

"Thanks. You're pretty good yourself, Ki-"

"There you are!"

All heads turned to see two new arrivals in the shop. Aurora and the others recognized them as Sarah Radcliffe and Marcus Cersy from Team Sightless Vision.

"Hey you guys." Aurora greeted. "What brings you two here."

Sarah eyed Kione. "Just coming here to grab my little sister."

"Wait. Little sister?" Aurora asked. She turned her head to Kione and widened her eyes. "So you mean-"

"Sorry?" Kione said with a giggle. "I lied about my name being Kione. My name's actually Kimiko Radcliffe. Sarah's my sister."

"I'm also the person that was worried sick about you." Sarah said, walking over to the little girl. "You know I told you to wait for me to pick you up from school before we came here."

"Sorry. But I really wanted to fight Aurora without her knowing who I was." Kimiko said.

Sarah let out a sigh. "What am I going to do with you, Kimiko?"

"Hang on a second." Anthony said. "I thought you said your little sister was blind."

"She was until a little over two weeks ago." Sarah said. "With the prize money from the World Tournament as well as a few extra bits of cash we made afterwards, we got enough for the surgery."

"I also wanted to thank you for that." Kimiko said with a polite bow. "Sarah said you gave the prize money to her for my surgery. It really meant a lot."

"Don't mention it." Aurora said with a smile. "I gotta say, you play pretty well for someone that's been blind for years until recently."

"Well Sarah did her best to help keep me up to date with things." Kimiko said. She looked over at her sister. "Sarah, you were right. Aurora's really strong!"

"Well duh." Sarah said as she ruffled her sister's hair. "She did win the Vanguard World Tournament after all."

"Ahem." The sound of Aurora's father caught everyone's attention. "Aurora, not that I mind you chatting with your friends, but need I remind you you're also an employee here?"

"Oh crap! My shift!" Aurora realized. "Sorry guys, gotta change! I'll chat later!"

Quickly running into the employee room, Aurora closed the door behind her to change into her uniform. A few minutes later, she came out. "Alright dad. All set."

"Good. Now if you don't mind helping me unload this box."

Aurora walked over to the counter and cut open the wrapping tape on it. "What's in this anyway?"

"Something I think you'll be rather excited about." Ryuji said.

Now Aurora was really curious. She opened up the box and looked inside. She widened her eyes at what she saw. "No way! Is this-"

"Yup." Ryuji nodded. "They finally started shipping out."

"What is it?" Dan asked.

"A special new Vanguard set and trial deck." Ryuji explained. "Featuring Star Chaser."

Several gasps of shock came from hearing this. Multiple people swarmed the counter to get a look at it. Up until now, Star Chaser had been an exclusive clan to Aurora. Sophia also had her own deck, but that wasn't very well known to the world for obvious reasons. But after the World Tournament, hype was at its peak for Star Chaser. Several players wanted to try out the brand new clan.

"Seems you'll sell out of those fast." Dan said with a chuckle. "That oughta be good for business."

"Alright everyone. Calm down." Ryuji said. "There's enough here for everyone. So please form an orderly line and we'll handle one person at a time."

Akair rolled her eyes. "Do they really think a brand new clan is going to help them? They should focus on perfecting their own clan first."

"Oh let them have their fun, Akari." Yuma said. "After all, who wouldn't get excited over the chance to play a brand new clan?"

Looking at the people swarming the counter, it was clear that the case of boxes and trial decks for Star Chaser weren't going to last long.

"Seems Aurora and Sophia aren't going to be the only Star Chaser players anymore." Dan noted.

"Maybe someone will come around and beat Aurora with it." Anthony said with a mocking grin.

"As if!" Aurora called back to her friend. "No way am I losing anytime soon to another Star Chaser player!"

"Well seems Aurora's going to be busy for awhile." Marcus said. "Anybody down for a game?"

"I'm in." Dan volunteered.

"Sounds like fun. Who'll my opponent be?" Yuma said.

"Hey Radcliffe. How about I pay you back for the Wild Card Round?" Akari asked with a smirk.

"You wish. Bring it on." Sarah said, equally eager to fight.

Before long, the shop was filled with plenty of people enjoying Vanguard. Some were cardfighting, while others showed off some of their pulls from packs. But the air was filled with excitement and joy nonetheless.

 **Aurora: Man, a lot of people seem to be really into Star Chaser. It's exciting to see more people trying out the clan.**

 **Dan: After battling a war with Conquest Empire, it's nice to have a chance to relax like this. Our lives are finally back to normal.**

 **Anthony: Yeah… Well, mostly normal.**

 **Dan: What do you mean?**

 **Anthony: I've got a surprise in store for me.**

 **Aurora: Really? This should be interesting.**

 **Next time: Scarlet Blade Reborn**

 **Card Gallery:**

Star Explorer, Vivi  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO RC:** [Send this card to soul] When your unit's attack that this unit boosted hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, send a card from your soul to the bind zone face up. Then, if you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, draw one card.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** If you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, this unit gains +5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Caller of the Cosmic Winds, Capricorn  
Grade 0  
Power: 4000  
Stand Trigger  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1 At the end of the battle that this unit boosted a rear guard, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind the card that this unit boosted face up and call up to one card from your bind zone to RC.

* * *

Cosmic Rage, Tauros  
Grade 0  
Power: 4000  
Critical trigger  
 **ACT GB1 [bind zone]:** Send this card to the drop zone. Choose one of your rear guards and it gets +5000 power.

* * *

Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with Warpdrive or has "Hikari" in its name, this unit gains +1000 power and Resist.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** This unit gains **(CONT RC: This unit gains +2000 power for each face up card in your bind zone.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Cosmic Brawler, Aries  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** Choose up to one of your opponent's rear guards in the same column as this unit and retire it. Then, if a unit was retired, this unit gains +3000 power.

* * *

Armored Pincer, Cancer  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **ACT [drop zone]:** CB1. Bind 2 of your rear guards face up. Add this card to your hand.

* * *

Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **CONT RC:** This unit cannot attack unless you have a Vanguard with the Warpdrive ability or has "Hikari" in its name.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** This unit gains +5000 power and " **Boost"**. At the end of your turn, you may return this unit to your bind zone face up.

* * *

Maiden of Balance, Libra  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** Look at the top three cards of your deck. Put one of the cards in the bind zone face up, one into your hand, and put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order.

* * *

Cosmic Harp, Lyra  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT GB1 [bind zone]:** SB1. Call this card to RC. Then, if you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, CC1.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** Search your deck and take a card not named "Melodious Harp, Lyra" from it and bind that card face up. If the card you bound has Warpdrive, this unit gains +2000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Sword of the Stars, Hikari  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card, bind it face up, and call up to one card in your bind zone to RC. If you called a card that has Warpdrive, draw one card.  
 **AUTO VC:** At the end of your turn, you may take a card from your drop zone and bind it face up. If you do, CC1 or SC1.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** Bind the top card of your deck face up and this unit gains +5000 power.

* * *

Galaxy Champion, Leo  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** Choose a face up card in your bind zone and call it. That unit and this unit gin +5000 power.

* * *

Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind any number of your rear guards face up. Then, call cards from your bind zone up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone +1 to separate RCs. If you called three or more cards, add 5000 power to the units in your front row.

* * *

Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO GB3 VC:** [Choose a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up, Discard 2 cards from your hand, & Bind 2 of your rear guards face up]. After the battle that this unit attacked, if you have a heart card with "Hikari" in its name you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit Stands and gets drive -1.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** CB1 & SB1. Bind the top card of your deck face up. Then, choose a card from your bind zone and call it to RC.

* * *

Steam Maiden, Lele  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **ACT GB1 RC:** [CB1 and send this unit to the bottom of your deck]. Choose one of your opponent's rear guards and send it to the bottom of the deck. Then, search your deck for up to one card with a grade equal to that of the sent unit and call it to RC. Shuffle your deck.

* * *

Guardian Steam Maiden, Arlim  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO GB1 [drop zone]:** [Discard a card from your hand.] When your opponent's rear guard is put to the bottom of their deck, you may pay the cost. If you do, take one card named "Guardian Steam Maiden, Arlim" from your drop zone and send it to the bottom of your deck. If you do, add this card to your hand.

* * *

Steam Maiden, Crona  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO GB1:** When your opponent's rear guard is put to the bottom of the deck by the effect of one of your other units, this unit gets +3000 power.

* * *

Steam Maiden, Elsa  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO GB1 1/Turn:** When your opponent's rear guard is put to the bottom of the deck by the effect of one of your cards, this unit gets +10000 power.

* * *

Gear Whip Steam Maiden, Ishin  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC:** Resist.  
 **AUTO GB1:** CB1. When this unit attacks you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards, send it to the bottom of the deck. Then, this unit gets +5000 power and your opponent cannot guard with cards from their hand whose grades are equal to the opponent's rear guard sent to the bottom of the deck.

* * *

Steam Maiden, Ophelia  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** SB1. When this unit is placed on RC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and your opponent sends it to the bottom of their deck. Then, draw a card and this unit gains +5000 power for every grade the sent unit had.

* * *

Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1. When this unit is placed on VC, or when your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units and until end of turn it gets **(CONT VC/RC: When your opponent's rear guard is sent to the bottom of the deck, this unit gets +3000 power.)**. Then, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and your opponent sends it to the bottom of their deck.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** At the end of either player's turn, if your opponent's rear guard was put to the bottom of the deck this turn, draw 1 card or CC1.

* * *

Temporal Blade Steam Maiden, Elul  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** When your opponent's rear guard is put back to their deck due to the effect of one of your cards, until end of turn, this unit gains +10000 power and **(CONT: At the end of your turn, return this card to your hand.)**.  
 **AUTO:** When this card is discarded from your hand for the cost to STRIDE, you may call this card to RC.

* * *

Interdimensional Beast, Time Storm Pegasus  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC:** Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. Send all of your opponent's rear guards to the bottom of their deck. Your opponent then reveals cards from the top of their deck equal to the number of rear guards returned. Choose separate RCs to call each of the revealed cards.


	67. SPECIAL: Unit Lore 2

***SPECIAL CHAPTER: UNIT LORE 2***

 **Hey readers. For all of you that want to get a better look at some of the original units that appeared in this arc, this is the chapter for you. This will give a look at the lore behind some of your favorite original units. Enjoy.**

 **Star** **Chaser:**

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

This is the Infinite Zero Dragon, purified by the power of Messiah. As the dark grip of the Void had nearly tightened its grip on the dragon and swallowed its old self entirely, it once again heard the soothing voice in its head. A warmth washed over him as he remembered the being it once was before being corrupted by Link Joker. With the help of Messiah and a certain being of a far off planet, it broke free of the Void and became an even stronger being than it had been before or during its dark days of serving Link Joker. It assisted in purifying many other Star-vaders and created a new group, downing the name Star-saver. They were accepted to join Star Chaser and their presence boosted the morale of the clan that had lost two leaders very recently, fighting to defeat Conquest Empire and returning peace to Cray.

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

This is one of the possible futures of Infinite Star Dragon. During its time with Star Chaser, it mastered the use of cosmic magic and even became able to purify creatures corrupted by the Void without the help of Messiah's power. It led the Star-savers in an effort to help the cosmos, banishing the presence of the Void anywhere they came across it. It will not stop until the universe is returned to the beautiful state it was in before the Void corrupted it, much like what happened to its own home planet so long ago.

In the war against Conquest Empire, it fought to rescue Hikari from the empire's grasp, and lent its power to Elara in order to vanquish Emperor Cezaros.

 **Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star**

This is Binary Star, after being purified by Infinite Star Dragon and Messiah. As time passed through its service to Link Joker, this particular Binary Star unit began to question whether what it was doing was right. These conflicting thoughts and emotions made it susceptible to the purification of Messiah's power that was gifted to Infinite Star Dragon. It still retains its ego from when it was in Link Joker, but now it fights for a different cause, one it believes in. The freedom of all planets destroyed by Link Joker.

 **Salvation Star-saver, Krypton**

This is Krypton, after being purified by Infinite Star Dragon and Messiah. As time passed during its service to Link Joker, bits and pieces of its memory from before becoming a Cyberoid flowed into it. These memories were a jumbled mess so it was hard for it to make sense of them. But it made its mind free enough for Infinite Star Dragon to purify it. Once it was purified, its memories returned to it in full. The last thing it recalled before becoming a puppet to Link Joker was the very same clan it had served for so long invading and destroying its home. This led to it doing the same thing back during its time in Link Joker. Deeply regretting its actions, Krypton swore to return all of the planets it helped subjugate to normal.

 **Papilion Star-saver, Photon**

This is Photon, after being purified by Infinite Star Dragon and Messiah. Although he was a cyberoid created by Link Joker, his original body that his mind came from was that of a warrior that Link Joker had invaded and destroyed. The one sole survivor of that planet other than him was his sister, who had also been taken in by Link Joker in the form of a butterfly-like creature. She was purified by Infinite Star Dragon, but Photon had been too greatly damage in battle. Not wanting to see her brother go, she absorbed his essence into herself. As a result, she returned to her original form, with the addition of the butterfly wings she had as a Star-vader. This new being was filled with the memories and essence of Photon, the soul of his sister being mostly faded in order to save him. This was a new lifeform, one with both the powers and essence of the two siblings. Taking on the wishes of the vanished sister, she now dubbed the name of the brother she had given everything to save, Photon.

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

A female swordswoman of Star Chaser. After Conquest Empire was defeated, her mother Elara took back her position as the leader of the clan. Hikari kept her distance from the members of Star Chaser, ashamed of betraying Cray during the war and feeling that she didn't deserve to be with them. However, the forgiveness of the members of Star Chaser slowly returned her confidence in herself. She studied hard to improve her swordsmanship and her skill with cosmic magic. She eventually managed to merge the two together, using her magic to create a blade of starlight. Now she fights so that she may never let down her trusted friends and clan again.

 **Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius**

One of Star Chaser's elite warriors and scientists. Throughout the war against Conquest Empire, his skill at advanced technological weapons grew. With members of Nova Grappler and Dimension Police, he made new weapons unlike anything Star Chaser or Cray had seen before. His most prized weapon is the one he wields, a bow that creates arrows out of one's own mana called the Starshot. Coupled with the high tech gear he has to increase his accuracy, he has never since missed a shot.

 **Cosmic Brawler, Aires**

One of the warriors of Star Chaser. She has a humanoid appearance, though a pair of curved horns come out of the side of her head and fluffy wool can be seen on parts of her body. Despite this cute appearance, she is rather hot headed and quick to pick a fight. Her home planet was one of the ones Star Chaser visited after the war with Conquest Empire. When they arrived, she was curious to test their strength and challenged their strongest warrior to fight her. Hikari stepped forward and the two of them battled it out. After fighting for nearly an hour, Hikari finally took Aires down. Impressed by the warrior, Aires asked to join Star Chaser. Now she trains hard, in hopes of defeating Hikari one day. Her intense will and training has also pushed Hikari to work harder too, making the two of them rivals and friends.

* * *

 **Conquest Empire:**

 **General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa**

One of the four legendary generals of Conquest Empire that serve under Emperor Caezaros. He was not part of the empire when it originated, and was instead on a planet that was conquered by the empire. During the war between his people and Conquest Empire, he challenged Emperor Caezaros to a duel. Caezaros was amused by this and agreed, thoroughly defeating Nalwa with only about half of his full power. Nalwa was inspired by the emperor's power, and vowed to serve under him. He fights with Conquest Empire to further challenge himself by fighting the strongest warriors out in the universe. His devastating power on the battlefield allowed him to quickly climb through the ranks of the empire, eventually being given the honored title of general.

 **General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon**

One of the four legendary generals of Conquest Empire that serve under Emperor Caezaros. He was born on the same planet that the empire originated on, and was instrumental in creating the shrewd strategies that led to Caezaros taking over the planet. He acts as the head tactician of the empire and has proved very useful in Conquest Empire's mission to conquer all planets in the universe. Though he rarely fights on the battlefield personally, he is well trained in various types of magic and can prove a dangerous foe to any who underestimate his power. He sees a battlefield as little more than a game board, and those that fight on it are game pieces to him, be they his allies or enemies. In addition to being the empire's head tactician, he is also the head of the mage corps, Conquest Empire's elite group of magic casters.

 **General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith**

One of the four legendary generals of Conquest Empire that serve under Emperor Caezaros. She was not part of the empire when it originated, and was instead on a planet that was conquered by the empire. When Conquest Empire first invaded her planet, she saw an opportunity. She offered to lend her services to the empire in taking over her planet in exchange for being given a place in their ranks. Caezaros was amused by her cunning and devious attitude and agreed. She helped make the kingdoms of her planet collapse from the inside, making them easy pickings for Conquest Empire. She acts as the head scientist and researcher of Conquest Empire, as well as being one of its generals. She enjoys performing torturous experiments on the beings of the planets the empire conquers, turning their bodies into her personal mutant pets, or sometimes simply dissecting them to satisfy her curiosity. One of her favorite hobbies is placing special curses on prisoners with her dark magic to see how long they live before dying of pain and agony.

She has provided Conquest Empire with a brand new set of soldiers, the Enslaved Mutants. While they are powerful weapons, they are still mindless beasts and cannot follow complex orders. Despite calling them her pets, she is not afraid to dispose of them like pawns when she is done with them.

 **Star of Ruin, Hikari**

This is Hikari, after being defeated by Conquest Empire and captured. Conquest Empire launched a surprise attack on Star Chaser, and dealt a heavy blow to them. In the battle, Hikari was defeated and brought back to the head ship in chains. Being faced with the full force of Conquest Empire, she realized that Cray had no hope and gave into despair. In a desperate attempt to save the members of Star Chaser and a particular girl that she shared a resemblance with, she offered to join the empire as a loyal soldier. Caezaros was amused at the thought of having the leader of Star Chaser in his ranks, especially after having killed the very same girl's mother, and agreed to the proposal. She now fights the people of Cray as an enemy, and has provided crucial information that has led to many devastating losses for the planet. Though she has not been given the official title of General, she holds close to the same authority as them on the battlefield, and her power rivals any of the four individual generals. After every battle against her people, she sheds tears of remorse when no one is looking, praying for the sweet embrace of death once Cray is Conquered and Star Chaser is spared.

 **Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros**

The emperor of Conquest Empire. He rules over his empire with an iron fist. Demanding absolute loyalty from all, he crushes any who dare to rise against him swiftly and mercilessly. In the sight of his awe inspiring power, none are able to stand against him anymore. All the people can do is bow their heads and pray for mercy.

When facing Hikari while she fought for Conquest Empire, the heroes of Cray came face to face with this all powerful being. However, he was killed when Elara, who was thought to have died in battle, appeared and used her powerful cosmic magic to defeat him with the help of Cray's heroes.

* * *

 **Pale Moon:**

 **Masquerade Showstopper, Harri**

This is one of the future possibilities of Harri, a magician of the magical circus Pale Moon. He has mastered not only the illusion and arcane magics, but has also become proficient with using the cosmic magic he learned from Hikari in making even more dazzling performances for those that come to see his show. He is considered a prodigy now more than ever, having so many different magics at his disposal.

In the war against Conquest Empire, he fought to rescue Hikari from the empire's grasp, and lended his power to Elara in order to vanquish Emperor Cezaros.

* * *

 **Narukami:**

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO"**

A future possibility of Dragonic Vanquisher, a warrior and leader of "Narukami". During his fights in the war against Conquest Empire, his powers were pushed to its absolute limits. The battle with one of the generals, Nalwa, had broken his axe and tried to break his spirit. But as the weapon had broken, a new spirit within the dragon had awoken, calling forth a deep power that connected to the cosmic storms of space. As a lighting bolt from outer space hit Vanquisher, his powers were renewed with even greater force. His lightning tornadoes blew away the forces that invaded Cray and turned the stalemate between Nalwa into a one sided demolition of the general.

In the war against Conquest Empire, he fought to rescue Hikari from the empire's grasp, and lended his power to Elara in order to vanquish Emperor Cezaros.

* * *

 **Royal Paladin:**

 **Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew**

This is "Llew", after gaining recognition from both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark. He highly admired both knights and aspired to gain the traits he admired from each of them. He was eventually recognized by both, who then gifted him with the original prototype versions of the Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark armaments they both wield. While neither is as powerful as their original versions, they have greatly increased his power in battle, and led to him being respected by warriors of Royal Paladin and Shadow Paladin alike. He led many of the Blaster corps into battle against Conquest Empire, clashing with even the empire's greatest swordsman, Alexander.

 **Blaster Infinity, Llew**

One of the possible futures of Llew, in which he managed to master both of the Blaster armaments he was gifted with. This mastery eventually managed to him being able to merge the two blades into one. Unlike the merging of the originals during the conflict between Royal Paladin and Shadow Paladin long ago, the fusion of his swords was brand new, creating the armament Blaster Infinity. He was eventually able to unite both Royal and Shadow Paladin into one clan as they had originally been, his power and bravery respected by both clans.

In the war against Conquest Empire, he fought to rescue Hikari from the empire's grasp, and lended his power to Elara in order to vanquish Emperor Cezaros.

 **Blaster Blade Neo**

He is Blaster Blade, the hero of the Holy Nation and bears numerous titles. During Conquest Empire's invasion, he and Blaster Dark fought against Alexander of Conquest Empire and nearly lost his life if not for Llew intervening. Impressed by the young knight, he gifted Llew the prototype version of the Blaster Blade sword he wields. Meanwhile, he upgraded his sword into its Awakened form, experiencing new power from it that even Alfred had not imagined possible. He now leads the forces of Royal Paladin against Conquest Empire, doing everything he can to banish this threat from Cray and return peace to the land.

 **Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura**

She is a member of Royal Paladin, the First Regular Army of the Holy Nation, and one of the royal guards who serve the King of Knights, Alfred. In the war against Conquest Empire, she and many of the other wielders of the Blaster Armaments fought against Alexander in an epic battle but were defeated and fatally wounded. She and her companions almost died, but her Blaster Armament enhanced her healing ability to untold levels, allowing her to not only save her own life, but also that of the other Blaster users. After that battle, her weapon was upgraded to a level that could keep up with the new power coursing through her body, its Awakened form.

 **Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl**

He is a member of Royal Paladin, the First Regular Army of the Holy Nation, and one of the royal guards who serve the King of Knights, Alfred. In the war against Conquest Empire, he and many of the other wielders of the Blaster Armaments fought against Alexander in an epic battle but were defeated and fatally wounded. They would have died if not for the awakening of Laura's power. Brought back from the brink of death by his wife, Grawl cursed himself for not being able to protect her or his comrades. This led to a newfound resolve for him however. When his weapon was upgraded into its Awakened form, he swore he would never let that same harm come to those he swore to protect ever again.

 **Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse**

He is a member of Royal Paladin, the First Regular Army of the Holy Nation, and one of the royal guards who serve the King of Knights, Alfred. In the war against Conquest Empire, he and many of the other wielders of the Blaster Armaments fought against Alexander in an epic battle but were defeated and fatally wounded. They would have died if not for the awakening of Laura's power. After returning from the brink of death, he worked tirelessly with the brightest minds of Royal Paladin and helped discover a way to upgrade the current Blaster Armaments into the new Awakened series. On top of this, the group also created new Blaster Armaments to further increase the power of the Royal Paladins.

* * *

 **Shadow Paladin:**

 **Blaster Dark Neo**

He is Blaster Dark, a legendary knight of Shadow Paladin and the Grandmaster of the clan. He has commanded the respect of nearly all of the clan's members and has begun its revival after the war against the Apostles of Gyze. However, this was cut short when Conquest Empire invaded. Shadow Paladin's forces were still weakened from being nearly broken up and rumored of the revival of the dragon of supremacy only added to his concerns. He and Blaster Blade were defeated in battle against Alexander of Conquest Empire and would have died if not for Llew's interference in the battle. Impressed by the knight's determination, he gifted Llew with the prototype version of the Blaster Dark sword he wields. Meanwhile, he upgraded his sword to its Awakened form and new power unlike anything he had ever felt before flowed through his body. With strength renewed, he leads Shadow Paladin in its effort to repel Conquest Empire and make their soldiers experience an untold hell.

* * *

 **Neo Nectar:**

 **Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia**

One of the Floral Musketeers, born from a rose. For a long time, her flower had been a bud. However, she was one day summoned by Ahsha and given a trial, in which the flower maiden believe that Amelia's untapped power would awaken. Her hopes were proven true, as Amelia's flower bloomed into a beautiful rose. She now had power that rivaled many of the most elite warriors of the Musketeers, and fought alongside them against the war against Conquest Empire.


	68. Scarlet Blade Reborn

**A/N: Hey readers. New chapter time once again. And this one features a character I'm sure many of you have missed seeing in action.**

After a long week of school, the weekend had finally arrived. And that meant plenty of free time for Aurora. Deciding to enjoy herself, she had decided to go and see if her friends were available to hang out. And with the weather being as nice as it was, she had opted to walk to their houses instead of calling to get some fresh air.

Since Anthony's house was closer, Aurora had decided to try his house first. She walked up to her friend's house and knocked on the door. It had been a long time since she had last been here. Over a year in fact.

Soon, the door opened with Anthony's aunt standing on the other side. "Oh hello Aurora dear. It's nice to see you."

"The same to you." Aurora said with a polite bow. "Is Anthony here?"

"Antonio? Oh yes, he's in the kitchen with his friend."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Friend? I didn't know Dan was here."

"Oh not him. It's someone else."

Now Aurora was really interested. As far as she was concerned, Anthony didn't have a whole lot of friends outside of her, Dan, and the others at the card shop. Anthony's aunt let Aurora inside and led her into the kitchen. Sitting at the table, she saw Anthony. But the other person sitting with him caused her to widen her eyes in disbelief.

Elizabeth Scarlet.

"Aurora?" Anthony questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I… uh…" Aurora was left speechless by this. "Ok no! Time out! What's Elizabeth doing here?!"

"Nice to see you too." Elizabeth commented. "And to answer your question, I came over to visit him."

"Wait, what?!"

"William and I came to Japan for some business for the Lewis family. William decided to also make it a bit of a vacation for us. We'll be staying in Japan for a couple weeks."

Now that Aurora thought about it, she did recall the others informing her that Elizabeth was working with the Lewis family to help support her adopted parents ever since the Scarlet family had gone bankrupt during the World Tournament. She looked over at Anthony. "Why didn't you tell me she was here?"

"She just arrived this morning. And I'm still trying to process all this myself." Anthony said.

"So where are we going today?" Elizabeth asked. "You said you'd show me around Japan today since you're off from school."

"Right…" Anthony said, remembering he had promised that before, though it had been to get her off his back at the time.

"Well then… I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out today, but I can see you're busy." Aurora said. "I'll see you around."

"Gonna play kissy face with Dan then?"

Aurora nearly tripped when she heard that comment. "Just shut up! You're not the only one with stuff to process!"

As Aurora left the house, Elizabeth looked over at Anthony. "What was that about?"

"She kissed Dan and has been avoiding the topic ever since." Anthony explained.

"I see…" Elizabeth said. "So… that tour?"

Anthony sighed. ' _Why are all the girls in my life so pushy?'_

* * *

Anthony and Elizabeth walked together through the city streets. For Anthony, most of this wasn't anything new. Just everyday stuff and everyday people. But Elizabeth on the other hand was quite curious about Japan's culture. And despite her family now being dirt poor, she still kept a dignified aura around her.

"So… How are your folks doing?" Anthony asked. "I mean after everything that happened…"

"It's been a bit of a struggle. But they've managed to find an apartment to stay in for the time being." Elizabeth said. "I send them most of the money I make, so they've been managing to stay afloat. As for the rest of the Scarlet family… let's just say they've been taking it rough."

"Guess you've got a good relationship with your parents then."

Elizabeth nodded her head. "Yes. While most of the Scarlet family has never been too accepting of me, they've always been supportive of my hard work. I'm very grateful to them." She looked over at Anthony. "Your aunt and uncle seem to have a good relationship with you too."

"Yeah. Well I've lived with them for a long time. My folks are always traveling so this was the easiest thing for me." Anthony said. "I didn't always have the greatest relationship with my folks. But things have been getting better lately."

"That's good to hear."

The duo continued to walk around. Anthony showed some places to her, and every now and then Elizabeth tried some of the local delicacies. It seemed that the red haired girl was enjoying herself, which Anthony was happy to see. After everything that had happened to her with her family going bankrupt, it was nice to see a smile on the girl's face.

As they walked, Elizabeth caught sight of a particular store. "A card shop? You never said there was one in this area."

"Huh?" Anthony looked over to where Elizabeth was gesturing to and widened his eyes. Demon's Den. "Yeah, no. Trust me, we don't want to go there."

"Why not?"

"A certain bunch of lowlives hang there." Anthony said. "As much as I'd enjoy taking them down a peg or two, they're not worth the trouble."

"It would seem that not all of Japan's cardfighters are exactly respectable players." Elizabeth said. Suddenly, she caught sight of something. A group of guys were taking a kid around to the back of the shop. It was clear that the kid was not a willing participant in this little excursion. "Why those little…"

"What is it?" Anthony asked. Elizabeth didn't say anything else as she stormed off after the group. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

Elizabeth ignored Anthony as she went around to the back of the shop. In the back was a small parking lot. She could see three male teens pushing the little kid around.

"Aw, what's the matter? You gonna cry, little boy?"

"Give it back to me!" the kid yelled. "Those are my cards!"

"Not anymore kid. You know how things work here. Those that win make the rules." the leader of the group said with a dark chuckle.

"That's not fair!"

"Oh? What you gonna do about it?" he asked. The two teens with him cracked their knuckles, intimidating the kid. "You keep whining, and you're gonna get hurt."

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Elizabeth glaring at him. "The hell do you want?"

"Give the kid his deck back." Elizabeth told him.

"Oh yeah? And what if I say no?"

"I was actually hoping you'd ask that." Elizabeth said. Skillfully, she twisted his arm and forced him to let go of the deck. She caught the falling deck box and kicked him back.

"You bitch! You're gonna pay for that!" he yelled. "Get her boys!"

As Anthony came into the back, he saw the three teens charge at Elizabeth. But the Scarlet girl had little difficulty blocking their punches and knocking them to the ground, putting them in a world of hurt.

The boy ran over to Elizabeth, who returned his deck to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks so much miss." the boy said.

"Just get going." Elizabeth told him. "I'll handle this."

"Ugh… you're gonna pay for that." the leader grunted as he got to his feet. He saw Anthony with her and widened his eyes. "Hey! You're one of the members of that team Kisha's with!"

"I thought I recognized that ugly face of yours." Anthony said. "What was your name again? Akuma?"

"It's Akira!" he yelled angrily.

"Oh right. Sorry, it's just so hard remembering weak idiots like you."

Akira and his two friends glared. "You've got a lotta nerve punk."

"You're fight's with me first." Elizabeth said, stepping forward.

Akira smirked. "What's the matter? Need a girl to defend you?"

"Big talk from the three guys that just got knocked flat by said girl."

"Oh yeah?! You wanna go?!" Akira yelled. "Let's settle this with a cardfight!"

"Fine by me." Elizabeth said.

Akira and his friends chuckled. "You're gonna regret this later." Akira told her. "Bring the gear out?"

Elizabeth and Anthony watched as Akira's two cohorts went into the shop. A minute later, they were back out with a table, in addition to bringing out a pair of metallic wristbands.

"I see you're still using those things." Anthony said.

"Glad to see you remember our shock cuffs." Akira said. "But do you remember the pain they can dish out?"

"I remember you crying like a baby when Dan beat you while wearing them."

Akira growled at being forced to remember that incident. "Once I'm through with this girl, you're next punk."

"Oh? You think you can beat me?" Elizabeth asked. "Why don't we find out?"

Both Akira and Elizabeth attached the wristbands and placed their decks down on the table. They each drew their opening hand as they started.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla!"

 **Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Deranged Singular!"

 **Deranged Singular**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first." Akira said. "I ride Wertiger Jaeger!"

 **Wertiger Jaeger**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Deranged Singular moves back due to forerunner. Turn end." Akira said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Akira(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Ride! Spear of Darkness, Mazorlf!"

 **Spear of Darkness, Mazorlf**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carmilla moves back." Elizabeth explained. "With a boost from Carmilla, Mazorlf attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." Akira felt a small shock through his body from taking a damage.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(0), Akira(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Elizabeth(6), Akira(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Akira said. "Ride! Covetous Succubus!"

 **Covetous Succubus**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Succubus of Jealousy." Akira said. "Skill of Jealousy. Since my Vanguard has darkness, I look at the top five cards of my deck and add up to 2 grade 1 or higher cards with darkness into the soul." He took a look at the top five cards and smirked. "Lucky me. I add Succubus of Avarice and Baleful Repressor to the soul."

' _Dark Irregulars get more power as they build up the soul.'_ Anthony thought as he watched the fight progress. ' _Be careful Elizabeth.'_

"Jealousy attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Elizabeth said, holding up a card from her hand.

Deranged Singular boosts Covetous Succubus." Kira said. "With Deranged Singular's darkness, 2000 is added."

 **(9000+5000+2000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Akira grinned at what he got. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Elizabeth said, letting two cards fall into her damage zone. She felt a painful shock come from the wristband. "Ahhhhh!"

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Akira(1).]**

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Akira smirked. "I end my turn. Feel free to give up if it's too much for you."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Akira(5).]**

"Don't get cocky, you jerk." Elizabeth glared. "Stand and draw." The pain from the shock was still lingering in her body. ' _It's no different than what William must have gone through when he fought Allen. I'll endure it.'_

"Ride! Exceptional Knight, Gwawl!"

 **Exceptional Knight, Gwawl**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I call Darkpride Dragon to rear guard." Elizabeth said. "Darkpride attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Carmilla boosts! Get him Gwawl!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Akira(2).]**

"Turn end." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Akira(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Akira said. "Time for me to teach you a lesson, you self righteous wannabe! It's the winners in this world that make the rules! Losers like you exist only for the strong to crush! I ride One Who Proceeds Towards Daybreak, Scharhrot!"

 **One Who Proceeds Towards Daybreak, Scharhrot**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Jealousy, attack!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"Scharhrot, teach her a lesson!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger! All effects to Succubus of Jealousy!" Akira said.

"Damage check." Elizabeth said. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), Akira(2).]**

"Jealousy attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger." Once again, an electric shock went through her body.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Akira(2).]**

"Turn end." Akira said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Elizabeth(4), Akira(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. She looked at her wrist. It was shaking from the pain it was in. ' _To think anyone other than Allen would try to hurt people with Vanguard. I'll make this lowlife pay.'_

"Dragon that stands at the summit of strength! Crush your enemies with your dark blade! Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Claret Sword Dragon, Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Elizabeth called out. "Supremacy Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Darkpride Dragon! Then I search my deck for a grade 1 unit and call it to rear guard! Come forth Spear of Darkness Mazorlf!" Elizabeth said. "It gains the skill to count as two retires when paying a cost. In addition, Darkpride's skill activates. Since it was retired, I call Darkquartz Dragon to rear guard and countercharge."

"Big deal."

"Oh it's a very big deal." Elizabeth said. "With Darkquartz's skill, both it and the Vanguard gain 3000 power. Then I call Gwawl to rear guard."

' _She's got four rear guards out. But her hand's low right now.'_ Anthony thought. ' _However, with Aurageyser's skill, she can add two more cards to her hand. Seems she's just as good as when she was in the World Tournament.'_

"Mazorlf's skill increases his power to 8000 when my Vanguard has Claret Sword Dragon in its name. And both he and Gwawl gain Resist for the same condition." Elizabeth said. "Boosted by Mazorlf, Darkquartz attacks!"

 **(7000+3000+7000+1000=18000)**

"Guard."

"Boosted by Carmilla, Aurageyser Dragon attacks!" Elizabeth declared. "Skill of Aurageyser! I retire Mazorlf, treating him as two retires! Then I can add the top two cards of my deck to my hand for each grade 1 or less card among them!" She revealed the first card, getting a grade 2. However, her next card was a grade 1, letting her gain power. "In addition, Carmilla's skill activates! Once per turn, when one of my rear guards is retired for the cost of my skill, I draw. Then, since the retired unit was grade 1, 5000 is added to my Vanguard. And lastly, when Mazorlf is retired for the cost of my skill, I can soul blast and call another one from my deck."

 **(26000+3000+5000+5000+5000=44000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive." Elizabeth said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Gwawl and critical to Aurageyser. Third check, no trigger."

Two more cards went into Akira's damage zone, sending a shock through his body. He glared at Elizabeth, who smirked back at him. At the very least, his second damage check had got him a critical trigger, allowing him to increase his Vanguard's power.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Akira(4).]**

"Gwawl will attack next, with a boost from Mazorlf!" Elizabeth declared. "Gwawl's skill. Counterblast and retire Darkquartz. Gwawl gains 10000 power, and since the card I retired for his skill was grade 1, I retire your Deranged Singular."

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000+1000=33000)**

Akira growled in anger. Deranged Singular was an important card to help him with his strategy. Losing it hurt his game plan. "Generation guard! False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat!"

 **False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating skill. Soul charge two cards. Then since I have six or more cards in the soul, add 5000 to the shield." Akira explained.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Elizabeth(8), Akira(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Akira said. "You're not half bad, I suppose. But if you think you can make a fool out of me, you've got another thing coming."

"I don't need to. You already seem to be doing a pretty good job of that yourself." Elizabeth smirked.

"Grrr… That does it!" Akira yelled. "Stride Generation! One Steeped in Sin, Scharhrot!"

 **One Steeped in Sin, Scharhrot**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul charge two cards! Then I add Baleful Repressor to my hand and put Dimension Creeper into the soul from my hand!" Akira said. "I activate Dimension Creeper's skill in the soul! I send it to the drop zone and soul charge two cards! Then I call Monochrome of Nightmareland and activate its skill! I return it to the deck, soul charge, countercharge, and draw since my soul is ten or more!"

' _11 cards. He's going for a big move.'_

"I call! Baleful Repressor! And two Wertiger Plunderer's!" Kira said. "With Succubus of Jealousy's darkness, I add 2000 power to her! And Plunderer's darkness will increase its power by 1000 for every card in my soul! Now with Wertiger Plunderer's boost, get her Jealousy!"

 **(9000+2000+7000+11000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Plotmaker's ritual 3! Add 10000 to the shield!"

"Baleful attacks with Plunderer's boost! With Baleful's darkness, I add 10000 power to it and prevent you from guarding with grade 0s!"

 **(9000+10000+7000+11000=37000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Let's see how you handle this! Scharhrot attacks!" Akira called out. "Darkness! I counterblast and send all my rear guards to the soul! Add 10000 power! Since there's ten or more in soul, I retire all opponent rear guards! And since there's fifteen or more in soul, you can't guard this attack with a sentinel!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!" Kira grinned. One more critical trigger and he would win. "Third check… no trigger."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger." Elizabeth said. The electrical shock came, but she endured the pain.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Akira(4).]**

"Damn… It doesn't matter though! I'll still beat you once my next turn comes!"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Akira(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "You know, people like you make me sick."

"What was that?"

"You think being in charge means you can do whatever you want. That the weak are nothing more than punching bags for your amusement." She glared at him, sending a chill down his back. "I've had to deal with your kind for most of my life. But not a single one of them were as pathetic as you." Elizabeth said. "I'm ending this now. Generation Zone, release! Bathe those who underestimate your power in eternal hellfire! Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Good luck using that stride skill of yours. You don't have any rear guards to retire and pay the cost." Akira said.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I don't need it." Elizabeth said. "Call! Morion Spear Dragon! Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious! Darkquartz Dragon!" The two grade 2s appeared in Elizabeth's front row, while Darkquartz was placed behind Morion Spear. "While it's on my rear guard, Argagious counts as a grade 1! Darkquartz's skill also activates, increasing both its power and the Vanguard's by 3000! With its boost, Morion Spear attacks! Morion Spear's skill activates, increasing its power by 5000!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+3000=24000)**

"No guard." Akira said. He felt the shock for his fifth damage come. ' _I've still got a sentinel in my hand. There's no way her Vanguard's attack is reaching me.'_

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Kira(5).]**

"Claret Blood Dragon attacks!" Elizabeth declared. "Activating Claret Blood Dragon's skill! Generation Break 3! I retire all three of my rear guards! Now the opponent cannot guard this attack with grade 1 or higher cards from their hand!"

"Wait, what?!" Akira gasped.

"There's more." Elizabeth said. "Since 2 of the rear guards I retired were grade 1, I add 10000 power and plus one critical."

 **(26000+3000+10000=39000)**

Akira couldn't believe what he was hearing. The cards in his hand wouldn't be able to guard the attack. "N-No guard…"

"Triple drive! Elizabeth called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"No… This can't be…" Akira said. He removed the shock band from his wrist. Not even performing his damage check, he took off running. "You'll regret this!"

"Pathetic coward." Elizabeth muttered. She glared at Akira's two friends. "Who wants to be next?"

Scared by the intimidating woman, they quickly took off running after Akira. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. They were the ones who decided to use the disgusting devices that hurt people, and yet they refused to feel the pain when it meant them losing. It was pathetic.

"Not bad." Anthony grinned. "Seems you haven't been slacking off on your cardfighting."

"Of course I haven't." Elizabeth said. She took off the wristband, flinching slightly from the pain on her wrist.

"Let me take a look at that." Anthony said.

"I'm fine! I don't need your help!" Elizabeth snapped.

"Dan already fought these guys once using those. I know the after effects." Anthony said. "Now let me see your wrist."

Elizabeth grumbled, but showed her wrist. "It feels fine."

"Oh really?" Anthony asked. He tapped the wrist where the injury was showing. He instantly noticed Elizabeth tense up from the pain. "Yeah, I thought as much. Come on, let's go."

"I told you I'm fine. I don't need you to baby me."

"I'm not babying you, I'm looking out for you. That's something friends do." Anthony said. "Now you're gonna follow me back to my place, get this bandaged, or I will drag you back myself."

Elizabeth blinked her eyes in surprise at the concern Anthony was showing for her. She hid a small blush and looked away. "Fine. If you're gonna beg, I guess I'll go."

Anthony led the way as he and Elizabeth went back to his house. The red haired girl would never admit it to his face, but she was glad to have a caring friend like Anthony with her right now.

 **Anthony: Geez, those losers never learn, do they?**

 **Aurora: I'm just glad everything worked out alright.**

 **Elizabeth: As if there was anything to worry about. There was no way I'd lose against opponents of that level.**

 **Dan: Seems we're no the only ones encountering trouble. Sophia's having issues herself.**

 **Next time: A Heart Filled With Sorrow**

 **Card Gallery:**

Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO RC 1/Turn:** When your rear guard is retired due to the cost or effect of your unit, if you have a Vanguard with "Claret Sword Dragon" in its name, draw 1 card. Then, if the retired card was a grade 1, choose your Vanguard and it gets +5000 power.

* * *

Spear of Darkness, Mazorlf  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with "Claret Sword Dragon" in its name, this unit gets +1000 power, and Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** SB1. When this unit is retired for the cost of your skill, if you have a Vanguard with "Claret Sword Dragon" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a card named "Spear of Darkness, Mazorlf", call it to RC, and it gains +5000 power.

* * *

Exceptional Knight, Gwawl  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with "Claret Sword Dragon" in its name, this unit gets Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [CB1 & Retire one of your rear guards]. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains +10000 power. Then, if the unit you retired was a grade 1, choose one of your opponent's units and retire it.


	69. A Heart Filled With Sorrow

**A/N: What's up readers? Time for a brand new chapter, involving everyone's favorite tiny cardfighter. Hope you all enjoy it.**

' _Where am I?'_

Sophia looked around, finding herself in a place she didn't recognize. It was a wasteland, with no signs of life whatsoever. As she looked around at her surroundings, she saw something in the distance. The little girl took off running towards it.

When Sophia finally got close enough, she realized that the thing she saw was a dragon. It was on the ground, not moving with its eyes closed. Its body was covered with injuries. And scattered in the distance she saw other creatures in the exact same condition.

The little girl covered her gasp with her hands. "No… How horrible…"

Suddenly, a shadow hovered over Sophia. She turned around and gasped as she saw the massive fleet of Conquest Empire in the sky. All of the ships fired a barrage of cannonfire down her way. Sophia closed her eyes in fear, but the impact never happened. When she peeked her eyes open, she saw Infinite Star Dragon shielding her from the bombardment.

"I will… protect you… Sophia…" the dragon grunted.

"No! You can't keep that up!" Sophia called out. She begged for this to stop in her mind. Why was all of this happening?

"I'll be with you… always…" the dragon said. Suddenly, the assault from Conquest Empire overcame the dragon and hit it full force.

"INFINITE STAR DRAGON!" Sophia screamed.

With a jolt, Sophia's body shot up from her bed. She breathed heavily as she came to her senses. She wasn't on a battlefield. She was back on Earth, in the room she shared with the other girls her age in the orphanage. But that didn't stop her from shaking with fear. The horrible visions that nightmare had brought her. And all of the horrible sights she had seen in the actual battle against Conquest Empire last month.

"Ngh… Sophia?" another one of the girls said with a yawn. "Is something wrong?"

Sophia faked a smile and shook her head. "It's alright. Just a nightmare is all."

"The same one you've been having for weeks?"

Hesitantly, Sophia nodded her head. Ever since she and the others had come back from Cray, she had been haunted by similar nightmares fairly frequently. It wasn't every night, but it was still pretty often that her dreams were filled with death and misery. All from the horrible sights she had witnessed in the war against Conquest Empire.

Sophia got up from her bed and went into the bathroom. She splashed some water into her face to try and calm herself. Once she did, she went back to bed and did the same thing she always did. Go back to sleep and pray that the nightmares wouldn't return.

* * *

Through the school day, Sophia constantly found herself distracted. Often the teacher would have to snap her out of her thoughts. This had been starting to happen more and more as the nightmares became frequent. By the time school finally let out, Sophia was relieved.

' _Maybe I should go to the card shop. That might help me relax.'_ Sophia thought. She walked through the streets as she made her way to the card shop she frequented.

One thing Sophia had been explicitly told was to not speak of anything that had happened on Cray, or even the fact that the planet was real for that matter. She didn't really understand why. Cray was such a magical place for cardfighters. She could only imagine the joy they would feel if they found out it was real. But still, she had promised to keep quiet on the matter and she was good for her word.

After a short walk, Sophia finally arrived at the card shop. She opened the door and walked inside, being greeted by the manager with a smile.

"Ah, Sophia. So good to see you."

"Hello, sir." Sophia said with a polite bow.

"Hey Sophia!" Maria called out.

Sophia looked over to one of the tables and saw her teammate from the World Tournament. She walked over to her friend. "Hi Maria."

Several players in the store caught sight of Sophia and Maria talking with each other. Ever since their high standing in the World Tournament, the three members of Team Southern Jungle had pretty much been celebrities in the shop.

"Is Bruno here too?" Sophia asked.

Maria shook her head. "No. Bruno's got a mountain load of homework he said. And knowing him, it'll take him all night to finish it."

Sophia let out a giggle. "Yeah. That sounds like him."

"Well since we're here…" Maria said as she brought her deck out. "How about a game?"

Sophia nodded her head. A game of Vanguard was probably the best thing for her right now. "Ok."

The two girls shuffled their decks and drew their opening hands. Together, they started the game.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Evolution Star-saver, Carbon!"

 **Evolution Star-saver, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Semilunar Magus!"

 **Semilunar Magus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Sophia tilted her head in confusion. "You're not using Godhawk Ichibyoshi?"

Maria shook her head. "No, I'm going with my old deck for a bit. You remember how I used the Magus series before you got me into Tsukiyomi."

"Of course I remember. But why are you going back to it?"

"It's true that Tsukiyomi helped me a lot in the World Tournament. But I don't want to forget where I came from." Maria explained. "So I've been using what I learned playing against the players in the tournament to tweak this deck and get it to the next level." She showed a big grin. "And considering I've been clobbering the players here, I'd say it's doing well."

"I see… I think I get it." Sophia said.

"You've been using that new deck of yours ever since you returned from Japan." Maria noted. "You must really like it, huh? It sure was nice of the Tatsunagi Corporation to let you have some of the new Star Chaser cards before the set containing them released."

"Yeah… Right…" Sophia said. To further keep the secret of her mission to Cray a secret, Sophia had told everyone that she had gotten her Star-saver deck from the Tatsunagi Corporation on her "trip" to Japan. It wouldn't make much sense for her to have a brand new deck of cards that had yet to be released out of the blue. But with the latest set, Star Chaser was now available to everyone. Her Star-saver cards were also in it, as well as cards that had been shown off by Aurora throughout the tournament.

"Alright then. You can take the first move if you want Sophia." Maria said.

"Ok then." Sophia said. "I ride Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon."

 **Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carbon moves back." Sophia said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Maria(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Maria said. "I ride Circle Magus!"

 **Circle Magus**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Semilunar moves back due to forerunner. Next I use Circle's skill. Look at the top card of the deck." Maria said. She looked at the top card and left it there. "With a boost from Semilunar Magus, Circle Magus attacks! Activating the skill of Semilunar Magus. When she boosts, I declare a card name. If the top card of my deck is the declared card, I send her to the soul and draw two cards. I declare Tetra Magus." She flipped over the top card, her prediction proving to be true.

' _She was able to preview the top card with Circle Magus. So she already knows what the card is going to be.'_ Sophia thought. ' _Maria's as good with that deck as she's always been.'_

 **(7000)**

"No guard." Sophia said.

"Drive check." Maria said. "No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Maria(0).]**

"That'll end my turn." Maria said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(5), Maria(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Ride. Papilion Star-saver, Photon."

 **Papilion Star-saver, Photon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I attack Circle Magus with a boost from Carbon."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Maria said.

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to Photon."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Maria(2).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(6), Maria(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. She eyed the little girl curiously. ' _Something's up with her. She's usually a lot more upbeat when she cardfights. But it doesn't seem like she's enjoying this. Could it just be my imagination?'_

"I ride. Stellar Magus."

 **Stellar Magus**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Trapezoid Magus." Maria said. The grade 2 she called was a girl with hair tied up in two ponytails. A long staff was in her hands with two floating cannons hovering over her. "I also call Rhombus Magus."

' _She's got a full front row.'_ Sophia realized.

"Rhombus Magus attacks." Maria said.

 **(9000)**

"Rhombus's skill counterblast. I declare a card name and if that card is at the top of my deck, I can add 5000 power to Rhombus. I declare CEO Amaterasu."

Sophia tilted her head. "When did you start playing that card in your deck?"

"I don't." Maria said. She revealed the card, and it was not Amaterasu. "But thanks to that, now I know what the top card is."

Sophia widened her eyes. ' _So she used the skill, planning to fail. But as a result, she can now predict her other cards perfectly.'_

"Well? You guarding?"

Sophia took a card from her hand and held it up. "I guard with Binary Star."

"Trapezoid Magus attacks next." Maria said. "Trapezoid's skill. Counterblast. I declare the top card is Paisley Magus." She revealed the card, knowing already that her prediction was true. "Since I'm right, I can add 5000 power to Trapezoid Magus and retire an opponent's rear guard. I choose Carbon."

Sophia gasped as her starter was taken out in an instant. Carbon was a card that really helped set up her bind zone. Losing it was a hard hit to her.

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Maria(2).]**

"Stellar attacks next!"

 **(9000)**

' _She's not using her Vanguard's skill. It's because she knows the next card is a critical trigger.'_ Sophia thought. She held up a grade 0 with 10000 shield. "I guard!"

"Drive check." Maria said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard." Unfortunately, the power boost wasn't enough to break through. With that, her turn was over. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(4), Maria(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon."

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Maria took notice of Sophia's lack of passion. Usually, she'd be thrilled whenever she got her main unit into play. But it was as if all the joy from her was gone.

"Sophia… Is everything alright?"

"Huh?"

"You seem distracted." Maria said. "As if your heart isn't in this fight."

Sophia looked down. Maria wasn't exactly wrong. Cardfighting brought her mind back to everything that had happened in the battle against Conquest Empire. All the pain and suffering it brought. She had never thought terror of that level actually existed in the world.

She had been such a naive child. And now she was fully aware of what war was. It was hell. Plain and simple.

But despite all that, she couldn't tell Maria or anyone she knew here about what had happened. She had no one to talk to. No one to console her. She was all alone.

"I'm fine." Sophia lied. "Let's continue. I call Salvation Star-saver, Krypton. Krypton attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Intercept with Trapezoid Magus."

"Infinite Star Dragon attacks the Vanguard."

 **(11000)**

"Guard with Paisley Magus." Maria said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard." Sophia said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(5), Maria(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Maria said. She held out a card from her hand. "Oh oracle of guidance, fortel my future and bring me victory. Ride! Pentagonal Magus!"

 **Pentagonal Magus**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Maria declared. "One Who Views the Planet, Globe Magus!"

 **One Who Views the Planet, Globe Magus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I draw a card. Then, I can look at the top card of my deck." Maria explained. "Next I call Oval Magus." The grade 1 that appeared behind her Vanguard was a young girl in a blue robe, holding a staff. "I also call Crescent Magus behind Rhombus, and also Ring Magus. In addition, Oval's skill activates when she's placed. Soul blast. I draw a card and put one card from my hand on top of the deck."

It was obvious to Sophia that the card Maria had on top of her deck was most likely a trigger. Her skill with her Magus deck had clearly improved recently.

"Rhombus Magus attacks with a boost from Crescent Magus." Maria said. "I activate both of their skills, declaring the top card to be Lozenge Magus Fine." Maria revealed the card, proving to be correct. "Since I'm right, Rhombus gains 5000 power from her skill, and another 3000 from Crescent's skill."

 **(9000+5000+6000+3000=23000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Maria(2).]**

"Attacking with Globe Magus, boosted by Oval." Maria said.

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, heal trigger. I don't heal, but I give the power to Ring Magus. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Ring Magus." Maria declared. "Now I use the skill of Globe Magus. I can look at the top card of my deck at any time." Taking a look at the card on top, she returned it. "Ring Magus attacks! With her skill, I counterblast and declare the top card to be Cone Magus. And since it is, I add it to my hand and add 3000 power to Ring Magus."

 **(11000+10000+3000=24000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Maria(2).]**

"Globe's skill. Look at the top card of the deck. Then, turn end." Maria said. "At the end of my turn, Pentagonal Magus can activate her skill. I declare the top card is Rhombus Magus. Because I'm right, I draw."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(3), Maria(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. ' _Maria's right. My heart isn't in this cardfight. It's as if Vanguard is just bringing me back to my nightmares.'_ Sophia shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _I can't think about those things right now. I'll only worry Maria if she sees me acting sad.'_

"Stride Generation. Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades."

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I bind my rear guard Krypton and call it out." Sophia declared. "Krypton's Warpdrive gives him a skill, and being called off of the stride skill increases his power by 5000." Sophia explained. "Next I call Star-saver, Gravi-Schwarz Dragon and Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon. With Neon's boost, Gravi-Schwarz attacks."

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"Guard." Maria said, holding up a trigger from her hand with 10000 shield.

"Attack with Plieades." Sophia said. "Skill of Pleiades. I bind Gravi-Schwarz and Neon. Then I can call out cards from my bind zone equal to my Generation Break, which is 2. I call Both of the units I bound. With the skill Krypton gained from his Warpdrive, he gains an extra 10000 power in total. Next I use Gravi-Schwarz's Warpdrive. It gains 5000 power and plus one critical."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Maria said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger. Power to Gravi-Schwarz and I draw." Sophia said. "Gravi-Schwarz attacks with Neon's boost."

 **(11000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard." Maria said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Maria(4).]**

"Krypton attacks."

 **(9000+15000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Persevering One, Lozenge Magus Apex!"

 **Persevering One, Lozenge Magus Apex**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Apex. I counterblast and look at the top two cards of the deck. I add one to the hand and put the other on the bottom of the deck." Maria explained.

"My turn's over." Sophia said. "Using Neon's skill, I bind him and draw."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(6), Maria(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. "Sophia, I don't know what's going on with you. But you're not acting like yourself."

Sophia frowned. "I'm sorry."

"The Sophia I know is always smiling. She's always there to cheer people up when they need it." Maria said. "So Sophia, it's my turn to bring back your smile. Because you're my friend."

"Maria…"

"Generation Zone, release!" Maria called out. "Now reveal it to me! The endless possible futures stretching out in front of me! Stride Generation! One Who Reads the Sand, Pyramid Magis!"

 **One Who Reads the Sand, Pyramid Magus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I draw 1 card, then look at the top card of the deck." Maria said. "Next I activate Pyramid Magus's skill. I declare the top card of my deck is Tetra Magus." She revealed the top card, proving to be true. "Since I'm right, I draw two cards and place one card from my hand on top of my deck. On top of that, my Vanguard gains a skill. All of my front row Magus units gain 1000 power for each card in my hand."

"For every card?!" Sophia gasped.

"That's right." Maria said. "I currently have 6 cards in my hand, so the power boost is currently 6000. But now we'll be going onto the important part of the turn. Rhombus Magus attacks with a boost from Crescent! I activate both of their skills! Declaring the top card of the deck to be Psychic Bird!" Maria smirked, revealing the very card she had declared. "Rhombus gains 5000 and Crescent gains 3000."

 **(9000+6000+5000+6000+3000=29000)**

' _It's so big!'_ Sophia thought, her eyes widening in fear. "No guard… Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Maria(4).]**

"Giving up already? The Sophia I know wouldn't!" Maria said. "Whether she was winning or losing, she'd always face her opponent with a smile! So why don't I see one right now?"

Sophia widened her eyes. She was right. Ever since she had first started Vanguard, she always made sure to have fun with each of her cardfights. Even during the World Tournament, she remembered the exciting fights she had. Even the fight where she had lost against Aurora had been one of the best times of her life.

' _But can I go back to being like that?'_ Sophia thought. ' _After everything that's happened?'_

" _Sophia… Always treasure… Your pure heart."_

' _Huh?'_ Sophia blinked her eyes in surprise. ' _That voice… Infinite Star Dragon?'_ She didn't hear the voice reappear. Perhaps she had imagined it? But the words she heard resonated within her. They were the very same words that Messiah had told her on Cray before she went off to help purify Infinite Zero. And it was the same thing that Infinite Star had told her.

' _My heart… I need to treasure it.'_ Sophia thought. ' _My love for my friends. And my love for Vanguard. I will hold both of those close to me.'_

A fire burned in Sophia's eyes as a smile came to her face. "No way am I giving up! This fight's not over yet!"

Maria widened her eyes at the sudden change in Sophia's attitude. She showed a small smile. ' _There's the little girl filled with passion that I know.'_ She continued with her turn. "Pyramid Magus's Generation Break 3! After one of my Magus rear guards attack, I can return it to my hand to look at the top card of the deck! I return Rhombus Magus to my hand!" Maria looked at the top card and placed it back. "Pyramid Magus attacks with a boost from Oval!"

 **(26000+7000+7000=40000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger! All effects to Ring Magus! Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Ring Magus! And now Ring Magus attacks!"

 **(11000+10000+10000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Galaxy Machine, Froura!"

 **Galaxy Machine, Froura**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Froura's skill! I bind Gravi-Schwarz Dragon! Then I bind the Star Night Fenrir in my drop zone, and call it to the guardian circle!"

"Ring Magus goes back to my hand, and I look at the top card of the deck. Turn end." Maria said. "Skill of Pentagonal Magus. I declare the top card is Pentagonal Magus. Since I'm right, draw 1 card."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sophia(3), Maria(12).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. ' _Thank you Infinite Star Dragon. Everyone. I'll grow stronger for all of you. And I'll keep my smile that gives you all hope.'_

"Skill of Infinite Star Dragon. I bind Krypton. Then I call him back out, and draw." Sophia said. "Generation Zone, release! Now shine brightly! Star of the future that lights my path! Stride Generation! Peace Star Saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star Saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind Krypton and call it back out! Add 5000 power!" Sophia said. "Krypton's Warpdrive is also now active! And now I call Photon and Binary Star. Skill of Photon. I bind Binary Star, then call it out. With Binary Star's Warpdrive, I call Neon from the bind zone. With Infinite Cosmos Dragon's Generation Break 3, whenever a card is called from the bind zone, both it and my Vanguard gain 3000 power."

' _She's setting up her field. But will it be enough?'_ Maria thought.

"Photon attacks with a boost from Neon!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard." Maria said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Krypton is up next with a boost from Binary Star!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+7000+1000+3000=35000)**

"No guard." Maria said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Maria(5).]**

"Peace Star-saver, Infinite cosmos Dragon attacks!" Sophia declared. "Skill activated! I bind all my rear guards! Then I call out cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break! I call Gravi-Schwarz Dragon, Krypton, Binary Star, and Neon! My Vanguard's Generation Break 3 activates for each of them! In addition, Krypton's Warpdrive will increase his power by 15000 and Gravi-Schwarz's Warpdrive will increase his power and critical!"

 **(26000+18000=44000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Sophia said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Krypton. Third check, draw trigger! Power to Gravi-Schawrz and I draw! And now I attack with Krypton, boosted by Binary Star!"

 **(9000+3000+15000+5000+7000+1000+3000=43000)**

"Guard!" Maria said, holding up three triggers, and a grade 2.

"Gravi-Schawrz and Neon, finish it!"

 **(11000+3000+5000+5000+7000+3000=34000)**

Maria looked at her hand. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Maria(6).]**

"Seems I lose." Maria said. "But it's worth it, having the Sophia I know back."

"Thanks Maria." Sophia said. "You reminded me of how much I love Vanguard."

"Would you like to talk about what's been bothering you?"

Sophia shook her head. "I'll be fine. There's no need to worry."

"You sure?

"I'm sure." Sophia nodded.

"Alright then. I won't pester you about it." Maria said. "But if you need to, you can always talk to me. Remember that."

Sophia nodded her head. "I will, Maria. Cause you and I are bestest friends."

 **Maria: By the way, you've never gone into much detail about what happened over in Japan. You were gone for more than a week. Where did you stay during that time?**

 **Sophia: Oh. Um… I stayed with Aurora.**

 **Maria: Really? That was nice of her. Did you have fun there?**

 **Sophia: Mhm. It was… interesting.**

 **Maria: Did you see her family's card shop? What was it like?**

 **Sophia: O-Oh. Well… There were cards in it.**

 **Maria: Sophia…**

 **Sophia: Oh look at that. I have to get going. See you later Maria.**

 **Maria: Hey wait! Sophia!**

 **Next time: Challenge of the Idols**

 **Card Gallery:**

Pentagonal Magus  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** When your G Unit STRIDE, draw 1 card. Then look at the top card of your deck and put it back on top of your deck.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** At the end of your turn, declare a card name, then reveal the top card of your deck. If the revealed card is the card you declared, draw 1 card and CC1.

* * *

One Who Reads the Sand, Pyramid Magus  
Stride  
Power: 15000  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** Choose a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up. Declare a card name. If the top card of your deck is the one you declared, draw 2 cards, choose a card from your hand and place it on top of your deck, and this unit gets **(CONT: All your front row cards with "Magus" in their name gain +1000 power for each card in your hand.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** At the end of a battle where your unit with "Magus" in its name attacked, you can look at the top card of your deck. Then, if it was a rear guard that attacked, you can return that unit to your hand.

* * *

Oval Magus  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO GB1:** SB1. When this unit is placed on RC, if you have a Vanguard with "Magus" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card and put a card from your hand on top of your deck.

* * *

Trapezoid Magus  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC:** CB1. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, declare a card name. Reveal the top card of your deck and if it is the declared card, choose one of your opponent's rear guards, retire it, and this card gains +5000 power.

* * *

Galaxy Machine, Froura  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** [Choose one of your rear guards with "Star-saver" in its name and bind it face up] When this card is placed on GC, you may pay the cost. If you do, take a card from your drop zone and bind it face up. Then, call a face up card from your bind zone to GC.


	70. Challenge of the Idols

**A/N: Hey readers. Ready for a special chapter? This time there's two cardfights in one chapter. Hope you all enjoy the fights, as well as the characters featured in them.**

Yukari opened her eyes and found herself drifting in space. Twinkling stars dotted the cosmos. She looked around at her surroundings, not sure of what was going on.

' _Is this a dream?'_ Yukari wondered. Suddenly, she noticed a new presence appear. The young girl recognized the being as her avatar.

"Atmos…" Yukari spoke. "Did you summon me here?"

Atmos gave no response. Instead, it glanced towards the distance. Yukari followed its gaze and saw a sphere of energy. One half of it was covered by a warm glowing light. The other half however was covered in a shadow of darkness.

"What is this?" Yukari asked.

Suddenly, she noticed a change in the sphere. The darkness around it began to grow. It became larger and larger, covering up the half filled with light. Slowly, it opened up like a shell. A creature that Yukari had never seen before emerged from it. It let out a terrifying roar that shook Yukari to her core.

But what she saw next shook her far more.

She saw planets. Entire star systems. Each one was engulfed in a brief light before disappearing altogether. It happened over and over again in such quick succession. Finally, she saw Cray and Earth hovering next to each other. And just like everything else, it vanished into nothingness.

There was nothing. Just the empty blackness of space.

"It's coming…" Atmos spoke. "Ragnarok."

Yukari shot up from her bed with a jolt. She breathed heavily at what she saw. It took her a moment to process everything that she had just seen.

' _Was that a dream?'_ Yukari asked herself. ' _No… a premonition.'_

Her entire body was shaking. What was that creature she saw? How did everything disappear into thin air the way it did. And was this threat really coming to them?

She had no answers. And that was what scared her the most.

* * *

The sky shined brightly over Japan as people gathered together. With such a big event, who could blame them?

The event in question was a special concert being done by none other than the idol trio Premium Beauty. Ever since their debut in the Vanguard World Tournament, their popularity had skyrocketed. So when word was heard of a special event going on for them, needless to say it got a lot of attention. Word was that there would also be a team tournament going on for Vanguard. And the winning team would have the honor of facing off against Premium Beauty themselves. When Aurora had caught wind of it, she was excited to enter. She had never faced off against any of the idols, but if what Dan and Anthony said were right then they were all skilled. Dan and Anthony were also eager to face off against the idols once again.

There was just one small problem. The tournament was girls only.

"This is so stupid!" Anthony complained. "These idols host a Vanguard tournament and decide to make it only for girls?! That's just sexist!"

"I'm not a fan of it either." Dan admitted. "But can you not shout so loud, Anthony? You're making a scene."

"Look, I was hoping for the three of us to face them too." Aurora said. "But we can't change the rules. So I'll just be sure to fight even harder for you guys out there."

"Who did you get to replace us, anyway?" Dan asked. "You never said."

"They should be here any minute."

"Hey! Aurora!" a new voice said. Dan and Anthony turned to see a familiar face running their way. Sarah Radcliffe. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Nope. You're right on time, Sarah." Aurora said. "I'm glad you agreed to enter with me."

"Yeah, well Emma and Kimiko are big fans of Premium Beauty." Sarah explained. "So since they wanted to come listen to them sing anyway, I figured I might as well fight while I'm here."

"How is Kimiko doing anyway?" Anthony asked.

"She's doing well. She has to go in for special check ups to make sure her eyes are fine every now and then, but other than that life has gone back to normal for her." Sarah said.

"I'm glad. And she certainly takes after her sister with her Vanguard skills." Aurora said.

"So is Emma or Kimiko your final member?" Dan asked.

Aurora shook her head. "Nope. I managed to get someone else to come."

"Who?"

"That would be me." All heads turned to see another girl walk up to the group. Akari Harmonia of Team Genius Prodigy.

"Akari?!" Anthony exclaimed. "You picked her?!"

"Well if she can find room for you on her team for the Vanguard World Tournament, it would only make sense to pick me for this." Akari smirked at Anthony. "After all, I did beat you in our fight."

"That was months ago! And I'm way better since then!"

"And what, you think I haven't improved either?" Akari asked. "Such a naive boy. You'll see just how much I've improved out on the field."

Anthony growled in frustration. Akari still knew how to get under his skin, which infuriated him all the more.

"Anyway, Akari and Sarah are gonna be my teammates for this tournament." Aurora told them. "Wish us luck."

"We'll be rooting for you." Dan said.

"Make sure you try not to get too jealous, dragon boy." Akari said as she and the other two girls walked away.

"This is so unfair!" Anthony whined.

Dan let out a sigh. "Just try to calm down. All we can do is watch, so let's at least cheer Aurora on."

"Yeah, whatever." Anthony grumbled.

The remaining minutes until the start of the event ticked down as the spectators stood together in front of the stage. When it was finally time, colorful lights shined on the stage. Smoke covered the place, until it finally cleared and revealed the three girls everyone was here to see.

"Hello everyone! We are Premium Beauty!" the idol trio spoke out to the crowd.

The cheers were almost deafening. A majority of the people here were dressed in fanboy clothes and whatnot. Some seemed to not even care about Vanguard and were here solely to see the eye candy in front of them.

"We're so glad everyone could make it out here today!" Mai said to the crowd.

"We've got a nice group of teams filled with girls ready to fight their heart out." Jasmine said.

"And the winners will go on to face us in a special cardfight." Keiko finished. "And if you can defeat us, you'll receive a special reward."

"Probably free tickets to their next gig." Anthony said with a roll of his eyes.

"Now then, are you ready?!" the three girls said to the crowd. "Time for some Vanguard!"

* * *

"Go Harmonics Neo Messiah!" Sarah called out. "End this!"

The attack from the Link Joker player finished off her opponent, putting them at six damage. Sarah grinned at her victory. "Aw yeah!"

Ever since the tournament started, Aurora's team had been sweeping away the competition. It was only natural, considering that they had a member of Genius Prodigy, and two high standing fighters from the Vanguard World Tournament. Most of the other teams were made of of female fighters that were sorely lacking in experience compared to them. Almost all of their victories had been complete landslides.

For each of the rounds, all three fighters fought at the same time. Two wins earned your team a spot in the next round. And now Aurora's team was in the finals, with only one more win needed to earn them the victory they needed.

"Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar! Take 'em out!" Akari called out. The attack from her Vanguard crashed into her opponent, putting them to six damage. "Heh, too easy."

"Oh man. I lost." her opponent frowned.

"Seems they'll be moving on." Anthony said. "Now Aurora just needs to finish her fight."

"Looks like that won't take long." Dan noted. "She's just about wrapped this up."

"Star Shimmer Dragon's Generation Break 3!" Aurora declared. "I bind two of my rear guards and discard a card! My Vanguard stands back up with drive minus 1!"

"No way!" her opponent gasped. She could only watch helplessly as Aurora's next attack put her to six damage and ended the game.

The crowd applauded the three girls on their victory. Each of them high fived each other, glad that they had done so well.

"That was even easier than I thought it'd be." Sarah said.

"I just hope these idols are as strong as I heard." Akari said. "I'm bored with these weaklings we've been fighting."

"Oh? So you want a challenge, do you?" The sound of Mai's voice caught their attention as they turned and saw Premium Beauty standing on stage, looking down at them. "Hope you don't end up regretting those words."

"We're not planning on going down easy." Keiko grinned.

"You'll need to bring your best if you want to defeat us." Jasmine told them.

Aurora grinned excitedly. "Bring it on! This is what I came here for!"

"Then get up here." Mai said. "We'll be fighting on the big stage."

Aurora, Sarah, and Akari all walked up on stage and stood across from Premium Beauty. It was clear just by looking at the three idols that they were not going to go down easily.

"Unlike the previous matches, we'll be doing this one fight at a time." Mai explained. "Don't worry though, regardless of the results all three fights will happen. So even if we beat you in the first two games, the third will still happen."

"That's fine. At least we all get our turn to beat an idol." Sarah grinned, taking on the challenge.

"Oh, I like you." Mai said. She stepped forward. "Why don't you and I start things off?"

"It'd be my pleasure." Sarah told her. She looked over at her two teammates. "You two ok with that?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Sure. No complaints here."

"Just make sure you win." Akari told her with a smile.

"You got it." Sarah nodded. She walked up to face Mai at the table.

"Woo! Go Sarah!" a cheer from Emma was heard.

"You can do it sis!" Kimiko shouted along with her.

Sarah looked out into the crowd and saw her sister and Marcus's sister standing together. At their side were Marcus and Daiki, keeping an eye on the two girls.

' _I've been fighting for so long to try and raise money for Kimiko. It's been a long time since I entered a tournament for the fun of it.'_ Sarah thought.

"Well aren't you carefree?" Sarah turned back to Mai, who was smirking at her. "Don't take me lightly. You can't beat me if your distracted."

"That's true." Sarah said. "Now let's see if Aurora was right about you three being strong."

Together, the two girls started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Neon Messiah!"

 **Neon Messiah**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Maiden of Noisette!"

 **Maiden of Noisette**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _Neo Nectar, huh?'_ Sarah thought. ' _Too bad for her, I've fought Daiki tons of times in practice. I already know what to expect from that clan.'_

"Challengers first." Mai offered.

"Don't mind if I do." Sarah said. "I ride! Sacrifice Messiah!"

 **Sacrifice Messiah**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Neon Messiah moves back with forerunner. Turn end." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sarah(5), Mai(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Mai said. "I watched your games during the World Tournament. Very impressive." A small smirk showed on the idol's lips. "But I'm not going down easy. Ride! Maiden of Breedrain!"

 **Maiden of Breedrain**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Noisette moves back. And I'll have her boost my Vanguard's attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Mai(0).]**

"That'll end my turn." Mai said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sarah(5), Mai(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Ride! Arrester Messiah!"

 **Arrester Messiah**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmission. Her skill adds 2000 power. And now she'll attack your Vanguard."

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Neon, go get her Arrester!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Sarah grinned at the card she saw. "Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Mai said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Mai(2).]**

"Turn end."

From the crowd, Daiki and Marcus watched intentively with Emma and Kimiko. "She's off to a good start." Marcus said.

"Yeah, but she can't let her guard down." Daiki noted. "The Maiden of series can make some scary combo plays when used correctly."

"Sarah can do it." Kimiko said. "I know she can."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sarah(5), Mai(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Mai said. "I think I'll go ahead and ride Maiden of Damask Rose."

 **Maiden of Damask Rose**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Don't think I'm ending it there. I also call Maiden of Gladiolus and Maiden of Waterpot." the idol added. "With a boost from Waterpot, Gladiolus attacks!

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Sarah said, holding up the critical trigger she got last turn.

"Noisette gives a nice little boost to Damask Rose's attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Mai(2).]**

"Activating the skill of Damask Rose. Counterblast." Mai said. "I add Maiden of Chrysanthemum from my deck to my hand. Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sarah(4), Mai(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "With your beautiful white wings, banish all darkness in this world! Ride! Alter Ego Neo Messiah!"

 **Alter Ego Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"That's your ace unit, if I remember correctly." Mai noted. "Now let's see what you can do with it."

Sarah smirked at the idol. "You're gonna regret saying those words. I attack with Lady Fencer!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"My Vanguard's attacking next with a boost from Neon Messiah!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger for me."

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Mai(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sarah(6), Mai(4).]**

"It's my turn now." Mai said. "Now true beauty take root on this battlefield! A maiden of untold grace blooms! Ride! Maiden of Chrysanthemum!"

 **Maiden of Chrysanthemum**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now for the next step! Stride Generation!" Mai called out. "Maiden of Fertility Governing Lily!"

 **Maiden of Fertility Governing Lily**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I select the two units in my front row. Now if one of their attacks hit this turn, I get to check the top 5 cards of my deck for a card with the same name as one of my units and call it to rear guard." Mai explained. "Next I call Maiden of Glowshine. With her skill, I rest Noisette and Glowshine gains 6000 power."

"Why'd she rest a rear guard just to gain 6000 power?" Emma asked. "It doesn't seem like that good of a tradeoff."

"Just watch. You're about to see." Daiki said.

"Activating Noisette's skill. I counterblast and send her to the soul." Mai said. "Now I select my Vanguard and Glowshine. If either of their attacks hit, I draw a card."

"See? She was getting rid of that unit anyway, so it didn't matter if it was rested." Daiki told the girl.

"I see…" Emma said. "This idol is really good."

"I call a second Waterpot behind the Vanguard." Mai said. "And now Gladiolus attacks with a boost from Waterpot! With the skill of Gladiolus, I counterblast! Then I select one of my rear guards and call a copy of it from the deck! So if you liked my one Maiden of Glowshine, you'll love seeing two of them! Calling behind my other Maiden of Glowshine! I use her skill to rest the Waterpot behind my Vanguard. Now both Glowshines gain 6000 power and Boost. After that, I use the skill of Waterpot behind my Vanguard. I send her to the soul and put a normal unit from my drop zone into the deck. Then I shuffle, draw, and counter charge."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Here's a Glowshine double attack!"

 **(9000+12000+9000+6000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath!"

 **Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating skill. Counterblast." Sarah said. "The opponent must choose one of their back row rear guards to lock."

"Not a bad move." Anthony realized. "Her only options are Waterpot and Glowshine."

"So she either loses her booster, or she can't use Waterpot's skill this turn." Dan added. "Not to mention that Cosmo Wreath will also gain 5000 shield with its skill."

"I lock Glowshine." Mai said.

' _I thought she'd do that. She sacrificed a lot of her hand in the hopes of getting draws off her units hitting. Too bad I'm not about to let that happen.'_ Sarah thought.

"My Vanguard attacks!" Mai called out. "Activating skill! I flip a face down card in my G Zone face up! Then, I look at cards from the top of the deck equal to the number of Maiden of cards on my field and G Zone! That makes five cards! Then I can call any cards among them that have the same name as units on my field!" Mai looked at the cards and grinned. "Calling Maiden of Gladiolus and Maiden of Chrysanthemum! Activating Waterpot's skill to draw and countercharge!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Gladiolus. Third check, stand trigger. Power to Chrysanthemum and stand Glowshine." Mai said. She showed a smirk. "You've only got two cards left in your hand. Not much left for defense. And that means my two remaining rear guards are free to attack!"

Sarah had both of Mai's remaining two attacks come flying her way. Both of them hit, and the critical trigger she got didn't help much.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Mai(3).]**

"Turn end." Mai said.

"Geez, this girl is losing to an idol? That's kinda sad."

"She made it to the semi-finals of that world tournament thing, didn't she? Guess it was mostly luck."

Kimiko glared at some of the whispering insults towards her sister. "Hey! Sarah is-"

"Don't let them get to you, Kimiko." Marcus said.

"But they're-"

"If those people knew anything about Vanguard, they wouldn't have said what they did just now." he told her. "The reality is, the position Sarah's in isn't because she's weak. It's because this idol from Premium Beauty is incredibly strong."

"Agreed." Daiki nodded. "She's clearly not someone that plays Vanguard as some hobby. She really knows what she's doing."

"But Sarah's not one to give in easily." Marcus said. "She'll find a way to pull this off."

Kimiko looked back at the stage. She cupped her hands and shouted to her sister. "Go Sarah! You can do it!"

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sarah(2), Mai(6).]**

The sound of her sister's voice rang through Sarah's ears. It reassured her. "Sorry little miss idol, but I don't plan on losing."

"Is that so? Well let's see what you've got."

Sarah took a card from her hand and discarded it. "Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Basaltis Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Basaltis Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I call a second Lady Fencer. Then I lock Gladiolus." Sarah said. "Calling Sacrifice Messiah behind my left Lady Fencer. Now I'll have the right Lady Fencer called this turn attack you! Activating her skill to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Mai said.

"Lady Fencer locks at the end of the battle due to using her skill." Sarah explained. "And now my second Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Sacrifice Messiah! Activating the same skill on this one!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Mai(4).]**

"Like the first one, this Lady Fencer locks herself." Sarah said. "Basaltis Messiah attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Skill of Basaltis Messiah! For each face up card in my G Zone, I choose a rear guard on any player's field and lock or unlock it! I have 2, so I'll pick the Lady Fencer on the left side of my field and the Maiden of Chrysanthemum rear guard on your field! And since a card was unlocked, I draw! Then with Neon Messiah's skill, I send it to the soul to add a grade 3 to my hand from the deck!"

"Tch." Mai grit her teeth at having both her front row rear guards locked. It was true that Sarah could have gotten another attack by unlocking her other Lady Fencer. But hindering her field was a far more powerful play right now. But she wasn't planning on giving up yet. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lady Fencer. Third check, heal trigger! Power to Lady Fencer and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Mai(4).]**

"Lady Fencer, let's go in for one last attack! Activating her skill!"

 **(9000+2000+10000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Sacred Tree Dragon, Rainbow Cycle Dragon!"

 **Sacred Tree Dragon, Rainbow Cycle Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Lady Fencer locks herself, but I'll use Sacrifice's skill to lock itself and countercharge. Turn end." Sarah said. "At the end of the turn, all my rear guards unlock. And since a card was unlocked due to my effect, I can soul blast for my Vanguard's skill to draw 2 cards."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sarah(7), Mai(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Mai said. "Stride Generation! Protector Lotus Maiden of Yggdrasil!"

 **Protector Lotus Maiden of Yggdrasil**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I give the on hit skill to my Vanguard." Mai said. "Now I attack with my Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard! Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer!"

 **Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Soul blast! I gain a total of 10000 shield!" Sarah said. "I also guard with the Blink Messiah in my hand!"

Mai performed her triple drive, but she already knew this fight was over. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sarah(5), Mai(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Generation Zone, release! Now, holy light! Rain down on this world! Let no evil survive your brilliance! Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Destiny Dealer! Then I lock it and Gladiolus!" Sarah said. "Now it's time to end this! Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Sacrifice! Activating skill to soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Mai(5).]**

"Lady Fencer locks herself. Then I counter charge with Sacrifice's skill and add 3000 to my other Lady Fencer." Sarah said. "Attack!"

 **(9000+5000+3000=17000)**

"Guard."

"Harmonics Neo Messiah attacks! Using skill! Generation Break 3! Unlock all locked cards! Add 5000 power to all of my unlocked units and 5000 to my Vanguard for each one! Then, since five or more were unlocked, you can't guard with grade 1 or higher cards from your hand!"

 **(26000+25000=51000)**

Mai let out a sigh. "No guard."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Mai(6).]**

"Seems I lose." Mai said. "Well done. But next time, you won't be so lucky."

"I look forward to it." Sarah grinned.

The two fighters walked away from each other as the crowd cheered. It was time to move onto the next fight, to which Keiko stepped up to the field.

"So who will I be facing?" the red haired idol asked.

"That'd be me." Akari said with a grin. "I've been itching for a good fight."

Keiko smirked as Akari walked up. "You should know better than to play with fire. Guess I'll have to teach you that fire can be dangerous."

"I'm shaking." Akari said sarcastically. "Now let's do this."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Tinkling Angel!"

 **Tinkling Angel**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Dragon Dancer, Mira!"

 **Dragon Dancer, Mira**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"So now it's Kagero against Genesis." Dan noted. "It also looks like Akari's changed her starter. I wonder how much better she's gotten."

"I'm up first. Draw." Keiko said. "Ride! Dragon Dancer, Amber!"

 **Dragon Dancer, Amber**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Mira moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Akari(5), Keiko(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said. "Ride! Shackle Fetter, Gelgja!"

 **Shackle Fetter, Gelgja**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Moving Tinkling Angel back with forerunner." Akari said. "Tinkling's Revelation. Look at the top card of the deck. I put it back on top of the deck. And now with Tinkling's boost, Gelgja attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

' _She put the card back on top. It's probably a trigger then.'_ Keiko deduced. ' _But right now I can't afford to waste too much of my hand guarding.'_ "No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger." Akari said. "All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Akari(0), Keiko(2).]**

"I think that'll do for now. Turn end." Akari said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Akari(6), Keiko(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keiko said. "Ride! Dragon Dancer, Sasha!"

 **Dragon Dancer, Sasha**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Dragon Dancer, Penelope." Keiko said. "Penelope attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Then let's see how you like feeling the heat from Sasha boosted by Mira!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Akari(1), Keiko(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Akari(5), Keiko(5).]**

"My turn." Akari said. "Ride! Goddess of Karmic Wind, Ningal!"

 **Goddess of Karmic Wind, Ningal**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Ningal's Revelation." Akari said. "Add it to the soul. Rest Tinkling Angel. Next I use Tinkling's skill. Once per turn, when she's rested due to the Revelation ability, she stands."

Dan and Anthony widened their eyes. "So she can basically soul charge once per turn without resting a unit?!" Anthony said in shock.

"If the rest of her deck can help restand her rear guards, then her offense is going to be very scary." Dan said.

"Calling Battle Maiden, Kotonoha." Akari said. "Revelation. I leave this card on top."

"So it's a trigger then." Anthony realized.

"Not quite. She might just not want to rest Tinkling since it won't restand this time." Dan said. "There's no way to tell, which is gonna mess with her opponent's head."

"Kotonoha, go get her!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Tinkling, here comes Ningal!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Akari(1), Keiko(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Akari(5), Keiko(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Keiko said. "Stand too close to her dance, and you're gonna get burned! Witness the beauty of the majestic dancer of flames! Ride! Spirit Dragon Dancer, Selena!"

 **Spirit Dragon Dancer, Selena**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Penelope attacks Kotonoha!"

"Yeah, sorry but I can't allow that." Akari said. "Guard!"

"Selena attacks your Vanguard with a boost from Mira!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Tch. Damage check." Akari said. "No triggers on either."

 **[Damage: Akari(3), Keiko(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Akari(4), Keiko(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said. "Now allow me to show you what true beauty looks like. A being who holds both wisdom and grace. Ride! Prime Beauty, Amaruda!"

 **Prime Beauty, Amaruda**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Amaruda's Revelation. To the soul. Rest Tinkling and restand her with her skill." Akari said. "Stride Generation! Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar!"

 **Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul charge!" Akari said. "Since a card with the Revelation ability was soul charged with this, I draw and give 4000 power to Kotonoha and Ishtar! Next I use Ishtar's Revelation! I return this card to the top of the deck! Now I call Deemed Angel and Battle Maiden, Senri! Senri's Revelation! I send the card to the soul and rest Deemed Angel! Senri's skill! I look at the top card of the deck, send it to the bottom, and add 2000 power to Senri! And with Deemed Angel's skill, since I rested it for the effect of my card, I counterblast and draw!"

"Adding to your soul while attempting to preserve your hand. I'd expect no less from a member of Japan's former top team." Keiko said.

"Oh trust me. I'm not the same cardfighter I was back then. I'm much stronger." Akari said with a grin. "Kotonoha's skill! She gains 1000 power every time a card is added to my soul, and another 1000 if it was due to Revelation! So far she's at a 6000 boost! And she'll be putting that power to use with an attack!"

 **(9000+4000+6000=19000)**

"Generation guard! Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Denial Griffin. Counterblast. Kotonoha is retired." Keiko said. "That's a rather troublesome unit with Ishtar's skill. So I took the liberty of getting rid of it."

"Heh, this is what that girl gets for always mocking clans that take the direct approach." Anthony grinned.

Akari could just barely hear the Narukami user's comment. ' _Mental note. Kick that loser's ass later.'_ she thought to herself. "Senri attacks!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard."

"Boosted by Tinkling Angel, Ishtar attacks!"

 **(26000+4000+5000=35000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, a grade 1 with Revelation. Ishta's skill." Akari explained. "I soul blast 3 cards and restand Senri. Giving her 3000 power. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Senri. Third check, no trigger. And now I'll have Senri go in for another attack!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+5000=19000)**

"No guard." Keiko said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Akari(3), Keiko(5).]**

"Turn end."

"She got Keiko to five damage and kept her soul at a decent size. She's doing well." Aurora noted as she and Sarah watched from the side.

"Yeah. But now it's Keiko's turn. And with the Kagero clan as Akari's opponent, I don't think that field of hers is lasting long." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Akari(6), Keiko(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Keiko said. "Stride Generation! Worshipped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon!"

 **Worshipped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Senri! And since Inferno Spirit Dragon is a Flame Dragon, I can retire Deemed Angel as well!" Keiko said.

"Well so much for Akari's formation. All she's got left is Tinkling Angel." Dan said. "Now the question is, can she come back from that loss."

"Allow me to show you how the Dragon Dancers do things." Keiko said. "Come forth! Dragon Dancers Ymir, Morgan, and Daniella!"

A large amount of the crowd widened their eyes at the bold move Keiko had just made. "She just called the rest of her hand." Marcus said. "Akari's still at three damage. Does she have some kind of plan?"

"It's a risky strategy, but if she can take out her opponent's resources, then it just might pay off." Daiki pointed out.

"Skill of Inferno Spirit Dragon. I rest my four rear guards. Since I rested 3, add 10000 power. Then since I rested four, retire all my opponent's rear guards." Keiko said. "Morgan's skill. When she rests, I draw. Then, Mira's counterblast. She moves to the soul and I stand Morgan and Daniella."

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Wait, doesn't Mira allow her to stand as many of her rear guards as she wants? Why'd she leave Ymir rested?"

"Something tells me we're about to find out." Dan said.

"At the start of the battle phase, I can use Ymir's counterblast. Since she's rested and I have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, my Vanguard gains 5000 power and plus one critical."

Aurora widened her eyes. ' _Adding power AND a critical?!'_

"Daniella attacks with a boost from Morgan. Since I just rested Morgan, I draw."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Akari said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Akari(4), Keiko(5).]**

"Worshipped Dragon, Inferno Spirit Dragon attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+10000+5000=41000)**

"Perfect guard! Goddess of Fort, Kibitsuhime!" Akari declared. "Revelation. I put it back, since I have no rear guards to rest."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Ymir. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Ymir and I recover one." Keiko said.

 **[Damage: Akari(4), Keiko(4).]**

"Ymir attacks!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Goddess of Seven Colors, Iris!"

 **Goddess of Seven Colors, Iris**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Iris. Send three cards from the drop zone to the soul. Add 5000 to the shield."

"Turn end." Keiko said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Akari(3), Keiko(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Akari said. "I was hoping to save this as a surprise to beat Yuma. But I guess I'll have to make an exception, since you've made this fight so interesting."

"Oh? Let's see what you've got then." Keiko said, her brow raised in interest.

"Generation Zone, release! Now let your beauty radiate across this battlefield! All will bow at your feet! Stride Generation! Goddess of Heavenly Beauty, Amaruda!"

 **Goddess of Heavenly Beauty, Amaruda**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul charge 2 cards! Since a card with Revelation is among them, I draw and add 4000 power to the Vanguard! Next, Revelation. Leave it on top. Next I use Amaruda's skill. Soul blast." Akari explained. "Now for the rest of the turn, any of my rear guards that rest due to Revelation automatically stand back up. And when they do, they gain 5000 power."

"What?!" Keiko gasped.

Akari smirked as she looked at Keiko. "You went in bold and called your entire hand last turn. So I think I'll do the same. Call! Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil! Ninnil's Revelation! I send it to the soul and rest Ninnil! But due to my Vanguard's skill, she restands and gets 5000 power! Next I call Goddess of the Abyss, Ereshkigal! With Revelation, I send a card to the soul and rest her! Now I restand her with 5000 power and activate Ninnil's counterblast! She gains Ereshkigal's 11000 power!"

"That's some serious power!" Aurora gasped.

"She's got this." Sarah grinned.

"I'm not done yet! I still have 2 more cards in my hand! Call! Goddess of Transitory, Awanami! Revelation! To the soul! Rest Ninnil, and restand her with 5000 more power! And to top things off, I call Gelgja and use its Revelation to add a card to soul, rest Ereshkgal, and restand her with Amaruda's skill!"

Several people in the crowd gasped at the massive amounts of power that was being added to Akari's units. Mai and Jasmine were also impressed by Akari's skill.

"She's pretty good." Mai said.

"She knows when to throw everything on the table." Jasmine agreed. "It doesn't look good for Keiko."

"Ninnil, time to attack with Gelgja's boost!"

 **(9000+11000+10000+7000=37000)**

"Generation guard! Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating skill! Retire Ninnil!"

"Let's see how you handle an attack from my Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

"Selena's Generation Break 2! My Dragon Dancer rear guards in the front row gain 5000 shield and can intercept regardless of their grade!" Keiko said. "I intercept with Ymir and Daniella, and guard with the Nilda in my hand!"

' _With her Vanguard's power, that puts her at 36000'_ Akari calculated. ' _I need two triggers to break through.'_

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Ereshkgal! Third check, stand trigger! Power to Ereshkgal!" Akari said. "Now with Awanami's boost, Ereshkgal will end it!"

 **(11000+10000+10000+7000=38000)**

"No guard." Keiko said. The final two cards fell into her damage zone, neither of them being the heal trigger she so desperately needed.

 **[Damage: Akari(4), Keiko(6).]**

"And that's how it's done." Akari grinned victoriously.

"Well done. That was a good fight." Keiko said. "But now your team will face it's biggest challenge yet."

"Heh, we're not scared." Akari smirked.

The two girls walked away back to their teams. Akari looked at Aurora. "You better make us 3 for 3."

"You know I will." Aurora said as she walked up, high fiving Akari in the process. As she did, she saw Jasmine walking over her way too.

Jasmine showed a confident grin as she and Aurora stood across from each other. "I've been looking forward to this. Show me what you can do, Aurora Fujou."

 **Aurora: Jasmine's the one player of Premium Beauty I know nothing about when it comes to fighting style. This'll be tough.**

 **Jasmine: Indeed. After all, I've seen you fight plenty of times with Star Chaser. Now let us see how strong you are with them.**

 **Aurora: Oh I'll show you plenty! Get ready cause I'm not holding back!**

 **Next time: The Merciless Idol**

 **Card Gallery:**

Goddess of Eternal Beauty, Amaruda  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC: Revelation  
** **AUTO VC GB3:** [SB3 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up.] When this card is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets **(CONT VC: When your rear guard with Revelation is rested due to your effect, stand that unit and until end of turn, it gets +5000 power.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Amber  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO:** When this card is discarded for the cost to STRIDE, choose one of your units with "Dragon Dancer" in its name and it gets (AUTO 1/Turn: When this card is rested during your main phase, stand this unit.) until end of turn.  
 **CONT [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this card gets grade +2.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Daniella  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** CB1. If this unit is rested, and you have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, stand this unit and it gets +5000 power.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Sasha  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Rest this unit.] If you have a Flame Dragon Vanguard, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it.

* * *

Dragon Dancer, Ymir  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1. At the start of your battle phase, if this unit is rested, you may pay the cost. If you do, your Flame Dragon Vanguard gets +5000 power and +1 critical.


	71. The Merciless Idol

**A/N: Hey readers. Hope you're ready for another chapter. I know those of you that are Granblue fans and liked Jasmine's last fight are excited to see her again so here it is.**

Aurora and Jasmine stood across from each other at the table on stage. Plenty of fans for Vanguard, and Premium Beauty in general were watching. The cheers were plain to hear.

"Go Jasmine!"

"Jasmine, you're the prettiest girl ever!"

"Marry me!"

Jasmine let out a small giggle. "Seems I'm the crowd favorite."

"That's fine with me." Aurora said confidently. "I don't need a full crowd cheering for me to win. My friends are more than enough."

"Well said." Jasmine told her. "However, I don't plan on losing. You'd better not underestimate me."

"Bring it on."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Undying Departed, Grenache!"

 **Undying Departed, Grenache**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll kick things off for this show." Aurora said. "Ride! Cosmic Brawler, Aires!"

 **Cosmic Brawler, Aires**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Jasmine(5).]**

"I'm up next. Draw." Jasmine said. "Ride! Witch Doctor of Powdered Bone, Negrobone!"

 **Witch Doctor of Powdered Bone, Negrobone**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Go Negrobone! Attack!"

 **(7000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Jasmine smirked at the card that came to her. "Critical trigger. All effects to Negrobone."

Aurora grit her teeth as she took two damage. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Jasmine(0).]**

"I think that'll do for now." Jasmine said. "Time to show me what you can do, champion."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Jasmine(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _I gotta get some defense. She's already got a good lead on me.'_ she thought to herself. "I ride Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Slice and dice her Gemini! And Vivi, give him a boost!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." Jasmine said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger for me either."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Jasmine(1).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. ' _I wasn't able to deal much damage, but I have a Vanguard with 10000 power. She shouldn't be able to attack much this turn without using up her hand.'_

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Jasmine(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "Ride! Undead Knight of the Decaying Cutlass!"

 **Undead Knight of the Decaying Cutlass**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

' _Great. Now she's got a Vanguard with 10000 power too.'_

"Come now, did you really expect me to not have an answer to such a simple tactic?" Jasmine smirked. "I call Rough Seas Banshee. Using her skill to add her to the soul and draw. Go Undead Knight! Attack!"

 **(10000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a trigger from her hand.

"Drive check. No trigger." Jasmine said. "Oh well. Guess that's it for my turn."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Jasmine(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _She's strong, no doubt about that. But I'm no pushover either.'_

"Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Jasmine showed a smirk. "Your ace unit. I see she's gone through a bit of a change."

"With Vivi's boost, Hikari attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

Jasmine watched two cards go into her damage zone. "My, my, finally starting to fight back are we?"

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Jasmine(3).]**

"I've only started to fight! The skill of Star Explorer, Vivi! Since the attack she boosted hit, I send her to the soul. Then I send a card in my soul to the bind zone. I choose Vivi. And then, since Hikari is my Vanguard I draw." Aurora explained. "Turn end. And with Hikari's end of turn skill, I bind Cosmic Rage, Tauros from my drop zone and soul charge."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(8), Jasmine(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "Now tremble in fear! Nothing will save you from her cursed blade! The dark hour is here! Ride! Vampire Princess of Dark Hour, Nightrose!"

 **Vampire Princes of Dark Hour, Nightrose**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Aurora tensed up. ' _The vibe around her suddenly changed. She's getting serious now.'_

"Aurora's gonna have her work cut out for her now." Mai grinned. "Jasmine's cutthroat when it comes to fighting."

"True, but this is the winner of the World Tournament." Keiko noted. "We'll have to see if she can hold her own against Jasmine."

"I hope you didn't have any victory plans! Because I don't plan on losing!" Jasmine said. "Stride Generation! Tempest-calling Pirate King, Goauche!"

 **Tempest-calling Pirate King Goauche**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Goauche! I soul blast! Then, I send the remaining three cards in my soul to the drop zone! I can then call the same number of cards from the drop zone to the rear guard!"

"So that's why she didn't call Grenache before with the forerunner skill." Anthony realized. "She wanted as much soul as possible for this move."

' _Not using one skill to make better use of another later in the game. That's a high level move.'_ Aurora thought. ' _She's even stronger than the last two members of Premium Beauty.'_

"Come forth, pirates of Granblue! I call Grenache, Negrobone, and Undying Knight of the Decaying Cutlass! I also Hollow Grenache and Cutlass!" Jasmine called out. "They each gain 1000 power for the face up card in my G Zone. Next, I use Cutlass's skill. When called from the drop zone, if it's Hollowed, I can discard a card from my hand. I then call a normal unit from the drop zone, and both it and Cutlass gain 5000 power. I call the card I just discarded. Say hello to Vanishing Shade! I Hollow it and activate its skill. I search my deck for a card not named Vanishing Shade and send it to the drop zone. I choose Negrorook."

"Four rear guards with little effort. Impressive." Aurora said.

"I'm not done with just that." Jasmine said. "Stride skill. I counterblast and call Negrorook from the drop zone. Hollow."

Sarah widened his eyes, watching this. "She got five rear guards out like it was nothing."

"This idol's got game." Akari said. "She's got skills that put some of the players in the World Tournament to shame."

"Vanishing Shade gains 1000 power and Resist so long as I have a Vanguard with Nightrose in the name." Jasmine explained. "Cutlass also gains Resist under the same conditions. And now the two of them will attack your Vanguard!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+1000+5000=28000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Jasmine(3).]**

"Negrorook attacks with a boost from Negrobone! With Negrorook's skill, it gains a total of 7000 power since it's Hollowed!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"Generation guard! Star Cross Barrier, Crux!"

 **Star Cross Barrier, Crux**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating Negrobone's skill. At the end of the battle that it boosted, I counterblast and retire the unit it boosted. I then call a Hollow unit from the drop zone. So get ready for an encore performance from Negrorook!" Jasmine said with a smirk.

' _Great. Another attack to deal with.'_ Aurora thought.

"I do hope you've improved somewhat since the Vanguard World Tournament." Jasmine said. "Otherwise you have no chance at getting the special prize that's been planned for you."

Aurora raised a brow. ' _Special prize for me? What's she talking about. It doesn't sound like she's referring to the reward that was mentioned earlier for beating Premium Beauty.'_

Jasmine smirked, as if to tell Aurora she was right. "Now prove to me you still have what it takes to be a champion. Grenache boosts! Go Goauche!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Triple drive! Jasmine said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Critical to the Vanguard and power to Negrorook. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to Cutlass."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Hikari gains 5000 power."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Jasmine(3).]**

"Cutlass attacks once again!"

 **(10000+5000+5000=20000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out as she held up a card from her hand.

"Negrorook will finish off this assault!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000=21000)**

Once again, Aurora held up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Turn end." Jasmine said. "All Hollowed units retire at the end of the turn. With Grenache's skill, when it's retired due to the effect of the Hollow ability, I countercharge twice. Then, with Vanishing Shade's skill, when it's retired due to the Hollow ability, I can send it to the bottom of my deck and draw. Finally, with Nightrose's Generation Break 2, at the end of my turn when a Hollow unit is retired due to the skill, I can send the top 3 cards of my deck to the drop zone to take a normal unit and either call it or add it to my hand. I pick Seawall Banshee and add it to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(5), Jasmine(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _What's this prize she was talking about? Why would there be one specifically for me?'_ She shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _Now isn't the time for that! I need to focus on the game if I want to win.'_

"Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Galaxy Champion, Leo from my deck and call it to rear guard! Since he has Warpdrive, I draw! And speaking of Warpdrive, Leo's allows me to call Vivi from the bind zone and add 5000 power to her and himself! Then Vivi's Warpdrive adds an extra 5000 to her power!" Aurora explained. "Next I call Lyra and Sagittarius from my hand!"

"Alright! She's got her formation set!" Anthony grinned. "Kick her but Aurora!"

"Vivi lends her support to Lyra! Attack!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Eclipse Dragonhulk, Deepcorpse Dragon!"

 **Eclipse Dragonhulk, Deepcorpse Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Deepcorpse Dragon. By sending the top 2 cards of my deck to the drop zone, add 5000 to the shield."

' _She's wary of Vivi's skill. She's not about to let me control the flow of the game.'_ Aurora realized. "With Sagittarius lending support, Leo is up next!"

 **(11000+5000+7000+1000=24000)**

"No guard." Jasmine said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Jasmine(4).]**

"Pleiades attacks!" Aurora declared. "Skill of Pleiades! I bind all my rear guards! Then I can call cards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break! That means three cards! So come on out! Leo! Sagittarius! Lyra! With their Warpdrives activated, Leo calls out Vivi and adds 5000 to both of them, Lyra lets me bind Gemini from my deck, and Sagittarius gains a skill that gives him 2000 power for every card in my bind zone! Then Vivi's Warpdrive gives her another 5000 power! Lastly, since I called out three or more cards with this skill, my front row gains 5000 power!"

"Perfect guard!" Jasmine called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Leo and I recover one damage. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Lyra!"

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Jasmine(4).]**

Jasmine smirked as she saw the move Aurora made. ' _Clever. She has Vivi behind Leo and gave the critical to Lyra. If I let Lyra's attack hit, I take 2 damage. But if I let Leo's attack hit, Vivi's skill will get her another card in her bind zone. And I can't block both attacks at that power. I'll have to let one hit.'_

"Boosted by Vivi, Leo attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000+5000+5000=36000)**

"No guard. Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Jasmine(5).]**

"Vivi's skill sends her to the soul. Then I bind her from my soul. And with another card in the bind zone, that's another 2000 to Sagittarius." Aurora said. "And he'll use that power to boost Lyra's attack!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+1000+6000=28000)**

"Guard!" Jasmine said, holding up two cards from her hand.

"Turn end." Aurora said. "With Hikari's skill, I bind the Aquarius in my drop zone, and countercharge."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(7), Jasmine(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Jasmine said. "Well this has been fun. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to bring this fight to an end." The blue haired idol took a card from her hand and discarded it. "Generation Zone, release! Undead ruler of the seas! Set sail into the moonlight! Make your enemies regret ever setting foot in your waters! Stride Generation! Pirate King of Roseate Twilight, Nightrose!"

 **Pirate King of Roseate Twilight, Nightrose**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"No need to use the stride skill." Jasmine said. "Instead I'll go right ahead and use Roseate's skill! I counterblast and flip up a copy of her to call cards from my drop zone up to the number of Generation Breaks I have! I only need to call four and I have more than enough! Now rise from the dead! Undead Knight of the Decaying Cutlass! Vanishing Shade! Negrorook! Grenache!"

"She got four rear guards with one skill?!" Dan exclaimed.

' _That's not even the worst part.'_ Aurora thought to herself, knowing how terrifying Jasmine's G Unit could be.

"One more thing." Jasmine added. "Since I called at least 3 units with the skill, Nightrose gains a critical. And at the start of my battle phase, I can choose any of my units up to the number of Nightrose units in my drop zone and give them 5000 power. And I think I'll get right into it. I have three Nightroses in my drop zone so I'll add power to my front row."

Several murmurs moved through the crowd. People wondered if Jasmine was going to end up beating Aurora. But Dan and Anthony didn't pay them any mind. Neither did Marcus's group, or Akari and Sarah. They were all focusing on the game.

"Cutlass will start off with a boost from Vanishing Shade!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+1000=23000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding a pair of cards from her hand.

"Negrorook is up next with Negrobone's boost! Activating skill to add 7000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000+7000=28000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Jasmine(5).]**

"Using Negrobone's skill, I retire Negrorook and call Negrolilly. Using Negrolilly's skill, I call Negrorook over Cutlass. I Hollow them both." Jasmine explained. "In addition, Negrolilly gains 2000 power. And now with Grenache's boost, Nightrose attacks!"

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Jasmine said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Negrolilly. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"She's still got 2 more attacks left." Anthony noted.

"Even still, Aurora can pull this off. I know she can." Dan said.

"Negrolilly, get her!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a trigger.

"It's your turn next Negrorook!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Jasmine let out a sigh. "Seems that's the end of my turn. All Hollowed units retire. I use Grenache's skill to countercharge twice and Vanishing Shade's skill to draw."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(3), Jasmine(8).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Aurora said. She grinned at the idol. "Hope you weren't lying about that prize. Cause you've really got my curiosity peaked."

"You have to win first." Jasmine reminded her.

"And I plan to!" Aurora told her. "Generation Zone, release! Now watch as the stars line up and point the way towards my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"That's the card Aurora beat me with!" Kimiko exclaimed. "She's got this for sure!"

"So this is her new finisher. Interesting." Marcus said.

"I heard rumors there was an especially powerful card in the new set containing Star Chaser. So this is it." Daiki mentioned.

"Stride skill! I bind Hikari from my deck and call Vivi! She has Warpdrive so I draw! And then Vivi's Warpdrive activates, giving her 5000 power!" Aurora said. "Next I use Star Shimmer Dragon's skill. I counterblast and soul blast to bind the top card of my deck. Then I call Gemini from the bind zone behind my Vanguard! With his Warpdrive, he gains 5000 power and Boost!"

Jasmine showed a small smile. ' _This girl really has come a long way.'_

"Lyra attacks with a boost from Sagittarius!"

 **(9000+7000+1000=17000)**

"Guard!"

"Star Shimmer Dragon attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Star Shimmer Dragon!" Aurora said. "And now Star Shimmer Dragon's skill activates! I bind Lyra and Sagittarius, discard 2 cards, and flip up a copy of Star Shimmer! My Vanguard restands with drive minus one!"

"I dunno Keiko. I think Jasmine might have met her match here." Mai said.

"You may be right." Keiko nodded. "But that's just how strong Aurora Fujou is."

"Leo and Vivi, go get her!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!"

"Star Shimmer Dragon, time to end this!" Aurora called out. "And Gemini, lend your support!"

 **(26000+5000+9000+5000=45000)**

"No guard." Jasmine said. The sixth card fell into her damage zone and ended the game.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Jasmine(6).]**

The crowd roared in awe and excitement. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. Jasmine had been a rather difficult opponent. It was clear that among the three idols, she was the strongest. And with how powerful Mai and Keiko were, that was saying something.

"Congratulations. You win." Jasmine said. "The three of you have defeated us soundly."

"Aw yeah!" Aurora cheered with her fist raised into the air.

"Nice job Aurora!" Sarah said as she and Akari walked over to the Star Chaser user. "We kicked butt!"

"Yeah. This was pretty fun." Akari agreed.

"And now for the grand prize for beating Premium Beauty." Keiko said.

"Oh yeah, you never really mentioned what that was." Sarah noted.

Mai giggled to herself. "Oh trust us. You're gonna love it."

The three girls stared at each other, not knowing what to make of this.

"Alright everyone, we thank you for coming out to see us today." Jasmine said to the crowd. "But we please ask that you stick around to see our winning team's special prize. Just be patient for a moment while they get changed backstage."

Aurora, Sarah, and Akari narrowed their eyes. "Changed…?"

* * *

Ten minutes had passed as the crowd waited to see what this "special prize" was. Some were starting to get bored. But the majority managed to keep themselves occupied by talking with others about the exciting fights that they had seen between Aurora, Sarah, and Akari against Premium Beauty.

Dan and Anthony were talking with Marcus, Daiki, Emma, and Kimiko about how the fights had gone. Kimiko was especially proud of her sister for winning her fight against Mai. She hadn't gotten much chance to see her sister in action until lately so it was nice to see how strong the person she looked up to so much really was.

Finally, Jasmine emerged back onto the stage. "Everyone, thank you for waiting. Are you ready to see this festival's grand champions?" A collective shout from the audience was all the answer she needed. "Very well then. Allow me to present Sarah Radcliffe, Akari Hermonia, and Aurora Fujou!"

The curtain raised and slowly the three girls that had beaten Premium Beauty came into view. But when they saw them, every person in the audience widened their eyes and became slack-jawed. All three girls were no longer wearing what they had been earlier. Instead, they were now dressed in idol outfits, similar to what Premium Beauty was wearing. And it was incredibly obvious how much they hated the position they were in by the blushes on their faces.

' _This is so embarrassing.'_ all three girls thought to themselves as the audience roared in applause.

"Come on girls! Show off the inner idol within you!" Mai spoke out.

They really didn't have much choice. Literally. The second they had found out this was their prize, they had tried to protest and decline. But as they found out, the registration forms clearly stated that they had to take part in all parts of the festival, including the "award ceremony". So they were now forced to stand on stage dressed as idols while everyone stared at them.

And of course Anthony's laughter didn't help the situation.

"Hahahahahaha! Oh my god, I take back what I said! I am SO glad we ended up being able to just be spectators!" the teen said as he rolled on the ground in laughter. He brought out his phone and started taking pictures. "Oh I am going to remember this for a LONG time."

"Hey Fujou…" Akari said in a hushed whisper. "You said you know where that guy lives right?"

"Yeah."

"Mind telling me the address? I think I'm gonna kill him in his sleep tonight."

"Only if you let me strangle him before you deal the killing blow." Aurora responded.

"Deal."

Dan tried to look away from Aurora on stage. The main reason was because he didn't want her to see the red color of his cheeks. Seeing her like this made her look… cute. Cuter than usual. And of course that dragged his mind to what had happened between them after the war on Cray. The moment where he and Aurora had kissed.

Aurora hadn't really spoke much of the kiss since coming back to Earth. Both of them tried to ignore it hanging in the air whenever they were alone together. He wasn't sure why she didn't want to talk about it. And to be honest, he was a little scared to know what that reason was.

As Aurora stood on stage with her teammates for the festival, Jasmine walked past her. She leaned in and quickly whispered in Aurora's ear. "Come to the Tatsunagi building tomorrow at noon. You'll get the special gift I mentioned there."

Aurora blinked in surprise for a moment as she heard this. She glanced as Jasmine walked away from her. Why did she have to go to the Tatsunagi building? And why did Jasmine have some gift set aside especially for her?

But the biggest question at the front of her mind was how soon could she get off this stage and out of this idol dress.

* * *

When the festival was finally over, everyone went their separate ways. Aurora, Dan, and Anthony all went home. Akari headed back to the Tokyo Institute of Technology. And Sarah went with her sister and friends.

"You were totally awesome in your cardfight, sis!" Kimiko told Sarah as they walked together. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Kimiko." Sarah said with a smile as she patted her sister on the head. "I heard you cheering for me. It meant a lot."

"Yeah! And you were super cute in that idol dress!"

A blush appeared on Sarah's face as she heard that. "Can we just… not talk about that? Like, ever again."

"She's right though. You did look cute in it." Marcus said with a smile. That smile instantly faded though when he saw the death glare Sarah sent his way. He held his hands up in defense. "It was a compliment! No need to kill me!"

"Ugh, stupid idiot." Sarah sighed. She picked up the pace. "Come on, Kimiko. We should hurry home."

"Coming." Kimiko said. She turned and waved goodbye to the others. "Bye everyone. See you later."

Maruc, Daiki, and Emma watched as Sarah and Kimiko walked off. Marcus rubbed the back of his head. "I was just trying to be nice."

"I'm sure she knows that." Daiki assured him. "Anyway, I better get going too. See you tomorrow."

"See you." Marcus said as Daiki left too. He looked down at Emma. "Well we should get home before our folks worry too."

Emma nodded her head and the two Cersy siblings hurried home together. It had been an eventful day for all of them. And it had also been one none of them would ever forget.

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

Aurora stood in front of the Tatsunagi building. Her father was at her side. She had said that she could come alone, but Ryuji wasn't too keen on letting his daughter come here on her own. The last time she had gotten involved with Yukari Tatsunagi, things had gotten extremely dangerous. And although it didn't seem like that would be the case this time, he didn't want to take any chances.

Finally, Yukari Tatsunagi emerged from the building. Despite her young age, the girl always seemed to give off a dignified aura around her.

"Thank you for coming, Aurora Fujou." Yukari greeted. "And it's good to see you too Ryuji."

"So what's this about?" Aurora asked. "When I fought Jasmine yesterday, she said I would get a special prize for beating her."

"Yes. It seems she decided to leak the surprise a bit early. But I was planning on inviting you here today regardless." Yukari said.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Surprise?"

"The other day, we were contacted by someone. And they wanted to see you." Yukari explained.

"Who would that be?"

"It's someone I'm sure you're quite familiar with." Yukari said with a small grin. She looked back towards the doors to the building. As if on command, they opened up and another person walked out. It was a girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed rather differently than usual, wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. But there was no mistaking who it was.

Aurora and Ryuji both widened their eyes at who it was. Aurora had to cover her gasp with her hands. "No way… It can't be…"

"Hello sister." Hikari greeted with a smile.

 **Aurora: Jasmine was seriously strong. In fact, all three of Premium Beauty really knew what they were doing.**

 **Akari: Indeed. It's surprising they can manage to find time to practice with all of their idol work.**

 **Sarah: I just want to know how they can stand being in those idol outfits. That was so embarrassing.**

 **Anthony: Well don't worry. I have pictures so we can relive every sweet moment.**

 **Akari: … I'm giving you ten seconds.**

 **Anthony: To apologize?**

 **Akari: To run.**

 **Next Time: Sisterly Reunion**

 **Card Gallery:**

Vampire Princess of Dark Hour, Nightrose  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO RC:** Hollow  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** CB1. When this unit is placed on VC, or when your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, take a card from your drop zone and call it to RC. Then, if that card has the Hollow ability, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it.  
 **AUTO VC GB2 1/Turn:** At the end of your turn, if one of your rear guards is retired due to the Hollow ability, you may send the top 3 cards of your deck to the drop zone. If you do, choose a normal unit in your drop zone and either add it to your hand or call it to RC.

* * *

Vanishing Shade  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC:** Hollow  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with the Hollow ability or "Nightrose" in its card name, this unit gets +1000 power and Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB2:** When this unit is called from the drop zone, if it is Hollowed you may search your deck for one card with the Hollow ability not named "Vanishing Shade" and send it to the drop zone.  
 **AUTO GB1:** At the end of the turn if this unit is retired due to the effect of the Hollow ability, you may send this card to the bottom of your deck and if you do, draw a card.

* * *

Undead Knight of the Decaying Cutlass  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **AUTO RC:** Hollow  
 **CONT RC: Resist  
** **AUTO RC GB1:** [Choose a card from your hand and discard it.] When this card is called from the drop zone, if it is hollowed you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a normal unit from your drop zone and call it to an open RC circle. Both this and that unit gain +5000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO GB1:** SB1 If this unit attack hits a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire one of your hollowed units and CC1.


	72. Sisterly Reunion

**A/N: Hello readers. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a unit from Cray came to Earth? Well good news. You're about to see that. Enjoy.**

Aurora and Ryuji stared at Hikari standing before them. At first, Aurora couldn't believe who it was. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. But there was no mistaking her. The sister that she had spent so much time with on Cray. And the unit that had been by her side since she first started using Star chaser. Ryuji was even more surprised. This was his first time seeing Hikari in the flesh since Elara had left with her so many years ago.

"Hikari…" Aurora gasped.

Hikari smiled at her sister. "I suppose you're surprised to see me. It's only natural after all."

Aurora ran to her sister and wrapped her arms around her. She hugged her tightly, never thinking she would have the chance to see her sister like this again. "When did you get here?! HOW did you get here?!"

"Well Star Chaser has had Earth's coordinates logged into its systems since they first came here." Hikari explained. "So after receiving permission from mother, I came here on one of our smaller ships. I then came into contact with Earth's guardian when I entered this galaxy. From there, I was able to warp myself here with some help from her."

"Hikari…" Ryuji muttered, still unable to fully believe that his other daughter was now standing before him. "Is it really you?"

"Hm?" Hikari looked at Ryuji. "I'm sorry. Who might you be?"

"Oh right. You've never met him." Aurora said. "This is my-… our dad."

Hikari widened her eyes as she heard this. She bowed her head. "Oh, my apologies! I meant no disrespect father! I just-" She was cut off however as Ryuji came in and embraced her in his arms. He hugged her tightly. "F-Father?!"

"I… I never thought I'd ever get the chance to meet you again like this." Ryuji said, tears rolling down his cheeks. "You've grown up to be so beautiful. You look just like your mother."

Hikari smiled at the compliment. She hugged her father back. "I've wanted to meet you for a long time too, father. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Now then…" Yukari said, stepping forward. "As long as Hikari behaves herself, she is allowed to stay on Earth for a few days. Once that time is up however, she will have to leave."

"A few days is more than enough." Hikari said. "Besides, I shouldn't be away from Cray for too long. Mother and the rest of the clan need me."

"Well while you're here, you can stay with us." Aurora said with a bright smile. "Oh this is going to be great! I can show you what Earth is like!"

"I'd like that very much." Hikari said happily.

"Well then, since that's settled, I'll take my leave." Yukari said, turning around and walking back to the building. "Enjoy your time on Earth, Hikari."

"Hey Yukari." Aurora called out. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me." Yukari said. "I'm just doing my job. And I do owe you for your assistance in the fight against Conquest Empire."

With that, Yukari went back inside the Tatsunagi building, leaving the family of three alone.

"It's a shame mom couldn't come too." Aurora said.

"She's busy leading the clan. There's a lot of reconstruction efforts going on since the war with Conquest Empire." Hikari explained. "She made sure to tell me to pass along her regards though."

Aurora nodded understandingly. "Well then, first thing's first. Let's head back to Card Galaxy. We're opening late since we had to come out here."

"Card Galaxy… that's the name of the card shop you own, correct father?" Hikari asked. "I remember mother and Aurora talking about it."

"That's right." Ryuji said. "But before we go, I need you to keep in mind that very few people on Earth are aware of Cray's existence, so you'll need to keep your identity a secret as well as that fact."

"Yes of course. Earth's guardian was very firm in telling me that." Hikari nodded.

Ryuji let out a small chuckle. "Considering the trouble your mother gave the Tatsunagi Corporation, I can't say I'm surprised."

With that, the family of three got into Ryuji's car and began making their way back to the card shop. As they rode, Hikari looked at the city streets and buildings with widened eyes. Everything was so new to her. Vastly different from Cray. Aurora couldn't help but giggle at her sister's childish attitude about it all, despite the fact that Hikari was older than her.

"Earth's architecture is so interesting. It's quite different from Cray's." Hikari said. "And this vehicle we're in. You called it a car?"

"That's right. People typically use these to get to places." Aurora explained.

"Fascinating."

After a short drive, the family finally arrived at Card Galaxy. Hikari stared at the building with curiosity. "So this is where you and mother first met, right father?"

"That's right." Ryuji confirmed. "Though that was many years ago."

"Come on. I'll show you the inside." Aurora said, leading her sister inside. They had yet to open for the day so it would be safe to talk in the shop.

Once inside, Hikari took a quick look around. She saw cards in glass containers depicting many of the units she knew from Cray. The images were surprisingly accurate. She even saw a few for units of Star Chaser.

"So is there anything you want to do, Hikari?" Aurora asked. "You've only got a few days on Earth, so we'd best use them wisely."

"Hmm…" Hikari thought to herself. "Well to be honest, I'm still rather curious about Earth's culture. If you could show me around, that would be fun."

"Showing you around, huh?" Aurora said. A grin slowly came to her. "Alright then! We can go shopping!"

"Shopping? You mean for supplies and equipment?"

"Nope! We're gonna do something all sisters do!" Aurora said with a smile. "We're going on a fashion hunt!"

"Fashion?" Hikari questioned. Suddenly, Aurora grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the door. "Woah!"

"We're going shopping dad! See you later! Bye!" Aurora said to her father, not even waiting for a response as she and Hikari left the store.

Ryuji watched as both his daughters ran out of the shop together. He showed a soft smile, seeing his two daughters acting so close. However, a sudden revelation quickly took that joy away from him.

"Aurora! Wait!" he called out on deaf ears. "What about your shift here at the shop?!"

* * *

"And here we are!" Aurora said with a big grin on her face.

Hikari looked around where they were. They were in a building, but inside were stores. Not one but multiple. It was rows upon rows of stores. "And where exactly is here?"

"This place is called a mall." Aurora explained. "And there's no better place for a girl to go shopping."

"You never said what we were shopping for though." Hikari said.

"Clothes of course!" Aurora told her. "And I know just the store to go to. It's got some great deals."

Just like that, Aurora led her sister into one of the larger clothing stores in the mall. She led her around, browsing some outfits in the women section. "Let's see. What size are you? You look like a medium to me."

"So this is what humans do for fun? Go shopping for clothes?" Hikari asked.

"Well this is more of a girl thing. Boys do… whatever boys do. They're weird." Aurora explained. "But doesn't a new look sound like a good idea?"

"A new look?"

"Yeah. It gives you a new perspective. A breath of fresh air." Aurora said. "Come on. Pick something you like."

"Hmm…" Hikari looked at the line of shirts and other clothes. "Doesn't this store have a section for armor? I wouldn't mind seeing what people on Earth wear for combat."

' _We really grew up living two different lives.'_ Aurora realized. "Sorry Hikari. I'm afraid you're not gonna find a store selling armor. Or weapons. Or anything combat related for that matter."

"Really?" Hikari asked. "On Cray, it's hard not to find a city with at least a blacksmith or something."

"Earth's different." Aurora explained. She made sure to keep her voice low so no one could overhear them, not that anyone was right by them to begin with. "I know Cray is rarely peaceful, but Earth doesn't have war scattered across it very often."

Hikari showed a smile. "I'm glad. If you were forced into war on Earth, I'd worry about you."

"Well you don't have to worry about that." Aurora told her sister. "But even though there's war on Cray, you still are able to relax every now and then, right?"

"Of course." Hikari said. "Actually… when Star Chaser finally managed to return to Cray after being gone for so long, one of the first things I did was go to a show with mother and some of the other members of the clan."

"A show?" Aurora asked. "What kind of show?"

"The Pale Moon Circus." Hikari said with a smile on her face. "Mother told me stories about them while we were traveling through space. When I finally had the chance to see it, I couldn't pass up that opportunity."

"I bet Dan would love to hear about that." Aurora said.

"Dan… He's the human that has a bond with Harri, isn't he?"

"That's right." Aurora nodded.

"You know, that show I went to was actually where Harri and I first met." Hikari explained. "He and I became friends after that encounter."

"Hehe. So just like Dan and I are friends, so are you and Harri." Aurora said. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh, what about Dragonic Vanquisher? Are you friends with him too?"

Hikari let out a giggle. "Actually, Dragonic Vanquisher was one of the first residents of Cray I met. He was part of the group that first came to see Star Chaser when our ships landed."

"And? What happened?"

"He and I fought."

Aurora widened her eyes. "You're kidding."

"Not in the slightest." Hikari said. "He said he wanted to test our power. So I opted to fight in mother's place. Our battle lasted for over an hour."

Aurora let out a giggle. "Yup. That sounds like Anthony's avatar alright."

"Is your friend similar?"

"If your talking about always getting into fights, then yes." Aurora said. "He's… complicated. But he's a good guy at heart. We've known each other since we were kids." Suddenly her eyes caught sight of something. "Oh this is cute." She pulled out a shirt and showed it off to Hikari. "What do you think? You like it?"

"It does look rather nice." Hikari admitted. "Earth's fashion is much different from Cray's. But it has its own unique charm."

"Alright then. Let's see if we can find something else…" Aurora said as her eyes looked around. "Ooo, jewelry! That's definitely something we need to look at!"

"Hm?" Hikari followed Aurora and took a look at a long row of bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories. "Oh these are nice."

"I know right? Let's see…" Aurora scanned the jewelry and her eyes caught sight of a pair of bracelets. They each had a jewel in them, but a different color between the two. "What do you think of these?"

"They do look nice." Hikari admitted. "But why these in particular?"

"Well… it's kinda like a special thing for the two of us." Aurora explained. "I'll wear one and you wear the other. It's a way to symbolize the bond we have. As sisters."

"Sisters…" Hikari looked at the two bracelets and smiled with a nod. "You're right. That way even when we're apart, we'll still be close."

Aurora bought the shirt and bracelets, considering Hikari had no money being from another planet. Once they were done, the two sisters shopped around at a few other stores before heading back to the shop. The two of them chatted the entire time. Aurora treasured this time together with her sister. When the two of them parted ways when she came back to Earth, she thought she would never have a chance like this again. But here she was, getting the chance to show her sister what Earth was like. Even though this would probably be a one time thing, it meant the world to her.

* * *

When Aurora and Hikari returned to Card Galaxy, there were many people surprised by the girl with Aurora that bared a strong resemblance to her. She and her father were able to make up a story of Hikari being her cousin that was staying with them for a few days. Fortunately, everyone seemed to buy it and never noticed how similar the Hikari there looked to the unit Hikari that Aurora used.

Of course, Dan and Anthony could see through the lie in an instant, having already seen Hikari on Cray. But they kept their mouths shut, at least until everyone else had gone home. Afterwards, Aurora explained everything to them. It was surprising to say the least that a unit from Cray was here on Earth. But with everything they had gone through over the summer, this was not even close to the weirdest thing that they had seen or heard.

With closing time coming, Dan and Anthony said goodbye to Aurora, Hikari, and Ryuji and headed home. The shop closed up for the day and the family headed home.

"Today was a lot of fun." Hikari said. "Thank you, Aurora."

"I had a lot of fun too." Aurora told her sister. "Maybe tomorrow I can show you more places."

"Really? That would be lovely."

"Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen, Aurora." Ryuji said. "Tomorrow's Monday."

Aurora widened her eyes in realization. "Ah crap! School! I nearly forgot!"

"That's right. And afterwards, you have your job at Card Galaxy. I let you off the hook today, but I can't run that place alone you know."

Aurora groaned as she slumped down in her seat. Hikari let out a giggle. "It's fine Aurora. We can still spend time together at the shop after your classes."

"Yeah. I guess so." Aurora said.

Once the family arrived home, Aurora showed Hikari their house. Just like everything else on Earth, it was far different from what Hikari was used to on Cray. Though she never lived in a house on Cray to begin with. The spaceships of Star Chaser were her home. The food they had for dinner was also different, but Hikari found it delicious nonetheless.

Before long it was time for bed. Aurora opted to let Hikari stay in her room with her while she was on Earth. The two sisters laid together on Aurora's bed.

"These past few months really have been crazy for me." Aurora said. "I had been raised to believe my mother was dead. I didn't even know I had a sister."

"Neither did I." Hikari said. "Mother never really talked about father. And she never mentioned you to me either. Had it not been for Atmos, I never would have found out about you."

"All this happened because I encountered Star Chaser due to Yukari." Aurora said. "And although there's been hardships because of it… I'm glad it happened. Because of it I met lots of friends. I became a stronger cardfighter." She turned her head and looked at her sister. "And most importantly of all, I finally got to meet you and mom."

"I'm glad I was able to meet you too. And now I've even gotten to meet my father."

"What's your impression of him?"

"He's kind. Caring. A good person." Hikari said. "Just as I heard from you and mother."

"Yeah. But trust me, he's also a complete moron sometimes." Aurora giggled. Hikari laughed alongside her. Aurora stared back up at the ceiling with her sister. "I never really thought about what I'd do if I had a sister. But I guess… we'd do stuff like this, huh?"

"I guess so." Hikari said in agreement. "Do you have other ideas of what sisters do on Earth?"

"Gossip I guess. Talk about boys we like."

"You mean like that boy you kissed on Cray? Dan was his name I believe?"

Aurora's face went completely red at hearing that. "Wh-What?! Dan?! O-Oh I dunno… I mean we…"

"You did kiss him, didn't you? That's a sign of affection I thought. Or does it have a different meaning on Earth?"

"Well no but…" Aurora was too flustered to control herself right now. "I… don't really know how I feel about him. That kiss was just… a spur of the moment."

"Hmm… it didn't seem that way to me." Hikari said with a grin.

Aurora sighed. This must be what the infamous thing about sisters prying into each other's lives was about. "What about you then? Do you have a crush on Harri?"

"Harri?! Of course not!" Hikari told her. "He's way too old!"

"Oh right… I guess he and Dan aren't really the same age now that I think about it." Aurora realized. "Alright then. _Do_ you have a guy you like on Cray?"

"Someone I like…" Hikari said. "I'm not really sure. I guess there are boys my age I'm close to."

"Like?"

"Well… he's a couple years older than me, but there's Gemini." Hikari said. "He taught me how to use a sword when I was younger. Though I guess I look up to him more like an older brother. Then there's Pisces. He's a bit younger than me, and always acts like a little kid. But he's dependable when you really need him."

"Sounds like you've got plenty of potential lovers lined up." Aurora joked.

"Hey come on, it's not like that." Hikari said. "I guess… when Conquest Empire invaded and mother disappeared I lost a lot of my freedom to be innocent. I had to take up the mantle as Star Chaser's leader. But now that mother is back, she's leader again. I don't really know how to act anymore."

"Yeah. I can see why that would be tough." Aurora said. "But I think you should just act the way you are. Whatever feels right to you."

"Whatever feels right, huh?"

"Yeah." Aurora told her. "Who knows. Maybe you'll find a boy who likes you along the way."

"Hehe. Maybe so." Hikari admitted. "But you know, you should also be more honest with your own feelings."

"Huh?"

"That boy Dan. I know you care about him. And I know he cares about you."

Aurora thought about her sister's words as she drifted to sleep. ' _Dan… do I really love him?'_

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

Once school was out, Aurora booked it to the card shop. While she was at school, Hikari would be helping her father out with the card shop. Aurora was curious to see how her sister was doing with the job.

When Aurora walked into Card Galaxy, she saw that it was as busy as usual. People were busy sitting at tables playing Vanguard, opening packs, or just talking with each other.

"Welcome to Card Galaxy."

"Huh?" Aurora looked towards where she had heard the voice and widened her eyes. Standing at the counter was Hikari wearing the same apron that both she and her father wore when they were working.

"Well? What do you think?" Ryuji said as he walked over with a grin. "She looks pretty good in it, doesn't she?"

"It sure does." Aurora said. "Though personally, I feel I bring out more flair for the uniform."

Ryuji let out a light-hearted chuckle. "Alright Miss Arrogant, hurry up and get changed. Your shift is starting soon."

Aurora did just that as she went to the employee room. Minutes later, she emerged out of her school uniform and into regular clothes with the Card Galaxy apron on.

"Do you mind working the register?" her father asked. "Hikari's knowledge of the currency here is rather limited so she can't do sales."

"You got it dad." Aurora said. She walked over and sat behind the register. She took a glance at the shelves behind her. It seemed the Star Chaser boxes were still big sellers. Not that she could blame anyone for liking the clan. It was the one she used after all.

"Yo! What's up everybody?" a new voice said. Aurora turned her head and saw Anthony walk into the shop.

"Hey. What's up?" Aurora greeted.

"Nothing much. Just thought we'd come over here and do some cardfighting." Anthony said.

"We?" Aurora asked with narrowed eyes.

As if on cue, two others walked in at Anthony's side. Several customers gasped at who it was. William Lewis and Elizabeth Scarlet.

"It's been awhile, Aurora." William greeted. "Are you well?"

"Woah! It's William Lewis!" one of the customers exclaimed.

Soon, a majority of the younger players were swarming around the European champion. William found himself surrounded by his fans, asking for his autograph and whatnot.

"Hey, why are you guys so excited about him?" Anthony questioned. "We beat his team in the Vanguard World Tournament, and you're never this excited when I walk in the shop."

"Yeah, but you're always here. It's not special." one of the kids said.

"Yeah. Plus it was Aurora who beat William, not you. William could beat you I bet." another added.

"What was that?!" Anthony yelled. "Alright, I'll prove you I'm stronger! You and me Lewis! Let's go!"

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Member of the team that won the World Tournament, yet is unable to keep his emotions in check. This is just sad."

"You're one to talk." William said with a chuckle, earning a pout from Elizabeth. "In any case, I'd be happy to fight you Anthony. Let's-" William stopped short when he caught sight of Hikari. His eyes widened, recognizing her from when he traveled to Cray with everyone to fight Conquest Empire.

"O-Oh right. You haven't met my cousin, have you?" Aurora said. "This is Hikari Fujou. She's staying with us for a few days."

"A pleasure to meet you." Hikari said with a bow.

"That is one uncanny resemblance." Elizabeth said. "She looks almost exactly like the Hikari from Star Chaser."

William looked over at Aurora who gave him a look as if to say "I'll explain later" and decided to go along with it. "Well then Hikari, it's very nice to meet you."

"Alright, now that introductions are out of the way, let's get to fighting!" Anthony said enthusiastically.

William and Anthony walked over to one of the tables and got ready to begin. Several people crowded around the table to watch. Some of them were cheering for William, telling him to beat Anthony. The Narukami player grumbled at how everyone seemed against him, despite the fact that this was the shop he frequented at.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

Aurora watched from the register as the cardfight went on. Hikari walked over to her sister and whispered in her ear. "He was one of the humans that came to Cray, wasn't he? He sure seems popular on Earth."

"That's because William's a worldwide known player." Aurora explained. "He's won the Euro League multiple times. In fact, his team was a favorite to win the World Tournament that my team won."

"I see…" Hikari said. "So he's one of Earth's heroes."

"In terms of Vanguard, you could say that." Aurora told her.

Minutes ticked away as the cardfight continued. Before long, both Anthony and William were at 5 damage each. Both of them were on the ropes.

"Blaster Infinity, Llew attacks the Vanguard!" William called out.

"Heh, nice try rich boy! Perfect guard!" Anthony called out.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself." William smirked. "I still have Llew's skill. When he attacks, I call two Blasters from my deck!"

"What?!" Anthony exclaimed.

Anthony had William's Vanguard attack blocked, but he now had another two attacks to deal with. And his hand was already depleted from William's onslaught of attacks earlier. He had no choice but to let the next attack through, resulting in his loss.

"Alright! William won!" one of the kids cheered.

"I knew Anthony was no match for him!"

"Hey!" Anthony exclaimed. "That's it! I want a rematch William!"

"Come on Anthony, just accept your loss." Aurora told him. "William beat you fair and square."

Anthony grumbled to himself. It wasn't the loss that annoyed him so much as the brats that wouldn't shut up about it.

Time went on throughout the day. People were enjoying cardfights as usual. And having a celebrity at the shop like William excited plenty of the customers. They asked him for tips on their decks and other things. But eventually it came time for people to leave. Even Anthony and Elizabeth left as the sun was starting to set.

When William was the only one left, Aurora gave him a quick explanation of Hikari being here. He understood and wished the family the best before leaving as well.

With everything done, Ryuji closed up the store for the day and drove Aurora and Hikari home. The family ate dinner together before Aurora and Hikari went upstairs and went to bed.

* * *

Hikari had only been on Earth for a few days, but for Aurora it meant so much more than that. Having some quality time with her sister was a blessing. She wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But that time had finally come to an end. The family of three were standing outside the Tatsunagi building, saying their goodbyes to each other.

"It's a shame you couldn't stay longer." Aurora said.

"I wish I could stay longer too. But Star Chaser needs me. Cray needs me." Hikari told her sister.

Aurora nodded her head. "I know. You promise to be careful, ok?"

"Of course." Hikari nodded with a smile. She leaned in and hugged her sister. "Thank you for showing me around Earth, Aurora. It was so much fun."

"Anytime." Aurora told her, hugging Hikari back.

As the sisters parted ways, Ryuji walked up to Hikari. He smiled proudly at his daughter. "Take care of yourself Hikari. And give your mother my regards."

"I will, father." Hikari said. She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "It was nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Ryuji told her.

Finally, Yukari emerged from the Tatsunagi building. Hikari saw her and knew that it was time to go. She walked towards the building. As she approached the doors, she turned and gave one final wave of goodbye to her sister and father before walking inside with Yukari.

"Did you enjoy your time with your family?" Yukari said as the doors closed behind them.

"Very much so." Hikari nodded, walking with the silver haired girl.

"I'm glad." she said. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again, a serious expression on her face. "... Did you tell them? About what you told me when you first arrived?"

Hikari shook her head. "No. I decided it best to not get Aurora involved."

"I'm just glad they were able to believe you were just here for a friendly visit." Yukari said. "I appreciate the information you relayed to me. The premonition I got from Atmos was rather vague."

"Danger is coming. Not just to Cray and Earth. The entire universe could potentially be at stake this time."

"I know." Yukari nodded. "This threat you spoke of. Ragnarok."

"Atmos tried to keep it dormant. But now Ragnarok has begun to awaken." Hikari told her. "And the catalyst for that awakening came from Earth."

"You told me as much. I've had my people investigating ever since you told me." Yukari said. "Hopefully we can stop this before it becomes too big of an issue."

"I'm counting on you." Hikari said. "More than anything, I don't want Aurora to have to endanger herself again. This is Cray's problem."

"I will do everything in my power to help." Yukari said. "I wish you a safe trip back to Cray."

"Thank you." Hikari said.

' _I simply hope we are able to end this quickly.'_ Yukari thought to herself. ' _If what Hikari and Atmos have told me is true, then we face a threat far greater than Conquest Empire this time. Far greater than anything we have faced before.'_

 **Anthony: So was it fun having Hikari on Earth?**

 **Aurora: It sure was. Though it really hit me how different our lives were growing up.**

 **William: I'm sure it was a surprise for her too.**

 **Elizabeth: Hey, what're you all talking about?**

 **William: N-Nothing! Nothing at all!**

 **Elizabeth: Ok, now I'm really curious. Come on, spill it.**

 **Aurora: There is one thing she said though that has me wondering. I don't know how I feel about it.**

 **Next time: Aurora and Dan**


	73. Dan and Aurora

**A/N: It's that time again everyone. New chapter. Hope you all enjoy it everyone.**

Aurora sat in homeroom, waiting for classes to begin. With not much to do, she did what she usually did when she had free time before homeroom started. She went through her deck.

' _Hmm… my deck worked well when I fought against Jasmine. But maybe I could improve it slightly.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Or maybe… Yeah, maybe I should try for a new strategy using that card.'_

"Hello? Earth to Aurora?"

"Huh?" Aurora snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed one of her classmates looking at her. "Oh, hey Madoka. Is there something you need?"

"I was wondering what you were looking at." Madoka said. She looked over and saw the cards Aurora was holding. "Oh is that the thing Mr. Kagaguchi mentioned you played? Vanguard?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. This is the deck I play for Vanguard."

"The artwork sure is nice." Madoka noted. Her gaze became fixed on Sword of the Star, Hikari when she noticed it. "That card bears an uncanny resemblance to you, don't you think?"

' _If only you knew the reason why.'_ Aurora thought silently. "Yeah, it's a pretty crazy coincidence."

"So this Vanguard game? Is it fun?"

"Yeah. I've played it since I was a kid." Aurora answered with a nod.

"Hmm… Maybe I should try it someday." Madoka said.

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to teach you."

"I'll think about it." Madoka told her. With that, the bell rang and all of the students went to their seats.

Aurora put her deck away with the start of homeroom. The class listened as the teacher went through a list of announcements. One of them in particular caught Aurora's attention.

"As I'm sure most of you know, the school homecoming dance is next Friday." Mr. Kagaguchi said.

' _The homecoming dance, huh?'_ Aurora thought. She had never really gone to those types of events. It wasn't something that caught her interest much. It was a thing for couples or people desperate to find a boyfriend or girlfriend in her opinion. She was single so she didn't fit the first category and while having a boyfriend would be nice in her opinion, she was far from desperate to find one.

Classes went along like normal for Aurora. When the school day was finally over, Aurora walked towards the front gates with some of her friends. As usual, they talked about gossip and other such stuff. And with such topics, the homecoming dance was a must.

"So who's going to the dance?" one of the girls asked.

"Me. Arata asked me the other day."

"I got asked by Hiro, but I turned him down."

"Ew, Hiro? That guy is so creepy."

"I know right?!"

"What about you, Aurora?" one girl asked.

"Huh?" Aurora said. "Oh, I'm not going."

"Really? You didn't get asked by one of the boys? But you're so good looking."

Aurora shrugged. "It is what it is. Besides, I don't want some random guy asking me to the dance."

"Maybe you can get one of the guys at your family's shop to be your date. The school doesn't say your date has to go to Kousei."

"Come on, don't suggest that. Most of the guys there are probably weird and nerdy. Aurora could go for a much better guy than them."

"They're not actually _that_ bad." Aurora told them. "They're just normal guys that play Vanguard."

"Really? Well maybe you should do it then."

Aurora waved off her friend's suggestion. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. I don't have to go to the dance."

"It's such a shame though. Oh well, if you're sure you're fine with it then it's ok I guess."

"I'll see you girls later." Aurora said as she waved goodbye. "I gotta get down to the shop for my shift."

As she parted ways with her friends, Aurora made her way to Card Galaxy. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but think about the homecoming dance. Lots of her friends had dates, or talked about boys they wished would ask them out. But her? She didn't feel that way about any of the guys at her school. She didn't have anyone she held special feelings for. No guy she was "crushing" on. Heck, the only person she had ever kissed was Dan.

' _Why am I thinking about that kiss again?'_ Aurora asked herself. ' _I already told myself that I did it just to assure him I'd be back. There wasn't anything special about it… was there?'_

She had been thinking about it for longer than she realized because before she knew it she was at the shop. She shook the thoughts out of her head. She just needed to focus on getting through her shift at the shop.

Walking inside, Aurora noticed the store wasn't very busy right now. There were just a few people around, sitting at tables and looking around.

"Hey sweetheart." her father greeted. "How was school?"

"Fine." Aurora said as she headed for the employee room. "I'm gonna go change. Be out in a sec."

Closing the door behind her, Aurora put her school bag down and changed into her store uniform. She soon emerged from the room, ready to work.

"Guess we're not having a busy day today." Aurora noted, seeing the store still mostly barren.

"I suppose not." he father admitted. "But everyday can't be a full house."

"Hey Aurora." a new voice greeted as the sound of the front door opening was heard. Aurora turned to see Dan walk in.

"Hey Dan." Aurora greeted back.

"Guess no one else is here yet." Dan said, looking around. "And I was hoping to have a cardfight."

"In that case, why don't you fight him Aurora?" Ryuji suggested.

"Huh? Really dad? But I'm on the clock."

"It's not like that hasn't stopped you before." Ryuji said with a chuckle. "It's fine. The store's basically empty right now. I can handle things for a bit."

"Alright then." Aurora said. "You ready, Dan?"

"I was born ready." Dan smirked.

The two friends went to one of the tables and stood across from each other. They both put their decks down and drew their opening hands.

"This is perfect actually. I wanted to test out some of the new units I added." Dan said. "I couldn't ask for a better opponent in that case."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere with me." Aurora said with a teasing grin. "Let's do this."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Happiness Performer!"

 **Happiness Performer**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Aurora said. "Ride! Cosmic Brawler, Aires!"

 **Cosmic Brawler, Aires**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back with forerunner. Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Dan(5).]**

"My turn then." Dan said as he drew for his turn. "Ride! Miracle Juggler, Lance!"

 **Miracle Juggler, Lance**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Next I call Beast Caretaker, Natalie." Dan said, calling the grade 1 unit to his front row. The unit showed a girl in her late teens with tan hair tied back in a ponytailed-style fashion.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "You're calling a rear guard this early in the game? That's rather odd for you."

"You'll see why in a moment." Dan said. "Natalie attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(7000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Dan(0).]**

"Lance is up next!"

 **(7000)**

"Sorry, but I'm not letting you get that much of a lead on me." Aurora grinned as she held up a stand trigger in her hand. "Guard!"

"Drive check. No trigger." Dan said. "That ends my turn. And with Natalie's skill, if my Vanguard has magia at the end of my turn, I can send her to the soul. I then get to search my deck for a normal unit and add it to soul." He showed another new unit. A grade 2 female with a black performer-like outfit and a red top hat. "Adding Wonder Magician from my deck to the soul."

' _So that's why he called that unit so early.'_ Aurora realized.

"My old deck could only accumulate a lot of soul after I strode. So I took that into consideration and built a new deck that can get soul earlier, along with dealing with a few other weak points my old strategy had." Dan explained.

"Interesting." Aurora said. "Well then, I better respond in kind."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(4), Dan(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Let's go! I ride Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

' _Gemini. That 10000 base power is tricky for my grade 2s to get over.'_ Dan thought. ' _Smart move.'_

"Boosted by Vivi, Gemini swings in!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Dan(1).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Dan(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said, starting his turn.

' _Gemini is my only unit. And Dan shouldn't have any grade 2s with 10000 base power.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Plus, Happiness Performer doesn't have Forerunner. So he'll have to call more from his hand to have a good chance of hitting my Vanguard. I also don't have any front row rear guards, so he can't pick them off instead.'_

' _She knows what she's doing.'_ Dan thought, seeing her strategy. ' _As expected for a player of her level. But I can't let something like this stop me.'_

"Ride! Spotlight Star, Elen!"

 **Spotlight Star, Elen**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"That's not all. I also call Darkside Princess to rear guard." Dan said.

Aurora narrowed her eyes. ' _I thought he took out that unit awhile ago. So he added her back in.'_

"Darkside attacks the Vanguard. Activating her skill to add 5000 power."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a card from her hand."

"Darkside goes to the soul since I used her skill." Dan explained. "And now Elen attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Looks like you'll need a trigger to get through."

"Drive check." Dan said. He grinned at what he saw. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

' _Darn. It would be a critical.'_ Aurora thought. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger. I recover one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Dan(1).]**

"That's it for my turn."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(4), Dan(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She closed her eyes and held out a card in her hand. "Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _Hikari…'_ Dan thought. "You know, we've had a lot of cardfights together now that I think about it. You were my first opponent when I first came to this shop."

Aurora nodded her head as she thought back reminiscently. "Yeah. You were such a quiet guy back then. You kept to yourself for the most part."

Thinking back, that first cardfight she had with Dan felt so long ago to Aurora. She and Anthony had been looking for a third team member for the Vanguard World Tournament. Then one day Dan just happened to walk into the shop. She fought against him and saw his skill instantly. Ever since, they had been teammates. And more importantly, friends.

"We've both come a long way since our first cardfight." Aurora said. "Calling Cosmic Harp, Lyra. And now she'll attack Elen!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Hikari's up next, boosted by Vivi!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Two cards fell into Dan's damage zone with that attack. One had been a stand trigger, but it did little good to him now that Aurora's attacks were over.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Dan(3).]**

"Vivi's skill. I send her to the soul and bind her." Aurora explained. "Since Hikari is my Vanguard, I draw. Then I end my turn. With Hikari's skill, I bind Libra from my drop zone to soul charge."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(6), Dan(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. ' _We really have come a long way since that day. And just like her avatar has evolved, so has mine.'_

"The moon is your spotlight! Take to the stage! Bring forth an illusion that will be talked about for generations! Ride! Masked Illusionist, Harri!"

 **Masked Illusionist, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Dan called out. "Masquerade Master, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Master, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I soul charge and call Wonder Magician from the soul. She gains 3000 power, and then I counter charge since she has magia. Next I use Wonder Magician's magia. Since she was called out, I soul charge." Dan explained. "The card I soul charged is grade 1. Masquerade Bunny. I can now call a card from my soul who's grade is equal to or less than the card I just soul charged, and then both she and the called unit gain 5000 power. Come on out Lance! Then I use his skill to soul charge and call Darkside Princess! Giving her 5000 power! And let's not forget the Happiness Performer waiting patiently in the soul! I use her skill to call herself out and draw! Then I use her other skill to soul charge and call Gate Flipper! I draw since Gate Flipper has magia!"

Once again, Dan player a new unit. Aurora could see the grade 1 Gate Flipper was a sentinel based on the golden color by its shield value. The picture on the card showed a young boy juggling what seemed to be portals.

' _Five rear guards out of thin air. Not surprising, knowing him.'_ Aurora thought.

"Boosted by Gate Flipper, Wonder Magician attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+6000=23000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up two cards from her hand.

"Darkside Princess is up next with Lance's boost! And with her skill, I add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000++1000+5000=32000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Dan(3).]**

"With a boost from Happiness Performer, Masquerade Master, Harri attacks!" Dan called out. "Activating skill! I send Lance and Wonder Magician back to the soul. I then call out Spontaneous Acrobat and Lance. With Lance's magia, I call Elen and add 5000 power."

' _Yet another new unit.'_ Aurora noticed. The grade 2 Spontaneous Acrobat was a male with his legs hanging on a trapeze. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Elen." Dan said. "Spontaneous Acrobat attacks! With his skill, I soul charge and add 10000 power to him in exchange for returning him to the soul at the end of the turn."

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Dan(3).]**

"Elen attacks with a boost from Lance!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+5000+3000+7000+1000+3000=34000)**

"Generation guard! Star Cross Barrier, Crux!"

 **Star Cross Barrier, Crux**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Crux! I send Vivi from the bind zone to the drop zone. Then I send Vivi back from the drop zone to the bind zone and add 5000 to Crux's shield!"

"Turn end." Dan said. "All cards called with magia return to the soul. And I use Gate Flipper's skill. When he's sent from the rear guard to the soul, I can soul blast a card to add him to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(1), Dan(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Galaxy Champion, Leo from my deck and call Libra from my bind zone. Then I draw since Libra has Warpdrive." Aurora explained. "And now I'll use Libra's Warpdrive. Look at the top three cards of the deck, bind the Lyra among them, add another card among them to my hand, and put the last card on the bottom of the deck. Now I use Cosmic Harp, Lyra's skill from the bind zone to soul blast and call her. With her Warpdrive, I bind Gemini from my deck and add 2000 power to Lyra since he has Warpdrive. Lastly, I call Sagittarius to rear guard."

' _She barely had any cards in her hand at the start of the turn. And now she's got three rear guards out.'_ Dan thought. ' _Her manipulation of the bind zone is as good as ever.'_

"Lyra attacks first!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard!"

"With a boost from Sagittarius, Libra is up next!"

 **(9000+7000+1000=17000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Dan(4).]**

"Pleiades attacks the Vanguard!" Aurora called out. "Activating her skill! I counterblast and flip a copy of her face up! Next, I bind all three of my rear guards! I can now call cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break, in other words three units! So I call Leo, Sagittarius, and Libra! Since I called three units, I get to add 5000 to the front row! After that, their Warpdrive skills activate! Libra lets me look at the top three cards of the deck, bind the Ares among them, add another card to my hand, and put the last on the bottom of the deck. Leo's lets me call out Vivi from the bind zone and give both of them 5000 power. And Sagittarius's lets me add 2000 to him for each card in my bind zone. There's three cards there right now so that's 6000 power! And since Vivi got called from the bind zone with Leo, her Warpdrive increases her power by 5000!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Dan called out. "I also use Gate Flipper's magia! When he's placed on the guardian circle, I can call another Gate Flipper from soul! That Gate Flipper goes to soul at end of turn however."

' _Meaning he can use it's skill to get it into his hand.'_ Aurora realized. ' _His new sentinel can help him get it into his hand, even if he soul charges it. Clever.'_

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Libra! Third check, stand trigger! I have no units to stand, but I'll give the power to Leo!"

Dan grit his teeth. ' _She put Vivi behind Leo. If I let that hit, she gains more resources. But if I let Libra hit while she has a critical, I'll hit six damage. She's really putting on the pressure.'_

"Alright Leo! Attack with a boost from Vivi!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000+5000+5000=36000)**

"No guard." Dan said. "Damage check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Dan(5).]**

"Since the attack hit, Vivi's skill lets me send her to soul, bind the Ares in my soul, and draw." Aurora explained with a grin. "And now Libra attacks with Sagittarius's boost! With another card in my bind zone, Sagittarius's power boost goes from 6000 to 8000!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+1000+8000=35000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill. Look at the top three cards of the deck, send Masked Phantom, Harri to the soul, and add 5000 to the shield since I added a grade 1 or higher card." Dan explained.

"Turn end. Using Hikari's skill to bind Sword of the Stars in my drop zone to soul charge." Aurora said. "Not bad, Dan. But you're still a long way from winning this fight."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(7), Dan(5).]**

"I'm well aware of that. You're a scary person to have as an opponent, Aurora." Dan said. "That said, I don't plan on losing! Generation zone, release! Now bear witness to the ultimate illusion! One that will be talked about for generations to come! Stride Generation! Masquerade Showstopper, Harri!"

 **Masquerade Showstopper, Harri**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Aurora looked at the G Unit on Dan's field. It would be hard for her not to recognize it. It was the very same card that he had used to beat her in their battle on Cray. When she was lost in despair and fighting for Conquest Empire.

' _I had lost all hope.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But no matter how hard I tried to push you away, you held your ground. You refused to give up on me.'_ Her lips curved to a slight frown. ' _I really haven't been fair to you at all, have I Dan? You did so much for me. And what did I do in return? Give you a kiss and then act like it never happened.'_

"Stride skill! I call Lance! Using his skill to call Elen and add 5000 power!" Dan explained. "Next I use Happiness Performer's skill to call herself out, and then use her other skill to call Wonder Magician! Wonder Magician's magia soul charges Darkside Princess, meaning I can call a grade 2 or lower and add 5000 to both of them! I call Masquerade Bunny!"

' _Even after I came back, you never brought up the kiss. But I could see you were thinking about it.'_ Aurora thought. ' _You were probably respecting my feelings and waiting for me to be ready, weren't you?'_

"Masquerade Bunny boost an attack for Wonder Magician!" Dan called out

 **(9000+5000+7000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dan(5).]**

"Elen is up next with a boost from Lance!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+7000+1000=23000)**

Aurora quickly held up a trigger from her hand. "Guard! I also intercept with Libra!"

' _Lowering her rear guards on the field. She knows what's coming.'_ Dan thought. "Masquerade Showstopper, Harri attacks! Activating skill! All rear guard on both fields are sent to their owners souls! I can then call out magia units from the soul up to the number of opponent rear guards sent to soul."

Aurora sent both Leo and Sagittarius to her soul. With two of her units going there, Dan would be able to call out another two units from his soul. ' _He opted away from Masquerade Master in order to try and disrupt my field.'_

"From behind the curtains, say hello to Lance and Wonder Magician!" Dan said. "Lance's skill lets me call out Elen, and the soul charge from Wonder Magician gets me the grade 0 Prankster Girl of Mirrorland. So I'll call out the grade 0 Darkside Swordmaster from the soul and add 5000 power to both her and Wonder Magician. Then I send Prankster Girl back to the deck with her skill and add Darkside Princess to the soul from the deck."

' _On top of that the two units he called with his Vanguard gain 5000 while his Vanguard gains 5000 for each one called. So that's 10000 to his Vanguard.'_ Aurora thought.

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger! Power to Elen and I recover one!" Dan said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dan(4).]**

"Wonder Magician attacks with Darkside Swordmaster's boost!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+4000+5000=28000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up two cards from her hand.

"Elen's coming in with a boost from Lance!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+5000+7000+5000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Warphole Papillion's skill! I soul blast two cards and bind Elen!" Aurora said with a smirk.

"Blocking the attack while keeping me from getting another attack with Elen's skill. Well played." Dan said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(1), Dan(10).]**

"Stand and draw." aurora said. ' _All this time… I've just been running away. I ran from my responsibility to my friends when Conquest Empire had me cornered. And now I'm running from my own feelings.'_

"Hey Dan…" Aurora said.

"Yes?"

"Cardfighting with you… really is the best." Aurora told him with a soft smile. "And once I win this fight, there's something I need to tell you."

Dan raised a brow. "Confident, aren't you? Well let's see if you really can break through my defense and win like you say."

Aurora showed a grin. "You got it." She took a card from her hand and discarded it. "Generation zone, release! Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Aquarius from my deck and call Gemini!" Aurora said, placing it behind her Vanguard. "Gemini's Warpdrive! He gains 5000 power and boost! I also draw a card due to the stride skill. Next I soul blast for Lyra's skill to call her and countercharge! Her Warpdrive activates, allowing me to bind Cancer in my deck and add 2000 to her power! And now I use Hikari's skill! I counterblast and soul blast to call Vivi from the bind zone and add 5000 power to her! She gains another 5000 due to her Warpdrive! I use the skill one more time to call out Sword of the Stars, Hikari from the bind zone and add 5000 to her! Lastly, I call Ares from my hand behind her!"

' _A full field. And there's also Constellation of Light's other skill to worry about.'_ Dan thought. ' _For each of her attacks she can send a card from her bind zone to the drop zone to prevent me from guarding with a card of the same grade for that battle.'_

As if reading his mind, Aurora went to her next move. "Constellation of Light, Hikari's Generation Break 3! I counterblast and flip a card face up to give her 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill!" she explained. "Now let's get started right away with an attack from the Vanguard! Boosted by Gemini, Hikari attacks! I send the Aquarius in my bind zone to the drop zone to prevent grade 1s from being able to guard this attack!"

 **(26000+10000+9000+5000=50000)**

' _Damn. I can't use my perfect guards.'_ Dan said, looking at the two Gate Flippers he had in hand. "Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Coulthard's skill! Since I have four units of different grades in the soul, add 15000 to the shield!" Dan said. With his Vanguard's current power, he now had 41000. "I also guard with the Darkside Swordmaster in my hand, as well as Elen!"

' _56000\. So I'll need two triggers to break through.'_ Aurora thought. "Triple drive! First check, stand trigger!" Aurora thought about her options. With Dan at four damage, she needed a critical to finish him with one of her rear guards. But would he be able to guard it?

' _My cards have always responded to my feelings before. So no reason to stop trusting in them now.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Give me the strength to show how strongly I feel about this.'_ "I stand Gemini and give the power to the Vanguard!" Aurora decided. "Second check, no trigger. Third check… critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Dan said. "First card, no trigger. Second card… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dan(6).]**

"Seems I lose." Dan said. "You're as good as always, Aurora."

"Only because I have friends like you to help me improve my game." Aurora told him. "Anyway… like I said, there's something I want to tell you."

"Yeah, you did mention that." Dan said. "So what is it?"

"There's… well there's going to be a homecoming dance at my school next week." Aurora explained nervously. "And I'd kinda, liked to, sorta… go with you."

Dan blinked in surprise as he heard this. "W-Wow, really? A-Are you sure you w-want to go with-"

Aurora silenced him as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. It brought both of them back to their first kiss on Cray. When they finally separated, Aurora saw how red Dan's cheeks were. Hers were a little rosy as well if she was being honest.

"You can just answer with a yes or a no." she said.

Dan stayed silent for a moment, letting this all sink in. But finally he responded to Aurora with a smile. "I'd love to go."

Hearing that made Aurora happier than she had been in a long time. The moment between the two was broken up however when a loud cough from Ryuji was heard. Both teens turned to look towards the manager, realizing that he had seen what just happened.

"You better have my daughter back home right after that dance is over, young man." Ryuji told him.

Dan feverishly nodded his head. "Y-Yes sir!"

Aurora pouted at her dad with puffed cheeks. "Dad! Why did you have to go and spoil the moment like that?!"

Ryuji let out a hearty chuckle. "Sorry sweetie, couldn't help myself. But in all seriousness, you kids go have fun."

Aurora nodded her head. "Oh right! I'm gonna need to go buy a dress for the dance!"

Ryuji watched as his daughter thought frantically about all the things she would have to do for the upcoming dance. He had a caring smile on his face. ' _Seems you found the same thing I did when I met Elara, Aurora. Your mother would be so happy if she could see you right now.'_

 **Anthony: Hey guys! What I'd miss?**

 **Aurora: Wah! Anthony how long have you been here?!**

 **Anthony: Uhh… I just got here. What's got you all antsy?**

 **Aurora: N-Nothing! Nothing at all!**

 **Anthony: Ok, now you're really acting weird.**

 **Aurora: I said it's nothing!**

 **Anthony: Oh I bet I know what it is. Did you finally tell Dan you-**

 **Aurora: ANTHONY!**

 **Next time: A Night to Remember**

 **Card Gallery:**

Gate Flipper  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC from hand, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **Magia AUTO GB1:** When this card is placed on GC, if there is another "Gate Flipper" in your soul, you can call that card to RC. If you do, it is sent to soul at end of turn.  
 **AUTO GB1:** SB1 When this card is sent from RC to soul, you may pay the cost. If you do, add this card to your hand.

* * *

Beast Caretaker, Natalie  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC:** [Send this unit to soul.] At the end of your turn, if you have a Magia Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a normal unit and add it to your soul.

* * *

Wonder Magician  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **Magia AUTO GB1:** When this unit is placed on RC, SC1. Then, call a card from your soul whose grade is less than or equal to the grade of the card added to soul. Both that unit and this unit get +5000 power until end of turn. At the end of the turn, send the called unit to your soul.

* * *

Spontaneous Acrobat  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO GB1:** When this unit attacks, you may SC1. If you do, this unit gets +10000 power and at the end of the turn send this card to your soul.

* * *

Star Cross Barrier, Crux  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** [Send a card from your bind zone to the drop zone.] When this unit is placed on GC, you may pay the cost. If you do, take a card from your drop zone and bind it face up and this unit gains +5000 shield.


	74. A Night to Remember

**A/N: No cardfight this chapter readers. But I think most of you will forgive me for what this chapter does entail. Enjoy.**

Aurora stood in her room and looked at herself in the mirror. She had spent all afternoon getting ready the second she was done with school, even getting permission from her father to not work today. After all, tonight was the night of the homecoming dance.

Aurora was wearing a long pretty orange dress. Her hair was brushed neatly. Every part of her reflection that she looked at seemed to be perfect. Now all she needed to do was calm down.

' _Geez, I went and made the dance to be no big deal, but now I can't stop worrying about it.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Maybe my hair needs a few more brushes? No, no stop that! The last time you went to brush your hair again, you spent half an hour! Dan will be here any second, you don't have time for that!'_

She was proven right when she heard the doorbell ring another few seconds later. Ryuji went to the door and opened it up. Standing outside was Dan dressed in a tuxedo and red tie.

"Well you certainly clean up pretty well." Ryuji said with an approving grin.

"Thanks." Dan said. "Is Aurora ready?"

"I'll go check." he said. He walked over to the stairs and called up. "Aurora! Dan's here!"

"Coming!" Aurora shouted back down. After another minute or so, Aurora came out of her room and walked downstairs. The two teens looked at each other. They had seen each other when they met at the shop plenty of times. But this was different. Dressed in formal wear like this, it was as if they were seeing each other in an entirely new light.

"H-Hey Aurora." Dan said nervously.

' _He's even more nervous than I am.'_ Aurora noticed. She did her best to calm her nerves and smiled at him. "Hey Dan. You certainly look nice."

"Same to you. You look… beautiful."

The compliment made Aurora blush. She tried to hide it, but to no avail. "Well then… let's get going, shall we?"

Dan nodded his head. The two walked outside where Dan's mother's car was to drive them to the school. The two of them got in and drove off.

Ryuji watched as the car went further away. He wished her luck for her first school dance. ' _Aurora… you're finally growing up. To think you already have your first boyfriend.'_ he thought with a small smile. ' _Let's hope he sticks and you don't end up like me waiting until you're thirty to find love.'_

* * *

Once they arrived at Aurora's school, the two teens got out of the car. Dan's mother told them she would come pick them up when the dance was over before driving off.

"So this is Kouse High, huh?" Dan said as he looked at the school.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yup."

"Aurora!" the call caused the twosome to look over and see multiple other couples walking over to them. Aurora recognized the girls among them as some of her friends from school.

"So you did get a date after all." one of the girls said.

"He's pretty cute I guess." another one mentioned.

"Y-Yeah…" Aurora said. "This is my friend from my family's shop."

"Dan Kisha. Nice to meet you all." he said.

"Friend?" one of them asked. "Don't you mean _boyfriend_?"

Aurora stuttered at hearing that. "I… umm…"

"Oh look! She's blushing!"

"They both are! How cute!"

"Guys!" Aurora complained, earning giggles from her friends. She let out a sigh. "Come on, Dan. Let's hurry and get inside."

Aurora's friends watched as the couple went into the school. One of them smiled. "I'm happy for her. They make a cute couple."

"That they do." another one nodded.

Inside the school, Aurora and Dan went into the auditorium where the main event was happening. They found a table and sat down. This was a first for both of them, and it was clear to each how inexperienced they were at events like dances and such.

Music played as multiple students danced around. It wasn't slow music, more of the upbeat and loud kind where everyone danced as a group. The dance floor was crowded with teens.

"Imagine what Anthony would say if he saw the two of us right now." Dan mentioned.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "He'd make some dumb comment or another I'm sure. Though there is one person he seems to be getting a lot closer with."

"Who?"

"Come on, you haven't noticed? Elizabeth." Aurora told him.

"Elizabeth?" Dan said. "Well I mean sure they've hung out a lot since she and William came to Japan. But… them together? Like, together together?"

Aurora sighed and shook her head. "I swear, boys never seem to understand a girl's heart."

"What about you then?" Dan asked.

"Huh?"

"You asked me to the dance, right? That makes me your…" Dan almost hesitated to say it with how red his cheeks were. "Your special someone?"

Aurora showed a soft smile. "I guess it does. Seems I'm a sucker for the dorky type."

"Hey!"

Aurora let out a giggle. Soon she heard the music for the slow dances start. "Come on. Let's go dance, what do you say?"

Dan nodded his head. "Sure. Though I have to admit… I'm not the best dancer."

"You'll be fine. That is, as long as you're ok with me leading."

"Better than me stepping on you over and over."

Aurora and Dan got up from the table and walked over to the dance floor holding hands. They faced each other. Aurora wrapped her arms around Dan while he wrapped his arms around Aurora's waist. He had gotten some slight dancing lessons in preparation for this. Sure they were from his mother, but it was probably best not to say that out loud.

Dan followed Aurora's lead as they danced. It was a little tricky for him at first, but he soon got the hang of it. The two of them danced in rhythm to the music. As they did, everything else seemed to fade away. It was just the two of them. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed. Neither of them could fully describe the feeling, but they did know one thing. Neither of them wanted it to stop.

Aurora recalled everything that had happened between them as they danced. At first, they were just friends and teammates, aiming for the title of best in the world. But when she was distraught and angry with her father for not telling her about her mother, she went to him. She was a complete wreck at the time but she had managed to calm down thanks to him. Fighting together with Anthony, they overcame various challenges and managed to win the Vanguard World Tournament. At the time, she had thought everything would get better from there on. But it got so much worse. She went to Cray, was defeated by Conquest Empire, and became trapped in misery. But when all hope seemed lost, it was Dan that had managed to break through to her. Her other friends had all helped immensely sure, but it was him that defeated her and brought her to her senses. For that, she was eternally grateful.

"Dan"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything."

Dan blinked his eyes in surprise. "Where's this coming from all of a sudden?"

"You've helped me with so much." Aurora said. "And I feel like I've barely done anything in return."

"That's not true." he said. "Aurora, do you remember what you did for me? How you helped me?"

"You mean your card that got taken from those guys at the regional tournament?"

"Partially that." Dan told her. "But after my history with Demon's Den, I felt like there was no longer a place for me. I wasn't able to trust others. But when I walked into Card Galaxy, I met you. It didn't happen right away, but you reminded me of the fun I had playing Vanguard."

"Dan…"

"Aurora… You helped me learn to trust people again." he said. "That means more than you could ever know."

Aurora pulled herself closer to him. "Thank you." she said.

The dancing continued for quite a while. Time passed by as Aurora and Dan enjoyed the night together. Time passed by faster than they thought however, because before long the homecoming dance started to end.

Couples slowly began to leave the school and head home. Dan and Aurora waited by the front gate for Dan's mother to arrive.

"Tonight was a lot of fun." Aurora said.

Dan nodded his head. "Yeah. It sure was."

"For the record…" Aurora mentioned. "If you go acting all goo-goo-eyed in front of Rose again like when we first met her, I'm not going to forgive you."

"In my defense, a world famous cardfighter and model came up and talked to us out of nowhere." Dan retorted. "Plus you were the same with William when we first met him too."

"Wh-What?! No I wasn't!"

"Oh you so were."

Aurora puffed her cheeks and gave a mocking pout, but neither she nor her date could keep from laughing. Aurora looked up at the starry night sky. "I mean it though. No looking at other girls that way. I want you to only look at me that way." she said.

"You got it."

Another minute or so passed by before they noticed Dan's mother in her car. They walked over and got in as they began the drive back to Aurora's house to drop her off home. One thing was certain in both of their minds however. This was a night neither of them would ever forget. Not for as long as they lived.

* * *

In the dark night of Akihabara, the only light available were the street lights on and the light of the moon in the night sky. A figure wearing a black hooded coat walked the streets, finally arriving at an old church on the outskirts of the city.

Walking inside, the mystery figure was confronted by 2 guards. "Excuse me, but we need to confirm your identity."

The hooded figure removed their hood just briefly enough to show their face. One look and the guards were satisfied. The person put their hood back on and continued walking in. Going up to the altar, they came to a set of stairs leading underground. Walking down, only the candles lit on the wall illuminated the way.

Once they reached downstairs, a new sight greeted them. It was similar to the church upstairs, but it had a far more ominous tone. Weird scribbles could be seen on the walls and floors. Runes that most people wouldn't be able to make sense of. At the far end, there were six others that were dressed in black hooded coats just like the new arrival.

"You're late, Laura." one of the mystery people said.

"Apologies. My flight got delayed." she said. "International travel can be quite an ordeal sometimes."

"Regardless, we are all here." another one said. "Let us convene."

The seven hooded figures walked over to a circular table and sat down. The lighting was rather dim, but no one seemed to mind much.

"Now, let us get down to business." one of them said, this one sounding male. "Some of you are meeting others for the first time I believe. Shall I do introductions?"

"No need." another male voice said. "I don't intend to act friendly with anyone here."

"Ooooo, so cold Roman." a female one spoke. Judging by her size, she couldn't be older than 15. Though the stuffed doll whose hair she was stroking made her seem younger than even that. "Does someone have trouble making friends."

"Watch it." Roman said, glaring under the shadow of his hood.

"Now, now, let's not get hostile." the man that began the meeting said. "We all do have the same goal after all."

"Yes Master Ryo." the girl with the doll said.

The one known as Ryo rose from his seat. "My friends, our hour is finally at hand. Soon, we will have vengeance upon the world that mocked and scorned us so." He stretched his arms out. "And it is thanks to our lord and savior! The benevolent Ragnarok!"

"To think such a being truly existed." Laura spoke. "It does boggle the mind."

"Indeed it does. But as we all know, it is the truth nonetheless." Ryo told her. "Brothers and sisters, soon the end will come. The great Ragnarok shall come to Earth. And when he does, we will be liberated from this hellish prison we have lived through. He will end this world. And it shall be born anew. One in which pain and suffering are no longer known. One in which humans won't have to live in misery."

"How long until his arrival?"

"Eventually. The universe is a vast place, Yuri." Ryo spoke. "However… it would seem there are those who would care to meddle in our righteous mission."

"And they would be?" Laura asked.

"At the moment, Yukari Tatsunagi. She shares a connection to the being known as Atmos." Ryo explained. "And while she has not made any direct moves against us yet, we cannot be too careful. Chances are, she will seek out assistance."

"And risk the exposure of Cray's existence? Doubtful." Yuri said.

"Never underestimate a rat being backed into a corner." Ryo said. "Sora and Kage have already informed me that she has begun investigating our organization."

"Then let us simply crush them." Roman told him.

"Patience Roman. First, we should eliminate those who may help her." Ryo said. He took out a folder and slid several pictures towards the center of the table. "Each of these are leaders of teams who have placed highly in the recent Vanguard World Tournament. Our lord has informed me that Yukari Tatsunagi has also asked for help from some of them before. We should assume she may ask assistance from even members of the entire team with how she most likely views our lord."

"And you want us to deal with them using the power Lord Ragnarok has provided to us, correct?" Yuri asked.

"Yes, but for now I do not believe the seven of us should act just yet." Ryo told them. "We are Purgatory and our reach is vast. There are several members we can use to… scout out this threat."

"Sacrificing the pawns so that the important pieces may advance safely." Roman said. "You're quite ruthless, Ryo."

" _Master_ Ryo." the doll-holding girl corrected.

"Quiet. I don't intend to take orders from a shrimp like you." Roman growled.

The girl rose from her seat, but Ryo signaled for her to stop. She calmed down and sat back down. "Peace, Isabelle. I appreciate your loyalty. But let us not lose our tempers over formalities."

"... As you wish, Master Ryo." Isabelle said. "If I may however, there is one of these cardfighters I would like to go after personally."

Ryo raised a brow in interest. "Oh? Is that so?"

"It's rather rare of you to make such a request, Isabelle." Yuri said.

"It's a… personal matter." she said.

"Very well then." Ryo said. "I'll allow it." He glanced to two members. "Sora. Kage. Can I trust you to handle her travel arrangements?"

"It shall be done, Master Ryo." both said simultaneously.

"Good." he looked at the six other members gathered with him. "We will await the arrival of our savior. The one who will deliver righteous judgement upon the world. Until then, let the influx of negativity spread. We will use our attacks to further make the world realize the end is coming." He saw nods of agreement from the others. "For Purgatory!"

"For Purgatory." the others responded together.

 **Keiko: Miss Tatsunagi?**

 **Yukari: What is it?**

 **Keiko: Should we really be keeping Aurora and the others in the dark?**

 **Mai: She's got a point. I mean, they did help stop Conquest Empire.**

 **Jasmine: That is not our decision to make. Miss Tatsunagi is in charge, not us.**

 **Yukari: I wish to respect Hikari's wish to not involve Aurora. That said… we may not have a choice before long. For now though, let us try and let them enjoy some peace.**

 **Next time: Thunder Dragon Touchdown**


	75. Thunder Dragon Touchdown

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for a new chapter. I know some of you were expecting the antagonist group to make their debut today but sad to say you'll have to wait until next chapter for that. Don't worry though, cause here's a chapter I'm sure plenty of you will enjoy.**

"Seriously? This is the place you wanted me to show you around?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Well no but… why my school of all places?"

Anthony stood with Elizabeth in front of his high school. The business the Lewis family had for the day was finished early. As such, Elizabeth thought she would meet up with Anthony again. At first she had considered she would simply go to Card Galaxy with him and get the chance to fight some of the members of Cosmic Trio. But the thought crossed her mind that she had never gotten the chance to see the inside of a Japanese public school. With her upbringing, she hadn't seen much of the inside of ANY public school for that matter.

"I was simply curious is all." Elizabeth told Anthony. "Besides, I won our cardfight the other day. As such, you promised you'd take me somewhere of my choosing."

"Wouldn't have won if you hadn't pulled that lucky critical trigger at the end." Anthony mumbled to himself.

"Did you say something?" Elizabeth asked.

"N-Nope! Nothing at all!"

Anthony walked into the school with the Scarlet girl. He took her on a tour of the school, though he didn't really find that there was much of interest in the building. Most of the time, he couldn't wait to get out of it. But that wasn't the case for Elizabeth. She seemed intrigued by how things were at the high school. In the fancy private school she went to, students were all high social class. One's social standing was almost as important as their grades. In some cases, even more so. There were people she got along with there, but for the most part she rather disliked the elitist attitude that the majority of the student body had.

After Anthony had shown Elizabeth around a few places, the two of them sat down and relaxed in the cafeteria. "You satisfied yet?"

"You really aren't a fan of this place, are you?" Elizabeth asked. "Is it perhaps, you're a bad student?"

"Hey, my grades are fine!" Anthony argued. "I just find that there's more interesting things to be doing when I'm not in class. Like Vanguard."

"Is that so?" she asked. "Well then… how about a game?"

A small grin came to Anthony's face. "Now you're talking. I'm gonna pay you back for the other day."

"You're free to try."

The two of them placed their decks down and drew their opening hands. Together they started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

As the cardfight between the two progressed, it was a fairly even fight. With the many games they had played against each other, both of them knew how to best adapt to the other's playstyle. Neither one seemed to have a clear advantage over the other. But finally, Anthony managed to just barely deal the sixth point of damage needed for his victory.

"And that's how it's done." Anthony grinned. "The thunder dragons of Narukami are unbeatable."

"Save the times I've beaten you." Elizabeth corrected.

Anthony let out a chuckle. "I gotta admit, fights with you always have me on the edge of my seat."

Elizabeth showed a small smirk. "Well… I suppose the same goes for me."

"Huh? What's going on here?" a new voice spoke up. Both Anthony and Elizabeth turned and saw a guy in a varsity jacket walking over. He came up to the table and looked down. "A cardfight, huh?"

"And you are?" Elizabeth asked.

A cocky grin appeared on the face of the new arrival. "The name's Eisaku Kurogane. Captain of the high school american football team here. And I must say, I don't recognize seeing your beautiful face around here."

"Did you really come over here just to hit on her?" Anthony said in a dry tone.

"Oh is she taken?" Eisaku asked. "If she is, I doubt it's by you, Anthony Ferges. True beauties wouldn't be drawn to a brute like you."

"What was that?!" Anthony growled as he got up from his seat.

"See? Getting worked up so easily." Eisaku said. He glanced over to Elizabeth. "So gorgeous, are you taken?"

"I'm not, no." Elizabeth told him.

"Perfect. Then why don't we-"

"But I'd rather stay single my entire life than be with a moron like you." Elizabeth finished.

"Wh-What?" Eisaku gasped. He quickly composed himself. "My dear, surely you are joking."

"I'm not." Elizabeth said. "I'd rather be dating this hothead over here than be dating someone like you."

"... I can't help but feel like that was partially an insult towards me." Anthony commented.

Eisaku showed a slight look of annoyance. "Truly it is the ones like you that play hard to get that are the greatest treasure. I understand you must be looking for your "perfect guy" but sometimes such a search will only end in failure. Soon you'd be forced to settle."

"That does it you little-" Elizabeth was cut off as Anthony stepped in before she rose from her seat.

"She says she's not interested. Take a hike." Anthony told him.

Eisaku glared at Anthony. "You think you have any right to order me around? Let me guess, you think you're hot stuff because your team won the Vanguard World Tournament?"

Anthony raised a brow. "I'm surprised a sports fan like you knew about that."

"Of course. I consider myself a cardfighter as well you know." Eisaku told him. "And one far better than a simpleton like you."

"Funny. Cause I don't recall seeing you at the Vanguard World Tournament." Anthony said.

"You won in a team competition. Don't let it go to your head." Eisaku said. "I'm sure your other two teammates carried the team for the most part."

"Clearly you weren't watching the tournament very well then." Anthony glared. "I can take on the best in the world. So I'm not gonna stand here and take this from some wannabe that can't take a hint."

"If you think you're all that, then why don't we settle this as cardfighters?" Eisaku asked. "A cardfight. You and me."

"Bring it on." Anthony said. "Take a seat and let's get started."

"Oh no. Not here." Eisaku said. "I'd prefer a much grander stage. Meet me on the football field in one hour."

With that, Eisaku walked away. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Geez, his ego was almost as big as yours."

"Don't insult me by comparing me to someone like him." Anthony said.

"In any case…" Elizabeth glared. "I don't appreciate you acting like I couldn't stand up for myself there."

"Look, that's not it." Anthony assured her. "If that kept up, you were going to break his legs, weren't you?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms. "Maybe."

"That's why. I don't need more of a hassle with some guy getting physically hurt at my school." Anthony told her. "Besides… this way I get to humiliate him on a big stage. Tell me that doesn't sound fun to you?"

"... A little." Elizabeth admitted with a smile.

* * *

Waiting the full hour was a bit on the tedious side for Anthony. But when it was finally time, he walked out with Elizabeth to the football field. It was clear almost immediately why Eisaku chose this location.

In the stands, a large amount of students were gathered to watch. No doubt Eisaku had spouted about some kind of "show" happening to get everyone's interest. Standing in the center of the field where a table was set up was the football captain himself.

"Geez, he really is a showoff." Elizabeth commented dryly.

"Hey, a bigger crowd works for me." Anthony said. "Go get comfortable in the stands. I'll try not to take too long."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes but decided to take Anthony up on his offer. She walked over to the stands and took a seat with the other viewers. Meanwhile, Anthony walked up to the center of the field where Eisaku was.

"So you showed up." Eisaku smirked.

"Duh."

"Well then, let's get started." the football player said. He took out his deck and placed in on the table. A Vanguard field was already set up for them. "I'll show you that I'm a master of football and Vanguard both."

"The only thing you're a master of is running your mouth." Anthony said, placing his deck on the table.

Both players drew their opening hands and started the game with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Thunderwarning Dracokid!"

 **Thunderwarning Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Prospective Starkie!"

 **Prospective Starkie**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Spike Brothers." Anthony noticed. "That's so accurate, it's almost stereotypical."

"Get ready. The teamwork from my clan is just as strong as that of our actual football team." Eisaku said. "I go first, ride Acrobat Verdi!"

 **Acrobat Verdi**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Prospective Starkie moves back behind Verdi with his skill. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony (5), Eisaku (5)]**

As Anthony began his turn, Elizabeth looked to Eisaku with a focused gaze. ' _Spike Brothers are a hyper aggressive clan but also plays a risky game with hand management. If this guy is even half the cardfighter he makes himself out to be then Anthony had better be prepared.'_

"I ride Thunder Pillar Dragon!"

 **Thunder Pillar Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Thunderwarning moves back and with its boost, Thunder Pillar attacks the vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Eisaku smiled as he revealed the trigger unit. "Draw trigger. Power to the vanguard and I draw a card!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (0), Eisaku (1)]**

' _That's gonna be annoying…'_ Anthony thought as he ended his turn. Having extra cards in hand is the best possible thing while playing that clan.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony (6), Eisaku (6)]**

"Stand and draw. I ride Cobalt Impulse!"

 **Cobalt Impulse**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

Eisaku revealed a grade 3 unit in his hand to Anthony. "Skill of Jelly Beans! By revealing this card in my hand and putting it to the bottom of my deck, I can search my deck for one grade 2 or lower Dudley card and add it to my hand. I'll grab Dudley Cheers, Linsey."

' _Grabbing a heal straight out of his deck this early? He really wants to be prepared.'_ Contrary to his inner thoughts, Anthony shrugged and scoffed at his opponent. "Isn't it a bit too early to be making mistakes like that?"

"Oh Anthony, so naive as always." Eisaku said with a wag of his finger. "A good team leader always makes sure that his defence is just as tough as his offense. That being said..." He called down another unit to the front row. "Call Frog Raider! Attack the vanguard!"

 **(7000)**

Throwing down a trigger, Anthony blocked the attack. "Guard."

"Cobalt Impulse, charge in with your linebacker Starkie!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard!"

"Drive check." This time no trigger was to be found for the football player. Same with Anthony's damage check.

 **[Damage; Anthony (1), Eisaku (1)]**

"That'll be my turn, let's see if your simple minded ways can keep up with my formations!" Eisaku challenged, making his opponent groan at him.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony (5), Eisaku (6)]**

"You know for a fact if it wasn't for the fact you were harassing my friend, I wouldn't even need to be fighting you right now. You just can't seem to take rejection well." Some of the crowd began to either laugh at the jab thrown at the athelete or boo at the 'away' player that Anthony was. Eisaku clicked his tongue but didn't bother to say anything. "So I think when it comes down to it, I'll just blow you away like I do everyone else! Ride, Martial Punishment Dragon, Brahmasta!"

 **Martial Punishment Dragon, Brahmasta**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

' _One of Anthony's new units. A defensive base that will keep the constant attacks of Spike Brothers at bay for now.'_ Elizabeth had to silently commend her friend. Though it took many a beat down in her favor to get him to learn, he took minute details like this and incorporated it into his overwhelming style of play. It made him a more challenging opponent than he originally was.

"Grizel, come on down too! Charge in and attack the vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Damage check… No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony (1), Eisaku (2)]**

"Now for Brahmasta's turn. Get in there with Thunderwarning's boost!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard. Damage check, draw trigger! All effects to the vanguard and I draw one."

 **[Damage: Anthony (1), Eisaku (3)]**

' _Another one!? How heavy is this guy going on the draw triggers?'_ Anthony began to grow wary of the idea of his opponent gaining too much advantage. He'd have to play it a bit closer to chest from here on. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5: Hand: Anthony (5), Eisaku (7)]**

"Stand and draw! I think it's time to introduce everyone to the star quarterback of my deck!" Raising one card above his head with a triumphant smile, Eisaku flashed the crowd a winning look. "Charging through the adversaries of the home team, this hero will never fail to walk away with the trophy! I ride Exceptional Expertise, Rising Nova!"

 **Exceptional Expertise, Rising Nova**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I'll move Frog Raider back and have my vanguard attack yours!"

"No guard!"

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! All effects to the vanguard and I recover one damage!"

"Tch, damage check, nothing."

 **[Damage: Anthony (2), Eisaku (2)]**

"I'll end it there. Get ready Anthony, cause I'm about to show you the real might of a pro fighter!"

 **[Turn 6: Hand: Anthony (5), Eisaku (9)]**

"Stand and draw!" Scoffing once again, Anthony let out a sneer in an attempt to get under Eisaku's skin. "Don't give me that whole 'pro fighter' schtick. I beat Elizabeth on the regular and she's one of the best that the Euro League has to offer." Almost immediately after those words left his mouth, he felt an overwhelming feeling of dread and anger coming from his left. Out of the corner of his eye, Anthony shivered seeing Elizabeth glaring furiously at him with a snarl that promised pain. "A-Anyway, get ready for this! The skies clear the way for the dragon who rules them! Descend like a lightning bolt and crash into my foes! I ride Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now Stride Generation! Avatar of Lightning, Vasaki Shakti!"

 **Avatar of Lightning, Vasaki Shakti**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The new G unit that materialized was a noble looking, multi-armed deity. He had his bare chest exposed that held runic markings on his body with golden jewellery adorned all around his hands, chest and shoulders. He wore a deep blue lower robe half that was engraved with wondrous designs weaved into it. His black hair crackled with electricity as he stared the football player down.

"Stride skill! I bind your Frog Raider and a card in your drop. Since two were bound I get to draw a card and give Grizel plus 3000 power until the end of the turn." Looking at his hand, he knew overextending this early would be a mistake but a bit of pressure never hurt anyone. "Call Smash Boxer Dragon behind Grizel. Skill of Vasaki Shakti!" Anthony flipped over a copy of "VBUSTER", something that didn't go unnoticed by his opponent. "I retire and bind your forerunner and since I have more units that you do, I get to draw a card and then choose a unit with the Thunderstrike ability and give it 3000 power until the end of the turn. I will choose Smash Boxer Dragon to give the power. Then the skill of my forerunner, whenever a unit is retired or sent to the drop, I can bind an additional card from your drop zone."

"Bind away all you want." Eisaku interrupted. "You'll find that you're only helping me in the long run."

"Keep blabbering and I'll pound you into the dirt even harder than I was going to! With Smash Boxer's boost, Grizel attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000+3000+3000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (2), Eisaku (3)]**

"Smash Boxer Dragon's thunderstrike 3. If I have a Vanquisher vanguard I can send him to soul to counter charge and draw a card. Now for my vanguard's attack! Incinerate him to dust, Vasaki Shakti!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

The avatar summoned a staff with a circular head that had mini rings melded into it. The rings began to stand on end as lightning began to crackle from it. Raising the staff high above his head, the stride pointed his staff at his opponent and blasted the electricity right at him.

"I think not! Perfect guard!"

Right as the lightning was about to make contact, another football ogre came in and intercepted the attack with his shoulder charge.

"Fine then, triple drive!" The first two checks revealed nothing of note but the last one made Anthony smile internally. "Heal trigger. While I don't heal and the attack doesn't hit, I'll take defence at the end of this any day. I end my turn. "GALVANIZE" thunderstrike 4, at the end of either turn you take a card from your drop zone and bind it. Since it was the end of my turn I get to either counter charge or soul charge then draw a card. I'll soul charge and draw one."

 **[Turn 7: Hand: Anthony (11), Eisaku (7)]**

"Stand and draw! Now it's my turn to show you that I'm not to be messed with! Stride generation! Black Horn King, Bullpower Agrias!"

 **Black Horn King, Bullpower Agrias**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I give a skill to the Vanguard! I then call Cobalt Impulse and Frog Raider to one column along with Wink Killer Misery and Airforce Eliza to the other! Get ready cause this formation is looking to break through the opposition! Eliza, cheer on Wink Killer as she attacks the vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I don't guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony (3), Eisaku (3)]**

' _Now that we're even, my heal triggers will go off. But better to not take anymore damage that needed.'_ Anthony thought as the card fell into his damage zone.

"Now for Cobalt's attack, charge in and slam him!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

Anthony threw down a critical trigger to block the attack. "I don't think so!"

"Now for my running play! Agrias attacks the vanguard, at this time two skills go off! First my G Unit's skill. I counter blast and flip a copy of itself face up and bind any number of my rearguards on the field. I'll bind Wink Killer, Cobalt and Eliza, and since I bound 3 or more cards I get to draw and superior call two cards from my bind zone!"

"Tch, trying to use my clan's skills against me huh? You're much more clever than I gave you credit for Eisaku." Anthony said bemusedly. Fights like this were a rarity for him since the only ones who could do that were Aurora and Sophia with their Star Chaser decks. Having a new opponent that played under and around his deck's strategy admittedly got him a little excited.

"Don't start getting to complimentative, Fergus. Otherwise the cheerleaders might get jealous." The football player returned the bemused remark in kind before continuing his plays. "I superior call Prospective Starkie to the column with Frog Raider in it and Wink Killer to my free one. Since Starkie was called due to an effect, he becomes charging along with Frog Raider restanding since a unit with the charge ability was called to his column. Then the stride skill gained from Rising Nova!" He counter blasted and took a card from his hand and put it into soul. "I superior call Devil Watch from my deck and give him plus 5000 power until the end of the turn. And now he charges as well!"

 **(26000)**

' _A refilled field is gonna be trouble. But I gotta risk it.'_ Anthony waved his hand towards himself. "Bring it, Eisaku!"

"You asked for it! Triple drive! First, draw trigger! I draw and give the power to Wink Killer. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger!"

"Damage check, stand trigger! Power to the vanguard and I stand Grizel!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Eisaku (3)]**

The trigger was a welcome reprieve to the coming attacks. The less damage he could sustain, the better. But he wasn't out of the woods yet. "Starkie goes for an off tackle at Grizel with Frog Raider's boost! Starkie's charge skill gives him plus 2000 power!"

 **(5000+2000+7000=14000)**

"Grizel's skill, whenever she is targeted by an opponent's effect or attack you have to bind a card from your drop zone!" Now was his chance to do some interruption. "Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Impede's skill, you choose one of your rear guards and bind it."

Though this put a small hinderance to his plans, Eisaku didn't bat an eyelash. "Then I'll bind Frog Raider since the attack isn't going to hit either way. After Starkie's battle, I send him to the bottom of the deck to counter charge. Now for Wink Killer's attack boosted by Devil Watch. Skill of Wink Killer, by counter blasting and putting a card from my hand into soul, I can superior call one card not named Wink Killer Misery from my deck and give it 5000 power. I choose Heavy Wheeze and he charges. Along with the skill of Devil Watch, when he boosts I counter charge and soul charge then get 3000 power until the end of the battle!"

 **(9000+5000+4000+5000+3000=26000)**

"Perfect guard! Skill of my perfect guard, since you are at thunderstrike 4 or greater I get to draw a card once she's retired from the guardian circle."

"Heavy Wheeze comes in with a tackle to the vanguard! His charge gives him an extra 10000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+10000=24000)**

Throwing down another trigger, Anthony blocked the last attack of the turn. "Guard!"

"Ha. Turn end then. Wheeze returns to the bottom of the deck after his attack."

"Hey, you aren't done yet." Anthony interrupted. "Skill of "GALVANIZE", you bind a card from your drop and I soul charge!" The football player did just that and ended his turn.

 **[Turn 8: Hand: Anthony (7), Eisaku (6)]**

"Stand and draw. Gotta admit Eisaku, you're a bit more than hot air coming off of ya lead me to believe. You got skill for sure."

"What's this? Ferges being respectable for once? Why, I must be going crazy."

Placing a card from his hand into the drop zone, Anthony grabbed a G unit and looked at his opponent with a fierce look. "That being said, I think that its only fair that I show you the skill that got me to the top! Stride generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _He's going into a Vanquisher G unit this turn. His one unit, "VMAX", was seen time and again as his best finisher. Being able to clear a whole field with one swing with the number of face up Vanquisher G units."_ Eisaku looked to his hand, inwardly smiling at the defensive maneuvers he could make. ' _A quarterback is only as good as the teammates that support him. And this hand can keep my defense high to block his most deadly play.'_

"Stride skill, bind a card from your drop and bind it along with Wink Killer Misery! Since two were bound I draw a card and give my vanguard 3000 power until the end of the turn." Looking to his field, his opponent only had one unit left so it would be best to use it for the G unit's skill. "Call Thunder Sword Deity, Indiora and then two Thunder Pillar Dragons behind them. Skill of "VBUSTER", bind the last rear guard you got and then another card in your bind zone. Then since I have more units than you, I give my front row 3000 power until the end of the turn. And on top of that, the Generation Break 3 of "VBUSTER", my front row gains 5000 power and my vanguard gets an extra critical and a drive! And then the skill of Thunderwarning, bind an additional card from your drop zone. Now Grizel attacks first with the boost from Thunder Pillar. Thunder Pillar's skill, when it boosts or attacks it gets 1000 power for every card in the bond zone for a total of 11000 plus 1000 since I have a Vanquisher vanguard, Grizel's own skill gives her 9000 power!"

 **(9000+9000+7000+1000+11000+3000+5000=45000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Eisaku (4)]**

"Boosted by Thunderwarning, my vanguard takes aim!"

 **(26000+3000+3000+5000+5000=42000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. All effects to Indoria and I draw. Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, stand trigger! All effects to Grizel!"

' _Another attack to guard against. Anthony has this show off on the back foot.'_ The game was starting to get intense for not only Elizabeth, but the crowd around her as well. All sides were watching intently, seeing what would happen next.

"Indiora, attack the vanguard! His skill gives him 1000 power for every card in the bind zone!"

 **(11000+7000+3000+5000+11000+11000+5000=53000)**

Since no criticals were added to those attacks, Eisaku could take them with much more ease of mind. "No guard, damage check. Heal trigger! Recovering one and power to the vanguard!"

"Tch, Grizel, hit him hard!"

 **(9000+9000+5000+3000+5000=31000)**

"Again, no guard. Draw trigger, power to the vanguard and I draw!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (4), Eisaku (5)]**

' _So close, but I have to push later next turn.'_ Anthony was just at the gate but the heal trigger saved his opponent. That extra draw was annoying as well but there was nothing he could do especially since Eisaku's drop zone was empty. He couldn't even use the end of turn skill of Vanquisher. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9: Hand: Anthony (9), Eisaku (6)]**

"Stand and draw." Eisaku said. "Get ready, Ferges. It's the fourth quarter and I'm about to score the winning touchdown."

"Do your worst." Anthony taunted. "I'll take whatever you dish out."

"I'll make you eat those words." Eisaku smirked. "Stride Generation! Great Villain, Dirty Picaro!"

 **Great Villain, Dirty Picaro**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! My Vanguard gains a skill once again!" Eisaku said. "Now call! Giant, Rising Great Star! Skill activated! I counterblast and send a card from the hand to the soul to call a grade 2 or less unit with the charge ability from the deck! Come on out Heave Weeze! Heavy Weeze charges! And lastly, to finish up this team, I call Frog Raider and Airforce Eliza!"

' _He called Great Star behind his Vanguard. Likely to leave an open rear guard circle for him to call a charging unit to.'_ Anthony thought.

"Time to show you what real skills look like!" Eisaku said. "I'll show you why I'm the hero of the football team and you're just a delinquent acting tough!"

' _Geez. And I thought Anthony's ego was massive.'_ Elizabeth mentally spoke in her mind. ' _That said, this football jock certainly has a decent formation set up. Especially with Dirty Picaro's skill.'_

"With a boost from Frog Raider, Heave Wheeze attacks!"

 **(9000+10000+7000=26000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony (5), Eisaku (5)]**

"Heave Wheeze goes back to the deck after the battle! Dirty Picaro, time for the finishing play! Attack!" Eisaku called out. "Dirty Picaro's skill! I counterblast and put a card from my hand into the soul! Then for each of the three face up cards in my G Zone, I can call a card from the deck to an open rear guard circle! I choose Wink-killer Misery, Mayhem Tiger and Prospective Starkie! Both tiger and Starkie charge! And with Frog Raider's skill, he stands again!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Mayhem Tiger and I draw! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Tiger and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Anthony (5), Eisaku (4)]**

"Thunderstrike 4 of Anastasia. Draw 1 card."

"You'll need it for what's coming next! Tiger attacks with Frog Raider's support!"

 **(9000+10000+7000=26000)**

' _With Mayhem Tiger's skill, he can retire one of my grade 2 or lower guardians with a soul blast.'_ Anthony thought. ' _A perfect guard would get around that, but I used up my only one on the Vanguard attack. No choice then.'_

"Generation guard! Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma!"

 **Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Brahma! I bind Grizel and Anastasia in my drop zone! 10000 is added to the shield!"

"Mayhem tiger returns to the deck after it's attack. And thanks to Starkie's skill, I countercharge." Eisaku explained. "Boosted by Starkie, Wink-killer will go in next! Wink-killer's skill! I send a card from my hand to the soul and call Heave Wheeze! Frog Raider stands!"

 **(9000+5000+2000=16000)**

"Guard!" Anthony called out, holding up two cards from his hand.

"Starkie returns to the deck. But with Frog Raider's boost, Heave Wheeze will end you!"

 **(9000+10000+7000=26000)**

"It's game over!" Eisaku grinned.

"You wish!" Anthony called out. He quickly held up a trigger, as well as two grade 1s. "Guard!"

Eisaku gasped in shock. "No way!"

"Never underestimate me, pal." Anthony smirked. "Now then, I believe your turn ends here?"

"Tch. Heave Wheeze returns to the deck." Eisaku said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 10: Hand: Anthony (3), Eisaku (4)]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "You know, you called me a delinquent earlier." He let out a chuckle. "Funny thing is, not too long ago, you might have had a point. But I'm not the same guy I was in the past."

"Huh?"

"I've gotten stronger with Vanguard. I've met a lot of people, and been in situations you couldn't even begin to dream of." Anthony said. "Now let me show you where that's taken me! Generation Zone, release! Savage thunder! Rain down from the heavens and let your true power take form! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Eisaku looked at the unfamiliar G unit with confusion etched into his face. That wasn't "VMAX", he had no idea what this new card even did.

"Stride skill, I bind Wink Killer and a card for your drop to draw a card and give Grizel 3000 power. And now for "VTURBO"'s powerful skill! I soul blast and flip a copy of him to make you bind a rearguard from your field and I bind two cards from your drop zone. Then my front row gains 3000 power for every card in your bind zone!"

"What!? B-But that's ridiculous! I have fourteen cards in the bind zone!"

"So now you realize the situation you're in. Once I got your bind zone all set up, it was only a matter of time. My swings are way too big for your tiny hand to take, you're finished!" Anthony began his onslaught with "VTURBO" first. ""VTURBO" attacks the vanguard!"

 **(26000+42000=68000)**

' _He's not even boosting it!? There's no way this thing can restand!'_ Eisaku was backed into a corner. This perfect guard in his hand was his last hope to defend himself. "P-Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First, no trigger. Second, no trigger. Third, critical trigger! All effects to the vanguard!"

"All effects? But that means-!"

Anthony grinned mightily as he took two cards from his hand. "That's right, ball jockey! Generation Break 4 of "VTURBO"! If I'm at Thunderstrike 8, I can counter blast and discard two cards. Since I have more units than you do, I restand my vanguard with drive minus 1! Now with Thunderwarning's boost, finish it now!"

 **(26000+42000+5000+5000=78000)**

Even with the two heal triggers he had left in hand, there was no way he could guard against such a monsterous attack. Not even considering the gargantuan two other attacks coming his way with so little to guard with in comparison. "No guard…"

With no triggers revealed on the drive check, the lightning dragon blasted the football player into oblivion with his final strike. The last two cards hit Eisaku's damage zone, neither being the heal he needed to keep himself in the game.

 **[Damage: Anthony (5), Eisaku (6)]**

"Game. Set. Match." Anthony smirked. "That's how Anthony Ferges of Team Cosmic Trio gets things done."

Eisaku fell to his knees. "Unbelievable… I lost to him? This is absurd."

"Well if that's all, I gotta get going." Anthony said as he turned to walk away. "By the way… that was a pretty decent cardfight."

"Huh?" Eisaku said in surprise.

"If you ever want a rematch, feel free to come to Card Galaxy." Anthony said with a small grin. "Not that you'll ever manage to beat me of course."

"Yo! Anthony!" All eyes fell on Elizabeth Scarlet as the girl walked over to him.

Eisaku let out a sigh. ' _Seems I didn't manage to win her heart. You're special, Anthony Ferges.'_

Anthony showed a cocky grin. "How was that? Not too shabby if I do say so myse-"

Silence fell as Anthony was cut off with a painful bash to the head. Neither Eisaku nor the other students knew what to make of this scene.

Elizabeth glared at him. "The hell was that before about you beating me on a regular basis?!"

"Ow! Geez, did you have to hit so hard?!" Anthony asked as he held his head in pain. "I was just-"

"You were just being an idiot, as usual!" Elizabeth told him. She turned away with a huff. "And I was even planning on congratulating you for your win once this fight was over."

"Okay! I'm sorry!" Anthony said.

"I suppose there's only one thing to do." Elizabeth said. "Let's head to Card Galaxy."

"What?"

"I'm gonna have to fight and beat you to show you just how wrong you were." Elizabeth said. "And on the off chance you manage to beat me… maybe I will congratulate you on that win."

Anthony let out a chuckle. "Oh really? You gonna give me a kiss on the cheek or something?"

"Do you want to be hit again?"

"N-No ma'am! Sorry! Won't happen again!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she began to walk away, followed by Anthony. She was doing everything she could to hide the small blush on her cheeks. ' _Idiot.'_

 **Anthony: William, help me!**

 **William: What's got you so flustered?**

 **Anthony: How do you deal with Elizabeth? That girl is nuts!**

 **William: Elizabeth takes some getting used to. You'll learn how to deal with her as time goes on. Though there are some traits that never settle in no matter how much time passes.**

 **Elizabeth: Oh really? Is that so, William?**

 **William: E-Elizabeth?! You were listening?!**

 **Elizabeth: Two idiots that need a lesson in pain. Now who should I teach first?**

 **Dan: Well those three seem like they're gonna be busy.**

 **Aurora: They're not the only ones. Seems like our peace is about to end.**

 **Next time: Advent of Purgatory**

 **Card Gallery:**

Flash Kick Dragon, Kundala  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO GB1 Thunderstrike 3:** [Send this unit into soul] At the end of the battle that this unit boosted a successful attack at the vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units with the Thunderstrike ability and it gains **(AUTO VC/RC: When this unit attacks, you may choose an additional unit to battle with.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Martial Punishment Dragon, Brahmasta  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **CONT GB2 Thunderstrike 5:** During your turn, this unit gains 1000 power for every card in the opponent's bind zone.  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Choose one of your rear guards and rest it]. Until end of turn, this unit gains **(AUTO RC: After the battle in which it attacked a rear guard, if that unit was retired, bind it face up and stand this unit.)**

* * *

Thunder Sword Deity, Indiora  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO Thunderstrike 2:** [CB1] When this unit is placed on VC or RC, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent chooses one of their rear guards, retires it, and binds that card face up.  
 **CONT VC/RC GB1:** During your turn, this unit gains +1000 power for every card in the bind zone, and **(CONT: Thunderstrike 3: This unit gains 5000 shield and 'Intercept'.)**

* * *

Avatar of Lightning, Vasaki Shakti  
Grade 4  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT: VC 1/TURN** [Choose a face down card from your G zone and turn it face up] Your opponent chooses one of his or her rear guards, retires it, then binds it face up. Then if you have more rear guards than your opponent, draw one card and choose one of your units with the Thunderstrike ability and give it +3000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **CONT GB3:** All your units in the front row gain +5000 power for every open front row rear guard circle until the end of the turn.


	76. Advent of Purgatory

**A/N: What's up readers? You ready for a new chapter? Well get ready, cause here it is.**

Aurora sat at the register of Card Galaxy. It was after school and just another day for her working in the shop. With it being later in the day, there weren't many customers there besides the ones that would hang around and cardfight with friends.

"I do wish business would improve a bit." Ryuji said with a sigh. "Maybe we need something fresh to draw in people."

"Dad, I already told you. I'm not doing an autograph signing event." Aurora told him.

Ryuji let out a small laugh. "I told you already, that was a joke. But if you'd be willing…"

"Dad…"

"Got it." Ryuji said. "Well hopefully we'll get some good business when the next booster set drops. We completely sold out of the first few shipments of the Star Chaser trial deck and booster boxes."

"Maybe try a shop tournament?" Aurora suggested. "It's not time for selecting teams for regionals, but we could do one for fun."

"Hmm… that is a possibility." Ryuji said.

The sound of the door to the shop opening stopped the father and daughter's conversation. A middle aged woman walked into the shop. She glanced around before looking at Aurora and Ryuji. "Excuse me, but is my son Hideki here?"

"Hideki?" Aurora asked. "Could you give us a description ma'am?"

"He's the young boy that plays here often with his friends." Ryuji reminded her. "About twelve years old. Brown hair. Plays Gold Paladin."

"Oh right!" Aurora remembered. "He's one of the better cardfighters for kids his age here."

"That would be him." the woman nodded. "He told me he'd be coming here after school. Have you seen him?"

Ryuji shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I don't remember him coming in today."

"He said he'd be here though…" the woman said. "Oh I hope nothing's happened to him."

"We'll keep an eye out for him ma'am." Ryuji told her. "Perhaps he got held up at school."

"I'll try calling them and asking around." she said. She wrote down her number and gave it to Ryuji. "If he comes here, would you please call me?"

"I'll be sure to do that." Ryuji nodded.

"Thank you very much." the woman said with a polite bow before leaving.

Aurora thought to herself. "I'm worried. I hope nothing happened."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Ryuji assured his daughter. "That said… I hope everything's alright too."

Time passed by at the shop for Aurora. She made sure to keep an eye out everytime the door to the shop opened to see if it was Hideki. But each time it wasn't him. The more time passed, the more Aurora couldn't help worrying.

"Maybe his mother found him." Ryuji said.

"Maybe…" Aurora said. Once again, the chime of the bell that signaled the door opening was heard. Aurora looked over to see if it was Hideki, but once again it wasn't.

This was someone she didn't recognize. They were wearing a black hooded cloak, with their eyes covered by the shadow from it. Aurora couldn't tell who it was, but the vibe they gave off put her on edge. As if her instincts were warning her about this person.

The hooded figure looked over to Aurora. "You're Aurora Fujou, correct?"

"I am." she confirmed. "Who's asking?"

In response, the hooded figure took out an envelope and threw it at her. "Come to that address. Alone. You have two hours."

"Hold it pal, what's-" Aurora didn't get another word in before the mystery person left the shop. Aurora looked at the envelope curiously. She opened it up taking out two things inside. The first was a slip of paper with an address on it. Most likely the place they were referring to just now if she had to guess. The second thing inside was what really caught her attention as she widened her eyes in horror.

It was a picture of Hideki. Tied up and blindfolded.

Aurora rushed out of the shop. "Hey!" she shouted. She looked around for the mystery person, but the sight of them driving away on a motorcycle told her she wasn't going to catch up with them. Leaving her with only one option.

Taking off, Aurora ran as fast as she could after the person. Meanwhile, she put the address she had into the GPS app on her phone. She didn't know where this place was, but she had a good feeling that it was where this hooded freak was headed. She ignored the calls from her father in the distance. There was no time to waste.

' _Hang on Hideki. I'm coming.'_ Aurora thought as she ran. ' _And that bastard's gonna pay for what he did.'_

* * *

It took her some time, but Aurora finally arrived at the address she was given. It was an old worn out house, one that seemed like it hadn't been lived in for a long time. Perhaps it was the fact that the sun was setting soon, but Aurora was getting a creepy vibe from it.

Another text alert came to Aurora's phone, most likely another message from her father asking her where she was. He hadn't gotten a chance to see the address after all. But Aurora had dropped the picture when she took off running, so he most likely got the gist of the situation. She sent a text with the address to him. It would take him some time to either get there or call the police over here. Better to be safe in case she couldn't free Hideki herself.

Opening the door, Aurora walked inside. The house was large, practically mansion sized. She didn't have time nor patience to look through all the rooms.

"Hideki!" Aurora called out. "Are you here?!"

A muffled sound caught Aurora's attention coming from the room upstairs. Aurora hurried towards it and opened the door. At the other end of the room was a young boy tied up that Aurora was just barely able to make out in the dark as Hideki.

"Hideki!" Aurora shouted as she ran over to him. "Are you alright?!"

"Wh-Who's there?!" Hideki asked. The blindfold he had on kept him from seeing anything.

"It's alright. It's me. Aurora." she told him.

"B-Big sis, Aurora?" Hideki asked. "It's really you?"

"Yeah. It's me." she said. She took off the blindfold from him, allowing the young boy to see. "Hang on. I'm getting you out of here."

"I-It was so scary." Hideki cried. "Some guy grabbed me on my way to the shop. I don't know what's happening and… and… I want my mom."

"It's alright. You'll see her just as soon as we're out of here." Aurora told him.

"That may be harder than you think."

The sudden voice caused Aurora to quickly turn around. Standing at the entrance to the room was the same hooded figure that had come into the shop before. Blocking their only way out.

Aurora stood on edge. "What do you want? Why'd you kidnap Hideki?"

"We simply needed you to come here. Nothing more." he said.

"We?"

"Purgatory. The organization I belong to."

"And what do you jerks want with me?" Aurora asked.

"That's easy." he said, pulling out a Vanguard deck. "Fight me, Aurora Fujou."

' _A cardfight?'_ Aurora thought. ' _This guy went to all this trouble just to cardfight me? There's got to be more to this.'_

"Fine then." Aurora said. "Bring it on."

"This won't be your regular cardfight." the man said.

"I figured as much." Aurora said with a glare.

With a wave of his arm, two sheets of light appeared. One in front of him and one in front of Aurora. Aurora widened her eyes, remembering the same thing happening with a particular individual. Allen Demacio.

' _Is this guy Allen? No, can't be. His voice is way too different. Is he another pawn of Conquest Empire then?'_ Aurora thought. "Who are you?"

"My name is insignificant." he said. "If you must call me something, you may refer to me as Demon. That is what us lower soldiers of Purgatory are known as."

"Fine then." Aurora said. "I can find out who you are after I clobber you." she placed her deck onto the sheet, watching Demon do the same. ' _I need to be careful. No telling what this guy's plan is.'_

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Amon's Follower, Barmaid Grace!"

 **Amon's Follower, Barmaid Grace**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

The second the cardfight started, both units materialized. They stood in the same room as Aurora, Hideki, and Demon.

' _Dark Irregulars. So he's not with Conquest Empire then?'_ Aurora thought. ' _We're also still on Earth. His powers seem a bit different than what Allen had.'_

"Surprised? Well don't worry. The real fun will begin soon." Demon said. "I'll start. I ride Amon's Follower, Hateful Cyclone."

 **Amon's Follower, Hateful Cyclone**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Barmaid Grace moves back due to forerunner." Demon said. "Turn end."

"B-Big sis Aurora… I'm scared." Hideki said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Demon(5).]**

"Just sit tight Hideki. I'll get us out of this mess." Aurora said. "My turn. Draw. I ride Cosmic Storm, Aquarius!"

 **Cosmic Storm, Aquarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back. And with her boost, Aquarius attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"Guard!" Demon called out, holding up a trigger from his hand.

"Drive check." Aurora said. "No trigger. My turn ends."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(6), Demon(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Demon said. "Ride! Amon's Follower, Hell's Nail!"

 **Amon's Follower, Hell's Nail**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Call. Amon's Follower, Hell's Draw." Demon said. "Skill of Hell's Draw. Since I have a Vanguard with Amon in the name, soul charge two cards. I call Hell's Deal, and activate the same skill from her. And now they'll attack!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I guard with Tauros!" Aurora called out, holding up the critical trigger from her hand. As Tauros appeared and blocked the attack, Aurora felt the shockwave from the clash blow her hair back. ' _What the…'_

"Hell's Nail, attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"N-No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Demon(0).]**

As Aquarius was hit by her opponent's Vanguard, Aurora felt pain rush through her body. She flinched from the pain. ' _Damnit. I figured we'd be feeling the damage considering the similarities, but it hurts this much?'_

"Aurora?" Hideki said, seeing her in pain. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Aurora told him. "Don't worry about me."

"Oh? But you should be very worried about yourself." Demon said. "For once you lose this fight, you will be a threat to us no more."

"I don't even know you psychos!" Aurora shouted at him. "But if you think I'm going down easy, you've got another thing coming!"

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Demon(3).]**

"Stand and draw!" Aurora said. "Ride! Cosmic Harp, Lyra!"

 **Cosmic Harp, Lyra**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!" Aurora said. "Gemini, slice and dice his rear guard!"

 **(10000)**

"Guard."

"With Vivi's boost, Lyra attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Aurora said. "Critical trigger! All effects to Lyra!"

"Damage check." Demon said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Demon(2).]**

Aurora watched as Demon felt the pain from her attack. She didn't have any sympathy for him though after everything he had done. Involving an innocent kid the way he had catapulted over the line for Aurora. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Demon(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Demon said. "Faithful servant to the king of demons! Appear and unleash your terror! Ride! Amon's Eye, Agares!"

 **Amon's Eye, Agares**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Agares. I choose 2 units with Amon in the name and both get 1000 power for each card in the soul." Demon explained. "I choose Hell's Draw and Hell's Deal. With six card in the soul, they both get 6000 power."

"6000 power to 2 units just like that?!" Aurora gasped.

"That's right, and it's only going to get worse as this game goes on." Demon said with a grin. "You will suffer the full wrath of Purgatory! Hell's Draw attacks with a boost from Hell's Deal!"

 **(9000+6000+7000+6000=28000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Demon(2).]**

"Agares attacks with a boost from Barmaid Grace!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger! All effects to Hell's Draw!"

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Demon(2).]**

Another card fell into Aurora's damage zone, causing another shock of pain to move through her body. And the assault wasn't over yet.

"Hell's Draw attacks again!"

 **(9000+6000+5000=20000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up two cards from her hand.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(3), Demon(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Maiden of Balance, Libra and call her from the bind zone to rear guard!" Aurora said. "Libra has Warpdrive so I draw! Then with Libra's Warpdrive I look at the top 3 cards of the deck, add one to my hand, bind Sagittarius, and put the remaining card on the bottom of the deck!"

"Is that all you've got?"

"Not even close! I call Sun Smasher, Apollo from my hand!" Aurora said. "Libra attacks Hell's Draw!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Hell's Draw is retired."

"Boosted by Apollo, Gemini's coming for your Vanguard!"

 **(10000+4000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Demon(3).]**

"With Vivi's boost, Pleiades attacks!" Aurora called out. "Skill of Apollo! I send it to the soul to draw and add 5000 power to the Vanguard! Then I use Pleiades's skill to bind Gemini and Libra, then call out Gemini and Sagittarius! Warpdrives of both activate! Gemini gains 5000 power and boost, and Sagittarius gains 2000 for each card in my bind zone. There's only one card there right now so that's just 2000 power."

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Gemini!" With her Vanguard's attack finished, Aurora went onto her next attack. "Gemini and Sagittarius, get him!"

 **(10000+5000+5000+7000+1000+2000=30000)**

"Generation guard! False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat!"

 **False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating skill! Soul charge 2 cards! Then, 5000 is added to the shield since 6 or more cards are in the soul!"

"Turn end." Aurora said. "I return Gemini to the bind zone with his skill."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(7), Demon(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Demon spoke. "Activating skill of Agares. I select Hell's Deal and Barmaid Grace. They both gain 8000 power since I have 8 cards in my soul. And now Stride Generation! Amon's Red eye, Forenus!"

 **Amon's Red Eye, Forenus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Aurora watched as Forenus appeared. A large powerful demon standing nearly as tall as the room definitely gave her a chill.

"Stride skill! I soul charge equal to the number of cards in my soul!"

Aurora gasped as she heard this. "You get to double the number of cards in your soul?!"

"That's right! So my soul goes from 8, all the way to 16!" Demon said. "Next I activate Barmaid Grace's skill! I counterblast and rest her to soul charge 2 cards and add a skill to the Vanguard! Now it gains 1000 power for every card in my soul!"

' _18 cards. That means 18000 power, plus another 1000 for every card he adds from here on.'_

"I call Amon's Follower, Audios Thunder." Demon said, using the final card in his hand. "Activating skill. I soul charge and decrease his power by 4000."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "You're lowering your own unit's power?"

"That's right. But it's more than worth it." Demon smirked. "Since I did this, I soul charge again and then increase his power by 5000 for every five cards in my soul. I now have 20 cards with that soul charge, so Audios Thunder gains 20000 power!"

' _He got his soul to 20 cards so quickly. But what else does this guy have planned?'_

"Skill of Forenus. I counterblast and send Barmaid Grace to the soul. You then choose one of your rear guards to retire, and my Vanguard gains 5000 power for every five cards in soul."

"Retire Sagittarius." Aurora said. She didn't like losing a good rear guard, but Vivi was too important.

"I'm not done yet. Since I have 20 cards in soul, I retire 2 more of your rear guards and add a critical to the Vanguard."

Aurora gasped as Forenus blasted a laser that cut through Vivi. The unit let out a cry of pain before disintegrating and going to the drop zone.

"Vivi!" Aurora exclaimed.

"You should be more worried about yourself!" Demon told her. "Forenus, eliminate her!"

 **(26000+21000+20000=67000)**

As Forenus charged up its attack, Aurora could feel the whole room shaking. "Wh-What's going on?!"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? Our units are battling here. The effects of that fight can be felt in the entire surroundings."

Aurora's heart nearly skipped a beat. "But that means this whole place could collapse if we continue!"

"Perhaps, but you won't have to worry about that! Cause you won't survive this attack anyway!"

Aurora looked at her hand. She knew she only had one option. "Protect us Cancer! Perfect guard!"

As Aurora played her guard, Cancer appeared. Forenus unleashed a powerful blast, but Cancer stood firm and held the attack off. The shockwaves however were blowing everything else away.

"Aurora!" Hideki exclaimed in fear.

Aurora rushed over to the young boy and threw herself over him. She wasn't about to let him get hurt from her fight. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a chair come flying their way. Before it could hit them however, Hikari moved to them and sliced the piece of furniture to pieces.

"Thanks Hikari." Aurora said. "You saved us."

The swordswoman gave a silent nod and leaped back to her place on the field. The attack had finished and Aurora got up. She looked down at Hideki. "You alright?" The nod she got from the boy was answer enough for her. She walked back over to her field.

"You may have guarded against that, but what about this?! Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Audios Thunder! Third check, critical trigger! Once again, all effects to Audios Thunder!" Demon grinned as he went for his next attack. "Audios Thunder attacks with a boost from Hell's Deal!"

 **(9000-4000+20000+10000+7000+8000=50000)**

"Generation guard! White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus!"

 **White Wings of the Cosmos, Cygnus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Cygnus! I send Lyra from my soul to the drop zone! I countercharge twice and add 5000 to the shield for each grade Lyra has, for a total of 10000!" She then held up three more cards from her hand. "I also guard with these!"

Demon couldn't believe it. "N-No way… How could you survive all that?"

"Seems you underestimated me." Aurora said with a glare. "So any other tricks planned? Or are you done?"

"Turn… end…"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(2), Demon(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Wanting to come after me is one thing. But I won't forgive you putting an innocent kid in danger for your sick schemes." Her body shook with rage. "Time for me to show you why I'm the leader of the team that won the Vanguard World Tournament."

"Eep!"

"Generation Zone, release! Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Leo and call him to rear guard, then draw! His Warpdrive calls out Gemini, adding 5000 to both of them! Gemini's Warpdrive then adds 5000 to himself and allows him to boost! Next, I soul blast for Lyra's skill in the bind zone to call her! With Warpdrive, I bind Hikari from my deck and add 2000 to Lyra! Lastly, I call Ares from my hand!"

"W-Wait! Time out!"

"Too late for regrets! Lyra attacks with a boost from Ares!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!"

"Leo, you're up next! And Gemini, lend your support!"

 **(11000+5000+10000+5000+5000=36000)**

"N-No guard! Damage check, no trigger!"

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Demon(4).]**

"Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon attacks!"

 **(26000)**

Demon shivered as he saw the dragon. "No guard…"

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. I don't heal but I give the power to Star Shimmer."

Demon took the hit from Aurora's Vanguard, his body being pushed to the edge with him at five damage. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Demon(5).]**

"Ha… hahaha!" Demon let out a laugh. "All of your units have attacked! Your turn's over! You weren't able to finish me!"

"Who said my turn was over?" Aurora asked. "Skill of Star Shimmer Dragon. After it attacks, I discard 2 cards and bind 2 rear guards to restand it with drive minus 1."

"What?!"

"Star Shimmer, unleash your rage! Attack!"

Demon only had 2 cards in his hand, and neither of them would be enough to guard himself. "No… please…"

"I don't know who you Purgatory guys think you are." Aurora said. "But you pissed off the wrong girl! Let him have it Star Shimmer!"

Star Shimmer Dragon roared as it fired another blast at Agares. The demon yelled in pain as it was blasted away. The rest of the blast hit Demon and made him fly back, tumbling along the floor.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Demon(6).]**

With the fight over, the units disappeared. Aurora could still feel the pain she was hit with during the fight, but luckily she could still move. She walked over towards Demon. "Alright pal, time for you to spill some answers."

"I'm afraid we cannot let that happen."

Out of nowhere, two new hooded figures appeared in the room. One of them took a smoke bomb and threw it down on the ground. Aurora covered her mouth with her hand to avoid breathing any in.

"Aurora Fujou, today was simply a greeting." one of the two voices said. "We will retreat for now."

"This is not the end." the other one said. "When this is over, you will fear the name Purgatory."

"Wait! What is Purgatory?! What do you want from me?!" Aurora shouted. She got no answer. Soon the smoke cleared and the two were gone, along with Demon. "Damnit."

Aurora had no hope of catching the three of them, especially in her condition. If nothing else, she had managed to save Hideki. That in itself was a win. She walked over to the boy and saw him lying down unconscious. ' _He must have been so frightened that he passed out. That's probably for the best. I can try and make him think all the crazy stuff he saw was a dream. Not like anyone would believe the story even if he told them.'_ she thought.

Picking up Hideki, Aurora headed towards the exit. As she came out with him, police sirens were heard in the distance. A sign of relief if anything.

' _I have a lot to discuss with the others.'_ Aurora thought to herself.

 **Aurora: Ugh, this makes no sense! Who the heck are these Purgatory guys?!**

 **Dan: Seems we have a new fight coming our way.**

 **Anthony: What do they want with Aurora though?**

 **Aurora: I don't know. But I bet I know someone who has an answer. Let's just hope those Purgatory guys don't cause any trouble before we get some answers.**

 **Next time: Battle at the Institute**


	77. Battle at the Institute

**A/N: Surprise readers! After so long, it's time for another set of 5 chapters for the week! This set of five will be giving a bit more insight to Purgatory, the threat they pose, and who some of their main members are. I have a feeling you'll be in for some twists and surprises with this.**

 **Ask: No, not every Purgatory member will be using Dark Zone clans. Each of the Demons (keep in mind Demon is the equivalent to grunt in ranking for Purgaotry) will be using the same deck, but they won't show up that often. As for the main members of Purgatory that you have already seen, there are 2 that will use Dark Zone clans. Each of the Seven Lords you have seen use different clans and some are ones this fic has yet to showcase. Also, as for the Progenitor Dragons, they will sadly not be included. Believe me, I would have LOVED to include them for either the heroes or villains to use somehow in the plot, but on both sides they wouldn't be well distributed due to numbers and the fact that some use clans of the same nation. That said, cards from Premium Collection will eventually be showcased in this arc (expect them around chapter 90-ish).**

 **With all that out of the way, enjoy the chapter everybody.**

It was after school. Usually, Card Galaxy would be open and have various people shopping or playing games against each other. But today was a special exception. The shop was closed, with the only people in it being the three members of Cosmic Trio and Aurora's father. After the incident yesterday, Aurora knew she and her friends needed to have a talk. So her father closed the shop for the day to give them the privacy they would need.

"So let me see if I get this straight." Dan said. "This weird guy lured you to an abandoned house to cardfight you, saying he was a member of some group called Purgatory. And he had the same powers Allen had when he was working with Conquest Empire."

"They didn't work exactly the same, but they were very similar." Aurora confirmed with a nod. "The guy wasn't really all that strong, but those powers were the real deal."

"So does that mean Conquest Empire's making a comeback?" Anthony asked.

"Honestly, I doubt that." Aurora said.

"What makes you so sure?"

"A few reasons." Aurora explained. "First, it's too soon since they lost the war against Cray. Their only powerful warrior left was Alexander, and their forces should still be in shambles. Plus Alexander seemed like he had given up on the whole "Conquering the Universe" goal to me when he left. Lastly, this guy didn't use a Conquest Empire deck and he wasn't all that strong."

"Well if it's not Conquest Empire, then who is it?" Anthony argued.

"There's too much we don't know about these guys." Dan said. "Did this guy say anything else that could give us a clue?"

Aurora shook her head. "No. Though the two guys that helped him escape said that "This was only a greeting". Meaning they'll almost definitely attack again."

"So what do we do? Just sit and wait for them to attack again?" Anthony asked.

"There is one idea I have…" Aurora said.

Dan raised a brow. "And that is?"

"Well whoever these guys are, the fact remains that their powers were related to Vanguard. And there's only one person we know who is knowledgeable about weird stuff related to Vanguard."

"Yukari Tatsunagi." Dan and Anthony realized simultaneously.

Aurora nodded her head. "That's right. I think our best option is to meet with her and ask her about this."

"I think that would be best too." Ryuji agreed. "I'm not particularly fond of Yukari, but if anyone knew something it would be her."

"Then it's settled." Aurora said. "We're going on a trip to the Tatsunagi building."

* * *

The fighting hall of the Tokyo Institute of Technology was abuz as students watched the cardfight going on. They were all elite students, but those enrolled in the Vanguard program always looked forward to the Cardfighting class. And the star of the school was who was up at the moment.

"Here goes. I attack with Golden Dragon, Glorious Reigning Dragon!" Yuma declared. "Skill of Glorious Reigning Dragon! I send Knight of the Faith Sun, Marcia and Knight of the Remaining Sun, Henrinus to the bottom of the deck. I then look at the top 7 cards of the deck and call up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone, which is 3. I call Kinarius, Salonius, and Jeffrey to rear guard."

The teacher Yuma was facing looked at his hand. "No guard."

The Motion Figure System showed Glorious Reigning Dragon charge in and smash into the opponent's Vanguard, dealing the sixth damage needed for Yuma's victory.

"Well done Mr. Koto." the teacher said. "Excellent execution of the Gold Paladin clan."

"Thank you, sir." Yuma said with a polite bow.

The teacher addressed the rest of the class sitting and watching the fight. "It's important for you all to expand your horizons by trying out other decks. You may learn things you didn't know before by doing so. In addition, it can give you a better insight on the opponent's strategy should they be using a similar deck."

"Wow! Yuma wasn't using his own deck, but he still won with such ease!" one of the students said in awe.

"Well what else do you expect? He is the top student after all." another pointed out.

The teacher looked at the list of students. "Alright then, who will be next? How about-" He was cut off as the lights suddenly went off in the room. Several shrieks and gasps of shock came at the surprising occurrence.

"That's odd." the teacher said. "Is it a power outage?"

"Hm?" Yuma glanced towards the door and widened his eyes when he saw the electronic light by the lock go red. He ran to the door and tried to open it, but to no avail. "We're locked in!"

"What?!" the teacher gasped. He went over to the door and swiped his keycard, but the door remained locked. "This doesn't make any sense. What's going on?"

"That would be our doing."

Yuma turned to the sudden voice, seeing a figure in a black cloak standing on the other side of the room. "What is the meaning of this?!" Yuma asked.

"The entire building is currently under lockdown protocol." the man explained. "All doors are completely locked. Meaning there's no way in, or out, of this or any other room in the building."

"Explain yourself!" the teacher shouted. "I will not have delinquents pulling a prank like this during my class!"

"I assure you, this is no prank. The entire building is currently under control of Purgatory." the man explained.

"Purgatory?" Yuma questioned.

"Yuma Koto. Fight me." the man said, pointing at him. "If you win, the lockdown protocol will be lifted and everyone will be free to leave."

Yuma narrowed his eyes. "And if I lose?"

"You'll find that out soon enough."

"You're not giving me much of a choice." Yuma said. "Very well then. I accept."

"Mr. Koto, please don't." the teacher said. "This person seems shady. I don't want to risk one of my students getting hurt."

"I appreciate the concern sir, but I'll be fine." Yuma assured him. "Besides, it's our only way out right now."

The teacher was hesitant, but couldn't deny the point Yuma made. "Very well then. Be careful." He walked over to the seats with the rest of the class while Yuma walked onto the field.

"You already know my name. So what do I call you?" Yuma asked.

"You can refer to me as Demon." the man said. "One of the many Demons of Purgatory."

"And just what is this, Purgatory?"

"You don't need to know that right now. You have much more pressing concerns. Like surviving this cardfight."

Yuma tensed up. ' _This guy doesn't sound like he's joking. I need to be careful.'_

* * *

Team Cosmic Trio walked up to the Tatsunagi building. It had been awhile since any of them were here. For Dan and Anthony, it was when they returned from battling against Conquest Empire on Cray. For Aurora, it was when Hikari left Earth to go back to Cray.

Walking inside, Aurora and her teammates went up to the front desk. "Excuse me. We need to speak with Miss Tatsunagi."

"I'm sorry, do you have an appointment?" the woman at the desk asked.

Aurora shook her head. "No, we don't. Could you just inform her that Aurora Fujou would like to speak with her though?"

"... Very well." the woman said. She picked up a phone and pressed a button.

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Geez, you'd think we'd be treated with a bit more respect." he muttered.

"Yukari's head of a massive corporation. She's a busy person." Dan reminded him. "Plus most of the common staff probably don't know about her more secretive business."

"Hello, Miss Tatsunagi? There's three teenagers here to see you. One of them says her name is Aurora Fujou… Yes… Yes, I see. Very well then." she hung up the phone and looked at them. "Miss Tatsunagi says she will meet with you. Take the elevator to the top floor. Please do not take any detours along the way."

"Thank you very much." Aurora politely said as she and her teammates walked over to the elevator. The three of them got in and Aurora pressed the button for the top floor.

As it gradually went up floor by floor, the three teens silently hoped that they would find the answers they were seeking with Yukari. If another crisis was happening, they wanted to be on top of it before it swallowed them whole.

When they arrived at the top floor, the door opened and the three of them walked out of the elevator. They were in a large room with fancy carpeting and decorations. At the end of the room was a desk with Yukari sitting behind it.

"It's been awhile, Team Cosmic Trio." Yukari said. "To what do I owe this sudden visit?"

Aurora stepped forward. "I want you to be honest with me Yukari. Is there something going on related to Vanguard?"

Yukari raised a brow. "That's a rather sudden question."

"Answer me." Aurora told her. "I was attacked yesterday by some strange guy. He said he was part of an organization called Purgatory and challenged me to a cardfight. A cardfight where damage was felt by the player, just like with Allen Demacio."

Yukari's expression grimaced as she stared at the ground. "So they've finally begun their attack."

"So you _do_ know something!" Aurora realized. "Explain, Yukari. What's going on? Who is Purgatory?"

Yukari let out a sigh. "Since you were attacked, it seems I don't have much choice but to explain." she said. "Take a seat. This might take some time."

* * *

Yuma and the hooded figure stood across from each other on the field. The Motion Figure System booted up and a board appeared for both of them. Both players placed their decks on their boards and began the cardfight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Chrono Tigar Z!"

 **Chrono Tigar Z**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Amon's Follower, Barmaid Grace!"

 **Amon's Follower, Barmaid Grace**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." Yuma said. "I ride! Steam Hunter, Emen-bara!"

 **Steam Hunter, Emen-bara**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Chrono Tigar moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Yuma(5), Demon(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Demon said. "Ride! Amon's Follower, Hell's Deal!"

 **Amon's Follower, Hell's Deal**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Barmaid Grace moves back. And with her boost, Hell's Deal attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Yuma(1), Demon(0).]**

Hell's Deal delivered a hit to Yuma's Vanguard. As it hit, Yuma felt the shockwave of the hit, surprising him. But that surprise was quickly overshadowed by the sudden pain he felt his body in. "Ngh… What the… hell…?"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Demon chuckled. "But this is only the beginning."

"Yuma!" one of the female students exclaimed. "Are you okay?!"

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Yuma assured them, hiding the pain he was in. ' _But if I get to six damage, I'd rather not think about what will happen.'_

"I end my turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Yuma(5), Demon(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuma said. "Ride! Pulsar, Gear Tiger!"

 **Pulsar, Gear Tiger**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Skill of Gear Tiger. I reveal up to one card from my hand. If that card nor my Vanguard has Chronofang in their name, it loses 5000 power." Yuma explained. He showed a card in his hand. "Revealing Chronofang Tiger ZX. No power is lost."

"A grade 2 Vanguard with 10000 power. Are you really so scared of taking damage after your first one?"

"Taunting will get you nowhere against me." Yuma told his opponent. "Chrono Tigar Z lends support for my Vanguard's attack!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Yuma said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Tch. Damage check." Demon said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yuma(1), Demon(2).]**

Yuma noticed his opponent feel pain after the cards went into his damage zone. ' _This is weird. Both of us feel pain whenever we take damage. And the way the units are acting… It's more lifelike than the Motion Figure System I'm used to. It's like they're… alive.'_ There were too many questions about this cardfight and not enough answers. ' _For now, I need to focus on winning. I can find out the answers afterwards.'_

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Yuma(6), Demon(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Demon said. "I ride Amon's Follower, Ron Geenlin!"

 **Amon's Follower, Ron Geenlin**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Call. Amon's Follower, Hell's Draw and Doreen the Thruster." Demon said. "Skill of Hell's Draw. Soul charge 2 cards. Then, every time a card is added to the soul during my main phase, Doreen gains 3000 power."

' _With how often the Dark Irregular clan soul charges, a card like Doreen is a problem. I need to get rid of her quickly.'_ Yuma thought.

"Boosted by Barmaid Grace, Ron Geenlin attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

Yuma held up a trigger from his hand. "Guard!"

"Drive check. Critical trigger." Demon smirked as he saw the card appear. "All effects to Hell's Draw. And now with Doreen's boost, I'll have her pay you back for that 2 damage last turn!"

 **(9000+5000+6000+6000=26000)**

"No guard." Yuma said, letting another 2 damage come. Hiding the pain was no longer possible with how quickly it came rushing at him. He clenched his chest, trying his best to endure it enough to not scream in pain.

 **[Damage: Yuma(3), Demon(2).]**

"That will be enough for this turn." Demon said. "Your turn."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Yuma(5), Demon(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuma said. "I don't know who you people are, or what you want with me. But I will not forgive you for attacking this school." He held up a card from his hand. "Tear apart all that stand in the way of the future you envision! Take my will and open a new path! Ride! Chronofang Tiger, ZX!"

 **Chronofang Tiger, ZX**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The new Chronofang Tiger had a golden color to its body and sharp white claws. The boosters on its body seemed enhanced, and it's claws were even more threatening than before.

"I call Steam Tamer, Nanni." Yuma said. "Chronofang attacks with a boost from Tigar!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yuma(3), Demon(3).]**

"Nanni is up next! Attack!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"My turn's over." Yuma said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Yuma(5), Demon(4).]**

"Time for the true fun to begin then. Stand and draw." Demon said. "Faithful servant to the king of demons! Appear and unleash your terror! Ride! Amon's Eye, Agares!"

 **Amon's Eye, Agares**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Agares. I select Hell's Draw and Barmaid Grace. They both gain 1000 power for each of the four cards currently in my soul. A total of 4000 to each of them." Demon said. "Stride Generation! Amon's Talon, Marchocias!"

 **Amon's Talon, Marchocias**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul charge equal to the number of cards in the soul. That's 6 cards, putting my soul at 12." Demon said.

' _Good thing it's not technically his main phase yet. Otherwise Doreen would have got a huge power boost from that.'_ Yuma thought. ' _But even still, a six card soul charge is not good for me.'_

"I call Monochrome of Nightmareland. With its skill, I return it to the deck and soul charge. Then I get to countercharge and draw since I have more than 10 cards in the soul." Demon explained. "3000 is added to Doreen since I soul charged. Then I call Audios Thunder. Using his skill, I soul charge twice and lower his power by 4000. But since my soul is now at 15 cards, he gains 15000. And another 2 cards in soul means another 2 power boosts for Doreen. Lastly, I use Marchocias's skill. I select Hell's Draw and Audios Thunder. Now both those units and my Vanguard gain 3000 for every 5 cards in my soul, which means 9000 to all three of them."

"He's powering up his units like crazy!"

"Is Yuma going to be ok?"

Demon smirked at hearing the comments from the other students. "Seems they're losing faith in you. How does it feel?"

"Are you going to talk all day, or continue your turn?" Yuma asked.

"If you insist. Audios Thunder attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000-4000+15000+9000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Pulsar Saver, Ilishu!"

 **Pulsar Saver, Ilishu**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"I also intercept with Nanni." Yuma said.

"You may have handled that, but how about this? My Vanguard attacks with a boost from Barmaid Grace!"

 **(26000+9000+5000+6000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Hell's Draw and I recover one. Third check, no trigger." Demon said.

 **[Damage: Yuma(3), Demon(2).]**

"Hell's Draw attacks with Doreen's boost!"

 **(9000+6000+9000+5000+6000+9000=44000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yuma(4), Demon(2).]**

Yuma could feel the pain starting to get to him. He wouldn't last much longer like this.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Yuma(2), Demon(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuma said. "Skill of Chronofang Tiger ZX. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can bind a normal unit from my drop zone to draw. I bind Nanni."

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"No, but this might." Yuma told him, revealing a grade 1 card in his hand. "Skill of Chronocub Leo. If I have a Chronofang Vanguard, he can be treated as a grade 3 when paying the cost to stride. In addition, I get to bind him instead of discarding him. Stride Generation! Chronotiger, Gear Glare!"

 **Chronotiger Gear Glare**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul blast! I bind Pulsar, Gear Tiger from my drop zone! Then I send Audios Thunder to the bottom of the deck!" Yuma said. "Activating skill of Chrono Tigar Z. I bind it, then bind grade 1 or higher cards from my drop zone whose combined grades are equal to or lower than that of my Vanguard. I bind Steam Maiden, Arlim and Forward-pressing Gear Tiger. Next, with Forward-pressing Gear Tiger's skill, I bind the top card of my deck and soul charge. That brings my bind zone count to six."

"Big deal."

"Oh it's a very big deal." Yuma assured him. "I activate Gear Glare's skill! Soul blast! Now I get to select opponent rear guards whose combined grades are equal to or less than the number of cards in my bind zone and send them to the bottom of the deck. I have six cards in the bind zone, and your rear guards consist of a grade 2, a grade 1, and a grade 0. Shall I give you a lesson in basic math?"

"You're sending three of my rear guards back to the deck?!"

"That's right." Yuma said. "Now begone! Be sent to the depths of spacetime!"

A portal opened up underneath each of Demon's rear guards. He watched as they were each sucked in, leaving his field consisting of only his Vanguard.

"I'm far from done." Yuma said. "I call Steam Lynx, Adadoapura. With its skill, I counterblast to bind the top card of my deck and add 3000 to it, and draw. In addition, the opponent must send one of their rear guards to the bottom of the deck. But since you can't, I get to countercharge instead. Next I call Pulsar, Upstream Dragon. With its skill, it gets 5000 power during my turn as long as I have at least 3 cards in the bind zone."

"Wow! He wiped out his opponent's field and got out a strong formation! He's amazing!"

"Go Yuma!"

While the students cheered, the teacher of the class examined the field. ' _He pulled a few good moves to disrupt his opponent's field, but the fact remains that his hand is still small and he doesn't have any rear guards in the back row to support. Yuma is most likely aware of this too. This fight is far from decided.'_

"Adadoapura attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Guard!"

"Chronotiger Gear Glare attacks!" Yuma called out. "And with his Generation Break 3, he gains 10000 power and plus 1 critical since I have seven cards in the bind zone!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, heal trigger. Power to Upstream and I heal one. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Critical to the Vanguard and power to Upstream."

Demon watched three cards go into his damage zone. The final one made him grin. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one damage."

 **[Damage: Yuma(3), Demon(4).]**

"Attack, Upstream!"

 **(9000+5000+10000=24000)**

"Guard!" Demon said with a grin, holding up a trigger.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Yuma(5), Demon(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Demon said. He let out a chuckle. "You weren't half bad. But it's time for me to finish you."

' _What's he planning?'_

"Stride Generation! Abominable One, Gilles de Rais!"

 **Abominable One, Gilles de Rais**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Gilles de Rais." Demon spoke. "My soul has 15 cards in it. Therefore, I get to give 10000 power and a critical to my Vanguard. In addition, you can't guard his attack with a grade 1 or higher unit from hand. Then I call Hateful Cyclone, Hell's Draw, and Doreen the Thruster. With Cyclone's skill, I soul charge. His power is decreased by 2000, then increased by 5000 for every 5 cards in my soul. Hell's Draw then lets me soul charge 2 more times. In addition, Doreen gains 9000 since three cards were added to the soul."

' _He put Hateful Cyclone behind his Vanguard. With Gilles de Rais having a critical of 2, he'd only need a critical trigger to finish me off.'_

"With a boost from Hateful Cyclone, Gilles de Rais attacks!"

 **(26000+10000+7000-2000+15000=56000)**

"Yuma!" several students exclaimed.

"Generation guard! Pulsar Saver, Ilishu!"

 **Pulsar Saver, Ilishu**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Ilishu! Soul blast! She gains a total of 20000 shield since I have at least 5 cards in my bind zone!"

"20000?!" Demon gasped. "It doesn't matter though! That's still not enough to defend yourself!"

"That's why I'm adding this on!" Yuma said, holding up a critical trigger from his hand. "In addition, I use Chrono Tigar Z's skill from the bind zone! When my Chronofang Vanguard is attacked, I can call it to the guardian circle! Lastly, I intercept with Adadopura!"

With Yuma's current shield, Demon would need three trigger to break through. "Gr… Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Hell's Draw. Third check, stand trigger. Power to Hell's Draw and stand Hateful Cyclone."

"Looks like you won't be finishing me off this turn after all. I'm at 3 damage. And your only remaining attack has a critical of 2." Yuma said.

"You little…" Demon growled. "Hell's Draw attacks with a boost from Doreen!"

 **(9000+10000+6000+9000=34000)**

"No guard." Yuma said.

 **[Damage: Yuma(5), Demon(4).]**

The pain he felt from being brought to five damage was unlike anything Yuma had ever experienced before. He nearly fell over. But he managed to hang on. He refused to lose this fight.

"Turn end." Demon said in an annoyed tone. "It doesn't matter if you survived this turn! I'll just finish you off next turn!"

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Yuma(3), Demon(5).]**

"Stand and draw. With my Vanguard's skill, I bind Nanni in my drop zone to draw." Yuma said. "You'll finish me off next turn you say? Well I suppose you would be right. That is, if it wasn't for the fact that there is no next turn after this."

"Wh-What?!"

"You interrupted my studies, held everyone in this building hostage, and challenged me to this insult of a cardfight." Yuma said. "So I will show you no absolutely no mercy. My units will tear you limb from limb." He discarded a grade 3 from his hand to pay the cost to stride. "Generation Zone, release! Now come forth! Mechanical beast that moves through the jungle of time! Unleash your true power for all to see! Stride Generation! Chronotiger, Time Imperium!"

 **Chronotiger, Time Imperium**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

The new G Unit of Chronofang Tiger had the golden sheme that ZX had. One of its claws were massively enlarged while the other was replaced by an energy cannon. It let out a roar that seemed to shake the entire room.

"Stride skill. I bind Chrono Tigar Z from my drop zone and send Doreen to the bottom of the deck." Yuma said. "Next I call Chronofang Tiger G from my hand. Next I use Time Imperium's skill. I counterblast and flip a copy of it. Then I bind both of my rear guards. In return, my Vanguard gains a drive and a skill that increases the power of all my front row units by 3000 for every card in my bind zone at all times."

"What?!"

"I call! Pulsar, Gear Tiger! Forward-pressing Gear Tiger!" Yuma said. "Skill of Forward-pressing! It gains 1000 power for every card in my bind zone! I have 8 cards so that's 8000 power! And next I'll use Pulsar, Gear Tiger's skill! I send your Hell's Draw to the bottom of the deck! My unit then gains power equal to its base, 9000! And now it'll attack!"

 **(10000+9000+24000=43000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yuma(5), Demon(5).]**

"Forward-pressing, you're up next!"

 **(7000+8000+24000=39000)**

"Generation guard! Medical Studies of Extinction, Vincent!"

 **Medical Studies of Extinction, Vincent**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Activating skill! I soul charge, then gain 5000 shield for every 5 cards in soul, for a total of 15000!"

"Chronotiger Time Imperium, attack!" Yuma declared. "Skill activated! Generation Break 3! I discard a card and call cards from my bind zone up to the number of face up Gear Beasts in my G Zone! There's three, so that's three cards!"

"You're kidding!"

"Nope! Now come forward! Chrono Tigar Z, Chronofang Tiger G, and Forward-pressing Gear Tiger!" Yuma said. "In addition, the opponent cannot call cards from their hand to the guardian circle if they have the same grade of any unit called with this effect until the end of the battle."

 **(26000+15000=41000)**

"I… I can't guard..."

"No. You can't." Yuma confirmed. "Now get out of this school!"

Demon watched in fear as Yuma's Vanguard aimed its cannon at his. It fired off a blast of energy that obliterated Agares and sent him flying back. "AHHHHHHHH!"

 **[Damage: Yuma(5), Demon(6).]**

"Ugh… damnit… How could I lose?" Demon moaned.

Yuma turned and noticed the electronic lock to the room disengage, meaning they could finally leave. He looked up at everyone watching, with his classmates cheering for his victory. "Someone call campus security. We need this man restrained so we can question him."

Out of nowhere, the lights all went out. Everyone was completely blind. Yuma stayed on guard, wondering what was coming next. But ten seconds later, the lights came back on.

And the man that he had fought was nowhere to be found.

"Damnit. He escaped." Yuma cursed. With the fight over, he fell to one knee, completely exhausted from the damage he had received.

"Mr. Koto!" the teacher exclaimed, running over to him. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah. Just tired is all." Yuma assured him.

"Come. Let's get you to the nurse. I don't know what was happening with that cardfight, but you're in no condition to be walking around. We need to tell everyone what happened too."

"Right." Yuma nodded. As he left the room, he couldn't help but wonder what this group calling themselves Purgatory was. And what they had in mind as a whole.

One thing was sure in his mind. This was far from over.

* * *

Team Cosmic Trio sat across from the desk Yukari was sitting at. It was just the four of them there with no one else to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I suppose I should start with the beginning." Yukari said. "You most likely aren't aware of this, but there was a major war on Cray a few years before the invasion of Conquest Empire. It involved a being known as the Dragon Deity of Destruction, Gyze. It was a being that was the exact opposite of Messiah. Unlike Messiah, who was a god of order and peace, Gyze was a god of chaos and destruction. In the end, Messiah's forces became victorious and they managed to destroy Gyze once and for all. However, there is a connection between Messiah and Gyze. If one weakens, the other grows stronger. However, if one dies, so will the other. With both deities gone from the world of the living, the universe was left without a being of order and a being of destruction. To balance that out, the life forces of Messiah and Gyze became merged together to create a brand new being. That being's name was Ragnarok. It inherited both the wills of Messiah and Gyze alike."

"Isn't that a bit contradictory?" Aurora asked. "I mean you said Messiah and Gyze were opposites right? So how could one being have both the will to bring peace and destruction."

"A good question." Yukari told her. "Because it has two contradicting wills, Ragnarok is left in a deep slumber. It's like a scale, staying balanced with both feelings, which puts it in such a state. However, that sleep can be broken. The thoughts of life forms throughout the universe are transmitted to Ragnarok while it slumbers. As with anything, there is sadness and joy alike. So things are balanced out and Ragnarok stays sleeping. But if there is an imbalance, where a massive influx of positive or negative emotions enter Ragnarok over the other, it awakens and becomes fixated on it."

"Ok… I think I get it." Aurora said.

"Yeah, except none of this has anything to do with Purgatory." Anthony commented.

"Patience. I am getting to that." Yukari explained. "About one month ago, I received an odd premonition from Atmos. It was warning me of a threat coming. It called that threat Ragnarok. At the time though, I wasn't aware of what Ragnarok even was. I was told this story not long after, by a unit from Cray that came to Earth."

"Wait, a unit came here?" Dan asked. "When?"

Aurora widened her eyes. "Was it…"

"Indeed." Yukari nodded. "The one that told me this was Hikari. Your sister, Aurora. Her main reason for coming to Earth was to give me the details of the incoming threat. The messages Atmos can send me are rather vague at times so it's not always easy to understand them."

"But… she never mentioned any of this to me… She said she just wanted to visit and see what Earth was like…"

"That in itself wasn't a lie. She did wish to spend time with her family on Earth." Yukari explained. "However, that was only one reason for her coming."

Aurora clenched her fists. "Why… Why didn't she say anything? Why didn't _you_ say anything?!"

"Hikari wanted to try and keep you out of this. To let you live peacefully after helping deal with Conquest Empire. I was respecting that wish." Yukari told her. "However, if Purgatory has already targeted you, then that is no longer an option. It is best you know everything for your own safety."

"Yeah, just one thing." Anthony said. "What. Is. Purgatory?!"

Yukari let out a sigh. "You really are an impatient one. Very well." she said. "The fact is that Ragnarok has awakened. And what finally triggered that awakening was Purgatory."

The three member of Cosmic Trio widened their eyes in shock. "I'm guessing it didn't wake up on the good side." Dan said.

"Unfortunately, that assumption is correct." Yukari confirmed. "Hikari informed me that a large amount of negative energy was sent to Ragnarok. That acted as a catalyst, triggering its awakening. It was already on the verge of awakening due to the despair Conquest Empire was spreading, but thankfully they were stopped before it could actually awaken. From what Cray could tell, the influx of negative energy that finally managed to awaken it came from Earth. I was asked to investigate it, and if possible nip it in the bud before the problem expanded. So I used the Tatsunagi Corporation's resources to mount a full investigation. Our findings concluded that the one's responsible for the awakening of Ragnarok were a group called Purgatory."

"Did you find any details about them?" Aurora asked.

"They're a worldwide cult." Yukari explained. "Their main goals involve research into demonkind awakening them or reviving them. Of course, most of these end up being complete hoaxes or bogus as I'm sure you can imagine. They were frankly rather harmless. Except, one of their rituals ended up being real. Through it, they established a connection with Ragnarok. It was by complete accident, but it worked nonetheless. As I'm sure you can imagine with a cult, their feelings and emotions were anything but positive. All of that negative energy went straight into Ragnarok's core. And it awakened, now posing a threat to the entire universe."

"The entire universe?!" Aurora gasped.

"Atmos was rather surprised by Ragnarok's sudden awakening too." Yukari said. "But it confirmed its main goal. Ragnarok plans to erase the entire universe."

"Can it seriously do that?" Anthony asked.

"It can, and it is." Yukari told them. "Ragnarok can absorb things into its body. Planets. Stars. Whatever it desires. Once it does, those things and every trace of life in them become trapped in a stasis state. Ragnarok plans to absorb everything in the universe. It will then destroy everything it has absorbed all at once."

As the words hit her, Aurora felt her blood run cold. "Then… it's going to wipe out everything? There'll be nothing left?"

"Nothing at all." Yukari said. "And now that Ragnarok has awakened, Purgatory is trying to lure it to Earth."

"Are they freaking nuts?! It'll wipe us all out, including them!" Anthony exclaimed.

"I don't claim to understand their motives. But the fact remains that they are dangerous." Yukari said. "Their primary goal now is spreading negativity throughout the world. Cause humans to feel fear, panic, anger, any and every negative emotion you can think of. Those negative emotions will attract Ragnarok here. Because if Ragnarok is brought here and absorbs the Earth, Cray will be severely weakened as well."

"Is there any way to stop Ragnarok? Fight it perhaps?" Aurora asked.

"For now, Crays forces are working to try and deal with Ragnarok. Our mission here on Earth needs to be stopping Purgatory as soon as possible." Yukari said. "That's most likely why they attacked you, Aurora. Because you are probably one of the biggest threats to them, due to being the leader of the team that won the Vanguard World Tournament."

"But why?"

"Ragnarok seems to have gifted the members of Purgatory special powers. Due to Ragnarok being connected to Cray, those powers are related to Vanguard." Yukari explained. "How special these powers are and what they specifically do, we do not know yet. But based on what you've told me, they can at least create cardfights where damage is real."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get these Purgatory losers and crush them in one fell swoop!" Anthony suggested.

"What part of "worldwide cult" did you not understand?" Yukari questioned. "They're not very publicly known, but Purgatory has a wide reach across the world. We aren't even aware where their main base in Japan is."

"So we're completely in the dark right now." Aurora realized.

"The situation is dire. There is no denying that." Yukari stated. "That is why I'm going to need your help with this. I plan on contacting others that are aware of Cray's existence too in order to call on their help. Time is of the essence."

"You can count on our help." Aurora told her. "However, that means we need you to keep us in the loop from now on. No more hiding stuff. No more secrets."

"As I said, I was doing that because Hikari wished to protect you. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be an option anymore."

Aurora nodded understandingly. Things were getting serious. They had a brand new threat to deal with. This time it wasn't just Cray and Earth at stake, but the entire universe. Ragnarok had to be stopped, no matter what. And that meant Purgatory needed to be stopped.

' _And it's all up to us. No pressure.'_

* * *

Isabelle sat comfortably in her seat on the plane she was riding. She hummed to herself softly as she held the stuffed doll in her hands while listening to music. Soon, a voice was heard through the speaker.

" _Thank you for flying with us. We will soon arrive in Sao Luis, Brazil. Please make sure to take all luggage with you as you disembark. We hope you fly with us again soon."_

Looking out her window, Isabelle got a glimpse of the city of Sao Luis. It was rather beautiful. Much different from Japan. She stared at the view as she stroked her doll's hair.

When the plane landed, Isabelle got off and walked out of the airport. She took in the Brazilian air as she looked at the vast expanse of the city stretching out before her. But she wasn't here to go sightseeing. She had a mission to do.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you after so long, Sophia." she said with a giggle. "I wonder if you'll recognize me."

 **Sophia: Hey Aurora, how's it going?**

 **Aurora: Oh hey Sophia. It's been awhile. How are you?**

 **Sophia: I'm fine. Things are going great. And I'm having lots of fun playing Vanguard with everyone.**

 **Aurora: That's good. I hope things stay that way.**

 **Next time: Generation Overwrite**

 **Card Gallery:**

Chronocub Leo  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT [Hand]:** If you have a Vanguard with "Chronofang" in the name, this unit gets **(CONT: This unit gains grade +2 when being used as the cost for STRIDE.)** and **(AUTO: When this card is discarded as the cost to STRIDE, bind it face up)  
** **ACT GB2 [Bind Zone]:** [CB1] Call this card to an open rear guard circle and choose one of your opponent's rear guards and send it to the bottom of the deck. This unit gains +3000 power for every grade the sent unit has until the end of the turn.

* * *

Pulsar, Gear Tiger  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on VC or RC, choose up to one card from your hand and reveal it, and if neither that card nor your Vanguard is a card with "Chronofang" in its name, this unit loses 5000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **ACT GB2:** [CB1, SB1] Choose a rear guard on either player's side of the field and return it to the bottom of their deck. This unit gains power equal to the sent unit's original power until the end of the turn.

* * *

Pulsar, Upstream Dragon  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC GB1:** During your turn, if you have three or more cards in your bind zone, this unit gains +5000 power.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [Bind this unit face up] At the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, if you have a Vanguard with "Chronofang" in the name you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one unit from your bind zone with a different name than this card and superior call it to the RC this unit was on.

* * *

Chronofang Tiger ZX  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO:** [Take a normal unit from your drop zone and bind it.] When this unit is placed on VC or during the beginning of your ride phase, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw one card.  
 **AUTO:** [SB1] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one card from your drop zone and bind it face up and choose one of your opponent's rear guards and send it to the bottom of their deck.

* * *

Chronotiger Time Imperium  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC:** [CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up.] If you have a heart card with "Chronofang" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind two units from your RC and this unit gains drive +1 and **(CONT VC: All your front row units get +3000 power for each card in your bind zone.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO GB3 VC:** [Choose a card from your hand and discard it.] When this unit attacks if you have a heart card with "Chronofang" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose units from your bind zone up to the number of face up Gear Beast cards in your G Zone and call them to separate RCs. Until the end of this battle, your opponent cannot guard with units whose grades are equal to the called units.


	78. Generation Overwrite

**A/N: Day 2 of the 5 chapter special readers! This one will introduce the first of the Seven Lords or Purgatory. And this one in particular has some surprises in store, as you will see. Enjoy.**

Maria walked through the streets of Sao Luis. School had let out for the day and she was headed to the card shop. It was a casual routine for the high school girl. She would almost always go to the shop after school let out, play Vanguard against others there, and talk to Sophia once the young girl arrived.

It surprised Maria a bit how much of an impact Sophia had had on her life. Before, she was just a regular cardfighter. But Sophia made her believe she could become stronger than she already was. She helped give her confidence, and brought her game to the next level. Sophia had even encouraged her to be on a team with her in the Vanguard World Tournament. At first, it was just to humor Sophia. She knew Sophia was strong, but she doubted they would make it past the preliminaries. But to her surprise, they had pulled off a miracle. They had made it to the main tournament. Not just made it, they had gotten all the way to the top ten standings in the second round.

She had come a long way as a cardfighter. They all had. And Sophia was the one that had triggered it all.

While chatting with Sophia was a fun part to her days, Maria already knew the young girl wouldn't be at the shop today. She was doing something with the other children at the orphanage after school today. But there were still plenty of other people for Maria to cardfight and talk to at the shop.

Finally after a short walk, Maria finally arrived at the card shop. She opened the doors and walked inside. "Hey everyone. What's-"

Maria fell silent as she witnessed the sight inside the shop. Everyone was lying around unconscious. Some had their heads on the table while sitting. Others were on the floor. It was horrible.

"Ngh… Maria?" a voice moaned.

Maria noticed her friend on the floor and rushed over to him. "Bruno!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?! What happened?!"

"No time… They're after her…"

"What are you talking about? Who did this to you?"

"Someone came in. A kid. She said she was looking for Sophia." Bruno said weakly. "She beat every single player in the shop before finding out that she wouldn't be here today."

"Beat? As in…"

"A cardfight. But it wasn't a regular one." Bruno said. He flinched in pain. "She's going after Sophia now. She's going… to the orphanage."

Maria widened her eyes. "What?!"

"You have to hurry. Get Sophia away from her. She's dangerous."

"I will. Just let me call an ambulance for all of you." Maria told him.

"There's no time." Bruno said with a serious look in his eyes. "You can't let her get to Sophia. Hurry."

With that, Bruno fell unconscious. Mariai hesitated leaving her friend and teammate like this. To leave everyone in the shop like this. But if what Bruno was saying was true, then Sophia was in grave danger. She couldn't let her get hurt. And she definitely couldn't let the entire orphanage end up like the people of this shop.

Rushing out of the shop, Maria contacted the store owner of the place next door to tell them to call an ambulance for everyone. After that, she rushed towards the orphanage. She ran as fast as she could.

' _I have to make it in time. Please let me make it in time.'_

Sophia was like a sister to Maria. She refused to let any danger befall her. As she ran, her mind raced about all of this. A cardfight had knocked out everyone at the shop? That didn't make sense. Suddenly, her mind went to the Vanguard World Tournament. She had seen this kind of thing before with Allen Demacio, though how it happened was a complete mystery to her. If Sophia ended up like all of Allen's victims… Maria didn't even want to think about it.

After a long run, Maria finally arrived at the orphanage Sophia lived at. She burst through the door. But when she looked around, everything seemed fine. No one was hurt or unconscious. The kids that were in the main lobby were walking around normally.

The woman at the desk looked at Maria with narrowed eyes. "Excuse me, can I help you?"

The response was a normal one Maria figured, considering she had just rushed in like she had run a marathon. She composed herself and walked up to the woman. "Yes. I was wondering if a friend of mine had come back today yet. Sophia Perez."

"And you would be miss?"

"I'm Maria Ricudo. A friend of hers."

"Oh, so you're Maria." the woman said. "Sophia talks about you all the time. In any case, I'm afraid she's not back from school yet. I assume she'll be back within the hour if you're willing to wait for her."

' _So she's not back yet. That's good.'_ Maria thought. "Umm… did anyone else come by before me by any chance? Someone looking for Sophia?"

The woman shook her head. "No, not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"It's just-"

"Hello there."

The sudden voice caused Maria to turn around. Standing at the front door to the orphanage was a young girl, probably around 14 if Maria had to guess. She had black hair tied up into two long ponytails on the side, and emerald eyes. In her hands was a stuffed doll. Despite her seemingly innocent appearance though, Maria couldn't help but feel an intimidating presence from the girl. As if all of her instincts were screaming for her to run.

"I was wondering if you could help me." she said. "I'm looking for Sophia Perez."

' _This little girl… Could it really be her?'_ Maria asked. "You said you're looking for Sophia?"

"That's right."

"Did you also happen to go looking by a card shop nearby? Are you planning to do the same thing to Sophia that you did to everyone there?"

"Oh so you saw?" the little girl said. "Actually, I have something a little different in mind. But that doesn't really concern you."

"So it _was_ you." Maria realized. "Who are you? And what do you want with Sophia?"

"I already said that doesn't concern you." she said. "But I suppose I can give you my name. It's Isabelle." The little girl eyed Maria curiously. "Hang on. You seem familiar somehow. Have we met?" Suddenly, Isabelle widened her eyes in realization. "Oh I remember now! You were on the same team as Sophia in the Vanguard World Tournament!"

"That's correct." Maria said. "And I hate to break it to you, but I'm not letting you anywhere near Sophia."

Isabelle pouted at hearing this. "So you want to keep her all to yourself? Fine then." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Vanguard deck. "You look like fun. I can add you to my collection."

"So you want to cardfight then?" Maria said. "Fine. You're on."

Isabelle let out a giggle. "I hope you end up being more fun than those fighters at that store. They were all so weak and boring." she said. Isabelle waved her arm and two sheets of light appeared, one in front of each of them.

Mariai widened her eyes. "Wh-What is this?!"

"You said we were going to cardfight." Isabelle said. "So we'll fight. Here and now."

This was all so weird. But Maria knew she couldn't back down now. She had to protect Sophia at all costs.

"Excuse me?" the woman at the desk said. "Would you mind telling me what's going on?"

"I'm not really sure myself, but that girl there is dangerous." Maria told her. "You need to get everyone out of here."

"But-"

"Enough talk." Isabelle said. "I need to defeat you quickly. Then I can go back to looking for Sophia."

"You won't be going anywhere near her." Maria said as she placed her deck down. She drew her opening hand, as did Isabelle.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Semilunar Magus!"

 **Semilunar Magus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Nightmare Doll, Natalie!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Natalie**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As they both flipped over their starting Vanguards, Maria gasped as she saw both units appear right before their eyes. They weren't using a Motion Figure System, yet they could see the units as if they were actually there. In addition, their surroundings had changed. They were standing in what seemed to be a playroom straight out of a horror movie. Worn out dolls, jack-in-the-boxes and other large toys were scattered around them, with the space between them completely open and empty. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"Are you surprised?" Isabelle asked. "This is a field created by my image. That old building was rather cramped and stuffy. So I had us change locations to here."

None of this was making any sense to Maria. But she was going to have to go along with it. In the end, this was still a cardfight. She just had to play like she always did and win.

"I'll start." Isabelle said. "Ride! Nightmare Doll, Leslie!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Leslie**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Natalie moves back with forerunner." Isabelle said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Maria(5), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. "I ride! Cone Magus!"

 **Cone Magus**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Semilunar moves back." Maria said. "Next I use Cone's skill. I declare a card name. If the top card of the deck is the declared card, I countercharge twice. I declare Paisley Magus." Maria revealed the card, showing the prediction to be wrong. "Seems that wasn't the card. But that won't matter. Semilunar lends a boost to Cone's attack! With Semilunar's skill, I declare the top card is Stellar Magus!" Once again, Maria revealed the top card of her deck, though this time both she and Isabelle already knew she was right. "Since I'm right, Semilunar goes to the soul and I draw 2 cards."

 **(7000)**

"No guard." Isabelle said.

"Drive check." Maria said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." Isabelle said. As the card went into her damage zone, the little girl flinched in pain.

 **[Damage: Maria(0), Isabelle(1).]**

"That ends my turn." Maria told her.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Maria(8), Isabelle(5).]**

"My turn. Draw." Isabelle said. "Ride! Nightmare Doll, Ginny!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Ginny**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Activating the skill of Natalie. I counterblast and send her to the soul." Isabelle explained. "Now I get to look at the top three cards of the deck and add a card among them to soul. I choose… Nightmare Doll, Liza. The remaining cards go to the bottom of the deck. Then, since the card I added was a Nightmare Doll, I can do the same thing one more time." Isabelle looked at the next set of three cards on top of her deck and smiled. "This time I'll pick Nightmare Doll, Alice."

' _Setting up the soul early. As expected of Pale Moon.'_ Maria thought.

"I attack with Ginny!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Maria said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger." Maria said.

 **[Damage: Maria(1), Isabelle(1).]**

Out of nowhere, Maria suddenly felt pain rush through her body. "Ngh… Why… Why does my body hurt so much?"

"You mean I didn't mention? Silly me." Isabelle giggled. "The damage we take during this cardfight is felt by the players. That means we get hurt more and more as our damage increases."

"That's absurd!" Maria shouted. "Why would you do something like that?!"

"Because it makes it more fun." Isabelle smiled. "Inflicting pain. Seeing the enemy writhe in agony. There's nothing more fun."

' _She's insane.'_ Maria realized. ' _So this is how everyone at the card shop ended up like that. In that case, I have another reason to win this fight.'_

"My turn's over." Isabelle said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Maria(8), Isabelle(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. "I ride! Stellar Magus!"

 **Stellar Magus**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Rhombus Magus and Paisley Magus!" Maria declared. "Paisley's skill! Look at the top card of the deck." Maria checked the top card and left it there. "Stellar attacks! With her skill, I counterblast! I declare the top card of the deck to be Oval Magus! And since I'm right, I can add that crd to my hand!"

 **(9000)**

"I guard." Isabelle said, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to Rhombus." Maria said. "With Paisley's boost, Rhombus attacks! With her skill, declare a card. I choose Pentagonal Magus. I'm wrong so nothing happens."

 **(9000+5000+4000=18000)**

"No guard." Isabelle said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Maria(1), Isabelle(2).]**

"Turn end." Maria said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Maria(8), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "Not bad. You're way more fun than those others I faced earlier." Isabelle held up a card from her hand. "Now let me introduce you to my special friend! A soulless being that will stay by my side and never hurt me! I ride! Nightmare Doll, Dorothy!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Dorothy**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Dorothy's skill! When I ride her, I can search my deck for any one card and add it to the soul!" Isabelle said. "I add another Dorothy to the soul. Then I call Nightmare Doll Master, Brenda! I activate her skill to send her to the soul and call out Nightmare Doll Ginny! Ginny's skill! I send her to the soul and call out Nightmare Doll, Alice from the soul! She gains 5000 power! Then, since the card Brenda called out went to the soul, Brenda gets to come back out to play!"

Maria widened her eyes. ' _She set up her soul perfectly for this combo. Now she has a full front row.'_

"Brenda attacks! Get rid of Rhombus Magus!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Nightmare Doll, Dorothy attacks the Vanguard!"

"I guard with Octagon Magus!" Maria called out. "Octagon's skill! I declare the top card of the deck is Psychic Bird! Because I'm right, 10000 is added to the shield!"

"Twin drive." Isabelle said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. I give the power to Alice and draw. And now Alice attacks!"

 **(10000+5000+5000=20000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger." Once again, Maria felt her body ache in pain.

 **[Damage: Maria(2), Isabelle(2).]**

"Alice's skill. Since she hit, I counterblast and send her to the soul. Then I can call a card other than her from the soul. I call Nightmare Doll, Dorothy. And now she attacks your rear guard Rhombus Magus."

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Maria said. She didn't like losing a strong rear guard, but she couldn't afford to drop too much of her hand in one turn this early.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Maria(6), Isabelle(7).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Maria said. "Oh oracle of guidance, fortel my future and bring me victory. Ride! Pentagonal Magus!"

 **Pentagonal Magus**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now Stride Generation!" Maria declared. "One Who Views the Planet, Globe Magus!"

 **One Who Views the Planet, Globe Magus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I draw one card, then preview the next card." Maria said. "Next I call Trapezoid Magus, Ring Magus, and Cone Magus. With Cone's skill, I declare the top card is Arbitrator, Ame-no-Sagiri. Since I'm right, countercharge two cards. And now I'll have Ring Magus attack. With her skill, I declare the top card of the deck is Ame-no-Sagiri once again. I'm right so I add it to my hand and add 3000 to Ring Magus until the end of the turn."

 **(11000+3000=14000)**

"Guard."

"My Vanguard attacks next!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Trapezoid and critical to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Maria(2), Isabelle(4).]**

"Skill of Globe Magus. I can check the top card of my deck at any time." Maria said, looking at the top card before returning it. "And now Trapezoid attacks with a boost from Cone! With Trapezoid's skill, I declare the top card is Lozenge Magus Fine. Because I'm right, 5000 power is added and I can retire an opponent rear guard. I choose Brenda."

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Furnival. Check the top three cards of the deck and add one to the soul." Isabelle explained. "I choose Nightmare Doll, Leslie. Since she's a grade 1 or higher, add 5000 to the shield."

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Maria(8), Isabelle(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "Stride Generation! Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn!"

 **Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and give a skill to my Vanguard." Isabelle said. "At the end of the battle that one of my Nightmare Doll rear guards attacked, I can counterblast to send that rear guard to the soul and call a different Nightmare Doll from the soul to rear guard."

"What?!"

"I hope you're not too surprised by that, because there's still more fun to come." Isabelle said. "Skill of Gwendolyn. I send a card from my hand to the soul and call a Workeroid from soul. I choose Nightmare Doll, Leslie. Both she and the Vanguard gain 5000 power. Next, I call Alice from my hand."

Maria took notice of Alice appearing. With Alice's skill, Isabelle would be able to call a card from the soul if it hit. Normally she could simply block the extra attack by guarding. But with the skill given to the Vanguard by Dorothy, Isabelle would be able to call something else out regardless."

"My rear guard Dorothy attacks!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Maria said. "Damage check, heal trigger. I don't heal but power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Maria(3), Isabelle(4).]**

"It's playtime Gwendolyn! Go over and say hello!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Isabelle said. "First check, critical trigger. Power to Leslie and critical to Alice. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. I recover one and give the power to Leslie once again."

 **[Damage: Maria(3), Isabelle(3).]**

Maria narrowed her eyes. ' _Why would she give the power to her rear guard in the back row rather than Alice? It shouldn't make a difference.'_

"Alice attacks with a boost from Leslie!"

 **(10000+7000+5000+10000=32000)**

' _The attack is critical. I have to block this one.'_

"Generation guard! Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu!"

 **Sun of Eternity, Amaterasu**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 10000**

"Skill of Amaterasu! She gains 10000 shield since I have at least 4 cards in my hand! In addition, I can soul charge, look at the top card of my deck, and put it on the top or bottom!" Maria looked at the card and put it back on top.

"The skill gained from Dorothy. I counterblast and send Alice to the soul. Then I call out Nightmare Doll Ginny from the soul. Using her skill to send her back and call Alice." Isabelle said. "In addition, Leslie's skill. Since Alice went to the soul, she stands."

"What?!" Maria gasped. ' _So that's why she gave the power to Leslie. That way the power would be present for her to boost for every attack.'_

"I'm not done yet. I activate Gwendolyn's other skill!" Isabelle explained. "Once per turn, when a card is called from soul, I can soul blast and give it a critical."

' _Another critical?! Give me a break!'_

"Alice! Leslie! Time for another playdate with Pentagonal Magus!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+5000+10000=37000)**

Maria took note of Isabelle's damage. ' _She needs to counterblast each time to get another attack. After her last one, she has 2 more face up. That means another 2 attacks after this.'_ Looking at her hand, Maria knew she had to make a decision. ' _The critical from this attack would give me 2 damage. And since Gwendolyn's skill to give a critical is only once per turn, her other attacks won't be critical. In that case, there's only one thing to do.'_

"I guard with Octagon Magus and Psychic Bird!" Maria declared. "Skill of Octagon! I declare the top card is Pentagonal Magus! Since I'm right, 10000 is added to the shield!"

"Using the same skill once again. Alice to Ginny and Ginny to Alice. Leslie stands." Isabelle said. "Attack!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+5000+10000=37000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(4), Isabelle(3).]**

"I activate Alice's skill! Since the attack hit, I send her to soul and call out Nightmare Doll, Liza!" Isabelle said. "Liza's skill. When she's called from soul due to the effect of a Workeroid, she gains 3000 power and a skill. At the end of the turn, I get to countercharge."

' _So now she's getting resources back. Lovely.'_

"Liza attacks with Leslie's boost! Take out Trapezoid!"

 **(6000+3000+7000+5000+10000=31000)**

"No guard." Maria said as she watched her rear guard get retired.

"Turn end." Isabelle said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Maria(3), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Maria said. ' _That trigger I got earlier was lucky. But I can't survive another onslaught like that. I need to finish her now.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Now reveal it to me! The endless possible futures stretching out in front of me!" Maria called out. "Stride Generation! One Who Reads the Sand, Pyramid Magis!"

 **One Who Reads the Sand, Pyramid Magus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Draw a card and preview the next card!" Maria explained. "Next I activate Pyramid Magus's skill. I declare the top card is One Advantage Miko, Nanase. Since I'm right, I draw 2 cards and put a card from my hand on top of the deck. In addition, all my front row Magus units get 1000 power for each card in my hand at all times. Next I call Rhombus Magus and Semilunar Magus."

"Is this your plan to finish me?" Isabelle questioned. "I hope it's fun and exciting."

"Oh it will be!" Maria said. "Boosted by Semilunar Magus, Pyramid Magus attacks! With Semilunar's skill, I declare the top card to be Nanase once again! I'm right, so I send Semilunar to the soul and draw 2 cards!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

' _She has 5 cards in hand right now. But after her triple drive, that number will go to 8. In other words, her current power is essentially 34000.'_ Isabelle calculated. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Maria said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Rhombus Magus. Third check, another critical trigger. All effects to Ring Magus." Looking at the state of the game, she saw Isabelle had only three damage. Both of her attacks would need to get through in order for her to win. But since Isabelle had only 3 cards in her hand, perhaps it was possible.

"At the end of the battle that my Magus unit attacked, I can preview the next card." Maria explained. "Now I attack with Rhombus, boosted by Cone! Declaring the top card to be Paisley Magus! I'm right so 5000 power is added!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+8000+7000=34000)**

"No guard." Isabelle said. Two more card fell into her damage zone, pushing her to the edge.

 **[Damage: Maria(4), Isabelle(5).]**

"Pyramid's skill. Look at the top card of the deck." Maria said. "In addition, since the unit that attacked was a rear guard, I can return it to my hand. So I return Rhombus to my hand and attack with Ring Magus! Ring's skill! The top card of the deck is Paisley Magus! I add it to my hand and 3000 power is added to Ring Magus!"

 **(11000+5000+3000+10000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Coulthard's skill, I flip a G Guardian face up. Then, since I have 4 different graded units in my soul, 15000 is added to the shield." Isabelle said. She showed an innocent-looking smile. "Too bad. You were so close too."

"... I return Ring Magus to my hand and preview the top card." Maria said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Maria(11), Isabelle(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said.

"I must say, I'm rather surprised." Maria said. "You seem pretty young. Yet you don't seem to mind the pain from the 5 damage you've taken."

"Oh this? I'm used to it, that's all." Isabelle said. A twisted smile that sent a shiver down Maria's spin appeared. "I've faced pain far worse than this. I remember it all so clearly. How mommy and daddy showed their love by beating me over and over again. I remember the bruises so clearly."

Maria widened her eyes. "What…?"

"You've been lots of fun. And you're really pretty too." Isabelle told her. "I've decided. I'm going to add you to my collection. So I'm going to end it here."

' _I couldn't finish her off. But I have 11 cards in my hand.'_ Maria thought. ' _I might be able to survive. And if I do that, there's no way she'll be able to win.'_

"I know what you're thinking." Isabelle said. "You think you just have to survive this turn and you can win." The little girl let out a dark giggle. "Silly. There is no next turn. Because I'm about to unleash a unit like you've never seen before."

Maria noticed a dark ominous aura emit from Isabelle's G Zone. "Wh-What's happening?"

"This is the power we possess. We, the Seven Lords of Purgatory." Isabelle grinned. "I bind five of my face up G Units face down. By doing this, I open the path to a dark future."

"A dark… future?"

"Let evil and hatred devour this world! A future of living hell!" Isabelle called out as she discarded a grade 3 from her hand. "Generation Overwrite!"

Maria watched as a dark aura enveloped Isabelle's Vanguard, much like the aura that had covered the cards from her G Zone. The aura seemed to swallow the unit up as a portal appeared in its place. Stepping out from it was a unit that Maria had never seen before. It had the appearance of a little girl, yet it was the same giant size of the Nightmare Doll units Isabelle used. The unit had orange hair with two pigtails and wore a black and red dress. A dark smile was on her face.

Maria didn't know what this unit was, but she knew one thing with absolute certainty in her mind. It terrified her.

"Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline!"

 **Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

"What IS that thing?!" Maria exclaimed.

"This is my Purgatorial Stride." Isabelle explained. "The usual method of striding utilizes something called Stride Force. But this uses a different power, one that lets me rewrite the future to one where hope and joy don't exist. Only untold suffering and pain. And it's all thanks to the power of Lord Ragnarok."

"Ragnarok?"

"Oopsie. I probably shouldn't say anything else." Isabelle said. "In any case, it's time for me to finish you. I call Nightmare Doll Master, Brenda over Liza and call a second Leslie behind Dorothy. Then I use Brenda's skill to call Alice. Next I counterblast and activate Madeline's skill. During the battle phase of this turn, any units I call from soul get an extra 10000 power."

"Did you say 10000?!"

"That's right!" Isabelle giggled. "Oh and if three or more units are called from soul this turn, Madeline gains a critical."

' _This is insane…'_ Maria thought. ' _I've never seen anything like this.'_

"Dorothy attacks the Vanguard with a boost from Leslie!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"G-Guard!" Maria said, holding up a card from her hand, while trying to hold back her fear.

"Alice is up next with Leslie's boost!"

 **(10000+7000=17000)**

Once again, Maria held up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"The skill of the Vanguard gained from Dorothy. I send Alice to the soul and call Ginny. Then I use Ginny's skill to call Alice while Leslie stands. In addition, since the card Brenda called went to the soul, I call Brenda over Dorothy. And thanks to Madeline's skill, both Alice and Brenda gain 10000 power. And with three rear guards called from soul this turn, Madeline goes critical." Isabelle said. "Madeline attacks!"

 **(36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to the Leslie behind Alice and critical to Alice. Third check, draw trigger. Power to the same Leslie and I draw." Isabelle said. "And now Brenda attacks with a boost from Leslie!"

 **(19000+7000=26000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Maria(5), Isabelle(5).]**

"Alice attacks with a boost from Leslie!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000+10000=42000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"The same skill combo once again." Isabelle said. A deranged smile etched across her face. "My dolls will keep playing with you. They'll play and play and play until you break! Boosted by Leslie, Alice attacks!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000+10000=42000)**

Maria looked at her hand. She tried and tried to search for a possibility. Any small glimmer of hope to defend herself. But she didn't have enough. "No guard…"

Alice reached down and grabbed Pentagonal Magus. She squeezed her grip tight, making the unit cry out in pain. Maria felt the same pain rushing through her body as she screamed.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

 **[Damage: Maria(6), Isabelle(5).]**

Maria's body felt so weak. She knelt down, too weak to even stand. She had lost. She had failed Sophia. Isabelle slowly walked up to her.

"You lost. So now I'm going to add you to my collection." she said with a grin.

"Co...llec...tion?" Maria muttered weakly.

"That's right." Isabelle told her. "You're going to become one of my dolls. We'll have so much fun together."

"What are you… talking about…?"

"The image field for cardfighting isn't the only power we Seven Lords of Purgatory have." Isabelle said. "Each of us has another special power unique to us. Mine is being able to turn people into living dolls. Those people at that shop weren't any fun, and there weren't any cute ones. So I left them to lie in defeat. But you're a special one. So I'm taking you with me."

Maria felt her mind suddenly grow foggy. As if her spirit was being dragged away. She managed to mutter one final thing before her mind went blank. "I'm sorry… Sophia…"

With that, the field vanished and the two found themselves back in the lobby of the orphanage. Isabelle noticed there wasn't anyone else around anymore. Most likely, they had fled.

"Hey!"

The sudden voice caused Isabelle to turn toward the entrance. Standing at the door was a little girl with long black hair. It was the very person Isabelle had been searching for. The one she had been assigned with taking care of. Sophia Perez.

"Who are you?!" Sophia asked. "And what did you do to Maria!"

Slowly, Isabelle's lips curved up into a grin. She wasn't just happy. She was ecstatic. She had been dreaming of this day for so long.

"It's been so long, Sophia." Isabelle said. "My precious little sister."

 **Sophia: Who are you? And what do you mean by sister?**

 **Isabelle: Oh do you not remember? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But you won't have to worry about that. Soon you'll be part of my collection, just like your friend.**

 **Sophia: I won't forgive you for what you did to Maria! I'm gonna make you change her back!**

 **Isabelle: Go ahead and try. I can give you a glimpse of your past while we're at it.**

 **Sophia: My past?**

 **Next time: Sophia's Past**

 **Card Gallery:**

Nightmare Doll, Dorothy  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** SB1 When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose your Vanguard and it gets **(AUTO VC: CB1. After a battle where your rear guard with "Nightmare Doll" in its name attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, send it to the soul and call a "Nightmare Doll" from your soul that has a different name than that unit to RC.)**.  
 **AUTO:** When this card is placed on VC, search your deck for up to one card and add it to your soul. Shuffle your deck.

* * *

Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [SB1 & Take a card in your G zone and flip it face up.] When your Workeroid is called from the soul, you may pay the cost. If you do, that unit gets +1 critical until end of turn.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [Send a card from your hand to the soul.] Choose a Workeroid from your soul and call it to RC. That unit and this unit get +5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Nightmare Doll, Fiona  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO:** [SB1[ When this card is discarded for the cost to STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with "Nightmare Doll" in its name and send it to the soul.  
 **CONT [hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this card gets grade +2.

* * *

Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** _-Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
_ **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & SB1]. Until end of turn, this unit gets **(CONT VC: During your battle phase, when your unit is called to RC from soul, that unit gains +10000 power until end of turn)**.  
 **CONT VC:** If 3 or more units have been called from soul this turn, this unit gets +1 critical.


	79. Sophia's Past

**A/N: Day 3. Time for a closer look at just who Isabelle is. Hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Also fair warning, as you may have been able to guess from last chapter, this chapter gets a little dark at a small point. It's nothing graphic so don't worry, just giving a small warning that it ain't all sunshine and rainbows.**

Sophia and Isabelle stared at each other in the lobby of the orphanage. Sophia was frozen stiff. She had seen Maria attacked by this strange girl. She didn't know what was going on, but this girl was clearly an enemy of some sort. However, she couldn't focus on that. Her mind was too fixated on what she had heard come out of the girl's mouth just now.

"What…" Sophia said in disbelief. "What did you just say…?"

"That's right. You are my precious little sister." Isabelle said with a dark grin. "And I've come all this way to find you."

"But… No… There's no way…" Sophia muttered. "I was left at the orphanage as a baby. I've lived here my whole life."

"All true. But that doesn't stop the bond we share." Isabelle said. "But you don't need to worry about that, Sophia. Just lie down and go to sleep. I'll make you into one of my dolls like this girl here. And then we can spend every day together."

"Dolls?" Sophia questioned. "Is that what you did to Maria?!"

"That's right." Isabelle said. "Dolls are such perfect little things. They never hurt or betray you. They do whatever you want them to. The perfect friends."

"That's not a friend!" Sophia told her. "Friends aren't things you control!"

"But it makes things so much easier." Isabelle said. "Now then, as much as I'd like to continue chatting with you dear sister, I'm afraid I don't have time to dawdle. So I'm taking you with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Sophia said. "This is my home and you're not welcome here!"

Isabelle frowned as she glared at Sophia. "This is what I was talking about. Letting friends have free will just leaves you open to getting betrayed. Even family is the same. But if I have to take you with me by force, then that's what I'll do." She held out her deck. "Let's fight. If you win, I'll change your friend back to normal too."

Sophia nodded and brought out her deck. "Fine. Let's fight."

Isabelle giggled as her eyes flashed. "You'll be the star of my collection once you're mine, little sister."

Sophia gasped as their location changed. They found themselves in the same nightmarish playroom that Maria had lost to her in. A sheet of light appeared in front of each of them. Sophia placed her deck down and drew her opening hand.

' _Don't worry, Maria. I'll save you.'_

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Evolution Star-saver, Carbon!"

 **Evolution Star-saver, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Nightmare Doll, Natalie!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Natalie**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm first." Isabelle said. "I ride Nightmare Doll, Fiona."

 **Nightmare Doll, Fiona**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Natalie moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Isabelle(5).]**

"My turn. I draw." Sophia said. "Ride! Star-saver, Nebula Dracokid!"

 **Star-saver, Nebula Dracokid**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carbon moves back. And with it's boost, Nebula Dracokid attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Sophia said. "Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

Isabelle watched as Sophia's Vanguard came in and threw a swift punch at her own Vanguard. She felt a sting of pain. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(0), Isabelle(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "Ride! Nightmare Doll, Ginny!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Ginny**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Activating Natalie's skill. I send her to the soul. Then I look at the top 3 cards of the deck and add Nightmare Doll, Alice to the soul." Isabelle explained. "Since the card I added was a Nightmare Doll, I can use the same skill one more time. This time I add Nightmare Doll, Liza. Next I attack with my Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

Sophia watched two cards fall into her damage zone. As they did, she felt a large amount of pain rush through her body. "Ahhhhhhhh!"

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(2).]**

Isabelle let out a giggle. "See, we're even feeling pain together. Just like regular sisters."

' _This cardfight… We take real damage? It's just like on Cray.'_ Sophia thought. ' _But this time, Infinite Star Dragon isn't here to take the damage in my place. I need to stand on my own and fight. Maria's counting on me.'_

"That ends my turn." Isabelle said. "Over to you, sis."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. ' _Is she really telling the truth? Are we really… sisters? Is she part of my family that left me at the orphanage?'_ She shook the thoughts out of her head. She needed to focus on the cardfight right now. She couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Ride! Salvation Star-saver, Krypton!"

 **Salvation Star-saver, Krypton**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Papilion Star-saver, Photon." Sophia said. "Photon attacks!"

 **(9000)**

Isabelle took a card from her hand and tossed it out onto the field. "Guard."

"With Carbon's boost, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(3).]**

"My turn's over." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "Soulless being! My one true friend! Stay by my side and crush those that would get in my way! Ride! Nightmare Doll, Dorothy!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Dorothy**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Dorothy's skill. When I ride her, I search my deck for a card and add it to soul. I add Nightmare Doll, Leslie." Isabelle said. "Go Dorothy! Attack!"

 **(11000)**

Sophia held up a critical trigger from her hand. "Guard!"

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I don't know if you really are my sister or not. But I won't let you get away with what you did to Maria."

"Oh don't be mad, sister. You'll be like her very soon. Then you can be with her while you stay by my side for all eternity." Isabelle told her.

"I won't let that happen! Because my friends will help me stop you!" Sophia shouted. "Banish the darkness so the light of the twinkling stars can shine and give everyone hope! Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon!"

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Carbon and call it back out! Adding 5000 power!" Sophia explained. "Carbon's skill! When he's bound from the rear guard, I can bind a Star-saver from my deck! I bind Binary Star! Next, I activate Binary Star's skill! Counterblast! I bind Photon and call Binary Star! Then with Binary Star's Warpdrive, I call Photon back out! Photon's Warpdrive then increases her power and the Vanguard's by 5000!"

Looking at her field, Sophia saw she had a strong formation out. Even if she only had 2 columns to attack with, she would be able to get more with her Vanguard's skill. And she needed to save up her hand for next turn, when her opponent would most likely begin her assault.

"Boosted by Binary Star, Photon attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(3).]**

"Boosted by Carbon, my Vanguard attacks!" Sophia declared. "Activating skill of Pleiades! I bind Photon and Binary Star! Then I can call cards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break number! I call both of the cards I just bound! And with Photon's Warpdrive, 5000 is added to herself and the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+10000+5000+5000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!" Isabelle called out.

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Photon! Third check, no trigger." Sophia said. "Photon and Binary Star attack for a second time!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Furnival! I look at the top three cards of the deck and add another Alice to the soul. Adding 5000 to the shield."

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(8), Isabelle(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "This is so much fun, Sophia! Playing Vanguard with my sister is the best!"

"Why do you believe you're my sister?!" Sophia asked. "I want to know!"

"It's actually quite simple." Isabelle said. She took a finger and pointed at Sophia. "It's because of that necklace you wear."

Sophia looked down at the accessory in question, a silver necklace with an oddly shaped charm at the end. According to the ones that ran the orphanage, it was left with her when she was dropped off at the orphanage.

"My necklace…" Sophia said. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"So you want to know the truth do you?" Isabelle said. "Very well then. Allow me to show you… my image."

Suddenly, Sophia saw Isabelle's eyes glow. Before she knew what was going on, a bright light engulfed her, blinding her sight.

"Ahhh!"

When Sophia could see again, she found herself in a place she didn't recognize. She wasn't in the playroom she had been just moments ago, and she wasn't at the orphanage. She was in… someone's house. A bedroom by the looks of it.

"Where am I?" Sophia asked herself.

"Aunt Mia!"

The sudden voice caused Sophia to turn around. She saw what appeared to be a little girl, maybe 4 or 5 years old, taking with a woman.

"Hello dear Isabelle." the woman said with a smile. "Have you been good?"

"Mhm! I've been super duper good!" the little girl told her.

"That's nice to hear."

' _Is that little girl… Isabelle?'_ Sophia wondered.

The sudden sound of crying caught Sophia's attention as she looked over towards a crib in the room. Mia got up and walked over, picking up a small girl. "There, there, Sophia. There's no need to cry."

"Please stop crying Sophia." Isabelle said as she walked over. "If you don't, mommy and daddy will get mad again."

"They've been doing it again lately?" Mia asked.

"A little." Isabelle frowned. "I try and say it's not Sophia's fault. But then they get mad and hit me."

Mia kneeled down and looked at Isabelle with a soft smile. "It'll be alright. I promise."

Isabelle nodded her head. "Ok, Aunt Mia. I trust you."

"Good girl."

Sophia watched the scene unfold. The baby in the woman's arms. They had called her Sophia. Was that really her?

Suddenly, an item caught Sophia's eye. A silver necklace around the woman's neck. She looked down at the necklace she herself was wearing, realizing it was the exact same one. She had had it for as long as she could remember. The people at the orphanage told her it was the only thing they had found with her the night she was left at the doorstep of the orphanage, along with a note that included her first name. Sophia.

"Aunt Mia was our mother's sister." the present Isabelle said, suddenly appearing at Sophia's side. "I was too young to remember much of these days. But I do recall how happy I was whenever she would come visit. It was one of the few times I didn't have to worry about an adult hitting me."

"Isabelle…"

"But those happy times didn't last forever." Isabelle said. "One night… everything changed."

Just like that, the setting changed once again for them. Sophia was in the same room, but it was the middle of the night. She saw her baby self and the young Isabelle sleeping. Suddenly, the door creaked open and the woman that Sophia recognized as the one Isabelle referred to as Mia came in.

The sound of the woman coming in, roused Isabelle from her sleep. "Mmmm… Aunt Mia?"

"Shh." the woman said, signaling for Isabelle to be quiet. "Be quiet and come with me, ok?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're leaving. We're going to go far away from here." Mia said, going over to the window in the room and opening it.

"What about mommy and daddy?"

"They're not coming. We're going someplace they can't ever hurt you and Sophia again." Mia told her as she walked over and picked Sophia up from her crib.

"Aunt Mia… I'm scared." Isabelle told her. "If mommy and daddy find us, they're going to be really mad. They'll hit me again."

"That's never going to happen ever again. I promise." Mia told her. "Now hurry. Before they wake up."

"Hm? Did you hear something?"

The sound of a man from the next room over made Mia widen her eyes in fear. "Quickly! We have to hurry!" she whispered.

"I think it came from the girls' room." a woman said.

Mia quickly made her way to the window, sneaking out from it. "This way, Isabelle. We need to go now."

"What's going on? I don't understand any of this." Isabelle said.

The little girl's hesitation proved to be for too long as the door to the room opened up. A man and a woman that Sophia could only assume were her parents came into the room. They widened their eyes at what they saw.

"What are you doing?!" the man yelled.

There was no more time, Mia ran away with Sophia in her arms, leaving Isabelle in the room, confused and afraid.

"Get back here! You thief!" the man shouted out the window. "When I find you, you're dead! Dead, you hear?!"

Sophia heard the roar of a car engine starting and driving away at full speed. Mia was taking her away from her home. And now Isabelle was all alone.

"I was afraid and hesitant. I was too late to escape that night. It is my greatest regret." Isabelle spoke. "That was the last time I ever saw Aunt Mia. Our parents never found her or you."

"Does that mean… she was the one who left me at the orphanage when I was a baby?" Sophia asked in disbelief.

"Most likely." Isabelle said. "We lived in Brazil, but we weren't anywhere close to Sao Luis. Aunt Mia probably did that on purpose, to keep you safe in case they ever found and caught her."

Sophia took the necklace she was wearing and held it in her hand. "Then… this necklace was…"

"That's right. It was Aunt Mia's. A one of a kind necklace she owned." Isabelle confirmed. "And after she left that night with you, everything got worse for me."

Before Sophia could ask, their scenery changed once again. This time they found themselves in a different room. From what Sophia could tell, it seemed to be a kitchen. She saw the man and woman from earlier arguing with each other.

"Just shut up and do as I say!"

"Why should I?! You'll only waste our money again!"

As the argument went on, Sophia saw an older-looking Isabelle walk into the room. She seemed to be around 10 at this point. In her hands was a stuffed doll.

"Mommy… Daddy… Please stop fighting." Isabelle cried.

"Shut up you stupid brat!" her father shouted. "Go to your room!"

"But-"

"We wouldn't be in this situation if we didn't have to take care of you, you know?" her mother said. "Do you know how much money we've had to waste on you?"

"I… I'm sorry." Isabelle cried.

"Food. Toys. When are you going to start helping us get money?!" the father yelled.

"So you can go waste in on drinks and gambling again?" the mother said.

"I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth, woman!"

Sophia couldn't believe what she was watching. _These_ were her parents? This unstable couple that abused their own daughter? That constantly yelled at each other?

"You don't need to worry though. This story has a happy ending." the present Isabelle said with a malicious grin. "Watch and you'll see."

Sophia looked on, gasping as she watched a fight break out between the couple. Hitting and screaming. The loudest was Isabelle, begging them to stop. But that pleading only ended in her being knocked away by her father. Her back slammed against the wall. She watched as her father grabbed the doll she had been holding and stabbed it with a knife. Isabelle watched as stuffing poured out from it.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

A frightening scream escaped from the young Isabelle. She tackled her father. The two struggled with each other. He shoved her and slashed at her with the knife, causing a cut on her arm. But then Isabelle managed to get the knife out of his hand and into her own.

Sophia knew what was coming, but didn't want to see it. She closed her eyes, but her ears could still hear every horrifying moment. It wasn't until things were silent for a long moment that she dared to open her eyes again.

She wished she hadn't.

At that moment, the image around them shattered and they were back in the playroom with the cardfight still going on. But Sophia hadn't even realized that their cardfight had continued. She was too overwhelmed by what she had just witnessed.

She was trembling.

"They just stopped. They stopped yelling. Stopped hitting. Stopped… everything." Isabelle said. The look on her face was one devoid of all sanity. "It was paradise. All of the suffering I had endured was finally over. At first, I didn't know what I would do next. I wandered the streets. But then, I was approached by Purgatory. They introduced me to Master Ryo, and I told them what happened. He said what happened was divine retribution on my parents for what they had done to me. He gave me a new home. And a new purpose. From then on, Purgatory became my family."

' _It has to be a lie. It has to. That was my family?'_ Sophia thought to herself. Deep down though, she knew it was true. This story straight out of hell was the undeniable truth.

"With Purgatory, I was finally happy. They didn't hurt me there. They welcomed me. Because like me, they also hated the world." Isabelle said. "There was one thing that was always on my mind though. You. My little sister that left with my Aunt Mia in the middle of the night when you were barely a year old. That night was imprinted on my memory forever."

"But then… how did you realize I was your sister?" Sophia asked.

Isabelle grinned. "It was by pure chance. I was watching television when I came across something." she said. "The Vanguard World Tournament. And a little girl named Sophia fighting while wearing the same exact necklace my Aunt Mia wore. And on top of that, I couldn't help but notice how we resembled each other with how we looked."

Sophia widened her eyes. The Vanguard World Tournament. A massive event broadcasted across the entire planet. It wouldn't be surprising for someone to see her, considering how well her team did in it.

"I was so speechless, I almost couldn't believe it." Isabelle said. "But I knew that necklace. I knew it all too well. I could barely contain my laughter when I realized it."

"Isabelle…"

"I've finally found you after all this time. And I'm never letting you go again." Isabelle said. "You and I will be together forever!" She took a card from her hand and discarded it. "Stride Generation! Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn!"

 **Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I grant a skill to my Vanguard! Now whenever my Nightmare Doll rear guard attacks, I can counterblast to send it to the soul and call a different one out." Isabelle explained. "Next I call Nightmare Doll Master, Brenda! Using her skill, I send her to the soul and call Nightmare Doll, Ginny! Ginny's skill sends her to the soul and calls out Nightmare Doll, Alice! Brenda is also called out with her skill! And with Gwendolyn's skill, I give Alice a critical! Finally, I use Gwendolyn's other skill to call Leslie from the soul and give both her and the Vanguard 5000 power."

' _She got three rear guards out. And she only had to call one card from her hand.'_ Sophia thought. ' _I need to be careful. She's planning something.'_

"Brenda will attack Photon!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Sophia said, watching Photon get retired.

"Gwendolyn attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, draw trigger! Power to Leslie and I draw! Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! Power to Leslie and critical to the Vanguard!"

' _She's giving the power to the back row unit?'_ Sophia thought, curious as to what Isabelle's strategy in this was. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Isabelle(3).]**

"Leslie will boost an attack from Alice!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+5000+10000=37000)**

"Generation guard! Galaxy Machine, Froura!"

 **Galaxy Machine, Froura**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Froura! I bind Binary Star on my field and Promethium from my drop zone! Then, I call Binary Star from my bind zone to the guardian circle! In addition, I activate Promethium's skill from the bind zone! I bind Carbon to call Promethium to the guardian circle and add 10000 power! Lastly, since Carbon was bound, I bind a copy of Binary Star from my deck!"

"Not bad. But I activate the skill my Vanguard gained from Dorothy! I counterblast and send Alice to the soul to call Ginny from the soul! Then I use Ginny's skill to send her to soul and call Alice with an additional 5000 power! Leslie also stands since Alice went to the soul!"

Sophia gasped. "What?!"

"Alice and Leslie will attack for a second time!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+5000+10000=37000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Isabelle(3).]**

"The same skill, once again. Sending Alice to the soul to call Ginny and then call Alice with an extra 5000 power. And now they attack again!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+5000+10000=37000)**

Sophia quickly held up a pair of critical triggers and a grade 1. "Guard!"

"Once again, Alice goes to the soul. This time I'll call Nightmare Doll, Liza. Leslie stands. Liza's skill adds 3000 to her power and gives her a skill. And now she'll attack with a boost from Leslie."

 **(6000+3000+7000+5000+10000=31000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Isabelle(3).]**

"Turn end. Countercharge with Liza's skill." Isabelle said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(4), Isabelle(6).]**

"Stand and draw. Using a soul blast to bind the cards on one of my empty circles, call Binary Star, and draw. Then with Binary Star's Warpdrive, call Carbon" Sophia said. This wasn't a good situation for her. She was teetering on the edge at five damage. On top of that, her legs were wobbly. She wasn't sure if that was more due to the fact that she was feeling real damage or from what she had seen.

' _I've always wanted to know why I was abandoned at the orphanage. But not like this…'_ Sophia shook the thoughts out of her head. ' _No. I need to focus. For Maria's sake, and for my sake as well.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Now shine brightly! Star of the future that lights my path!" Sophia called out. "Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Carbon and call it back out! Carbon's skill! I bind Krypton from my deck!" Sophia explained. "Call! Globuladia! Gravi-Schwarz Dragon! Neon!"

' _She called out a full field. She's going to try to end it here.'_ Isabelle noticed. A grin came to her face. ' _Go ahead and try, little sister. Nothing will stop me from making you mine forever.'_

"Globuladia's skill! I counterblast and bind the grade 1 Binary Star in my drop zone!" Sophia said. "In exchange, I get to retire one of the opponent's rear guards who has the same grade as the bound unit! I retire Nightmare Doll, Leslie!"

"If you think getting rid of her will win you this game, then you're lying to yourself."

"Then how about this? My Vanguard's Generation Break 3!" Sophia said. "When a Star-saver is called from the bind zone, both it and my Vanguard get 3000 power! Binary Star was called from the bind zone and Carbon was called twice! So they both get 3000 power while Infinite Cosmos gets 9000!"

Sophia took a deep breath. Everything hinged on this turn. She had to end things here. "Globuladia attacks with a boost from Neon!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard."

"With Binary Star's boost, Gravi-Schwarz is up next!"

 **(11000+7000+3000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Isabelle(4).]**

"Let's go Infinite Cosmos! Attack the Vanguard!" Sophia called out. "Activating skill! I bind all of my rear guards! Then I call cards from my bind zone equal to my Generation Break number! That's five! So I call Gravi-Schwarz, Krypton, Neon, Carbon, and Binary Star! Since I called five or more, my Vanguard gains a critical! Gravi-Schwarz's Warpdrive gives it 5000 power and a critical, while Krypton's gives himself 5000 power for each of the 4 rear guards called alongside him! And another 5 rear guards called from the bind zone means Infinite Cosmos's skill activates another five more times!"

 **(26000+24000=50000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, draw trigger! Power to Gravi-Schwarz and I draw! Third check, no trigger." Sophia said. "Gravi-Schwarz attacks with Neon's boost!"

 **(11000+5000+3000+5000+7000+3000=34000)**

"Generation guard. Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard."

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Coulthard's skill. I have four cards in my soul, each with different grades. Therefore, 15000 is added to the shield."

Sophia grit her teeth. With only one attack left, she wouldn't be able to finish Isabelle off this turn. "Krypton attacks with Binary Star's boost!"

 **(9000+20000+3000+7000+3000=42000)**

"No guard." Isabelle said, letting a fifth card fall into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Isabelle(5).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said. Looking over at Isabelle's hand, she saw it contained only 2 cards. Her one and only hope would be if Isabelle couldn't stride on her next turn.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. She giggled to herself, soon breaking out into laughter. "The time has finally come! After this, you and I will be together forever! You'll never leave my side again!" She grinned as she discarded a card from her hand as her G Zone became enveloped in a dark aura. "By paying the stride cost and binding 5 of my face up G Units face down, I open the path to a dark future."

Sophia felt a sudden change in the air. It felt so much colder. "Wh-What's going on?"

"Let evil and hatred devour this world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Isabelle called out. "Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline!"

 **Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

Sophia gasped as Isabelle's G Unit appeared on the field, one that was unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Stride skill. I grant a skill to my Vanguard." Isabelle said. "Next I use Madeline's skill. Now during my battle phase, if a card is called from soul, it gains 10000 power. Now I call Brenda from my hand and use her skill to call Alice."

Sophia felt her body shiver in fear. ' _I… I won't be able to protect myself. I can't win.'_

"Now then. Let's end this, shall we?" Isabelle said. She reached out to declare an attack, but suddenly she she felt her vision grow hazy. She brought her hand back, holding her head.

Sophia blinked her eyes in surprise. ' _What's going on with her?'_

' _Damnit, not now!'_ Isabelle thought to herself. ' _I've used my power too often today. I'm not used to it.'_ She could feel her strength fading. ' _No… At this rate…'_

"Isabelle?" Sophia asked. "Are you ok?"

"It can't be helped." Isabelle muttered to herself. Suddenly, the image field around them faded. Both Isabelle's and Sophia's decks returned to their owner's hands. "It seems we'll have to finish this another time, little sister." Isabelle said. She snapped her fingers. "Here. You can have your friend back."

"Wait!" Sophia called out as Isabelle ran away. She wasn't able to give chase though. She was too exhausted from that fight. On top of that… that horrifying G Unit that Isabelle had used still had her trapped in fear.

"Ngh… Sophia?" Maria groaned as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Maria!" Sophia exclaimed as she ran over to her friend. "Are you alright?!"

"I think so." Maria confirmed. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. "That's right! That other girl! Where'd she go?!"

"She's gone. She got away." Sophia told her. "I… I wasn't strong enough to stop her."

Maria let out a sigh. "Well if anything else, at least you're safe. That's all that matters."

"Yeah…"

"Sophia? Is everything alright?" Maria asked, noticing the troubled look on the girl's face.

"Huh? O-Oh, it's nothing." Sophia assured her. "I'm just tired is all."

"I guess that's to be expected." Maria said. "We'd best get outside. I'm sure the other kids and workers will want to know we're ok."

"Right." Sophia nodded. She helped Maria to her feet and walked out of the orphanage with her. They had both made it out of this incident ok, and that was something to be thankful for. But this wasn't a victory. That had gotten off due to pure luck, nothing else. That was all too clear in Sophia's mind.

And that fact was what scared her most of all.

* * *

"Yes. Unfortunately I failed, Master Ryo." Isabelle said into her phone as she hid in an alleyway. "I overused my power and couldn't eliminate Sophia Perez as a threat."

"I see… I suppose it can't be helped then." Ryo said from the other end. "If nothing else, at least this should still spread panic and negativity. Return to Japan, before the police catch on and you become stuck in Brazil."

"Understood, Master Ryo." Isabelle said as she hung up. She clenched her fist in frustration. ' _I was so close. Just another few minutes and I would have finished her.'_ she thought to herself. ' _Don't you worry though dear sister. We will meet again. That I can promise.'_

Putting her hood back on, Isabelle walked out of the alleyway and hastily made her way to the airport while trying not to draw much attention to herself. Next time she would finish the job. She would not fall short again.

 **Sophia: My family… Where I came from... To think the truth would be so painful.**

 **Aurora: Purgatory's getting more active. This is bad.**

 **Dan: If only we knew where they would strike next.**

 **Anthony: One thing's for sure. We're all in danger at this rate. Any cardfighter they target is at risk.**

 **Aurora: I'm more worried about their mission to spread negativity. If they go on a grand scale, things could be bad.**

 **Next time: Angel of Death**

 **Card Gallery:**

Star-saver, Nebula Dracokid  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO:** When this card is discarded for the cost to STRIDE, you may bind this card face up.  
 **CONT [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this card gets grade +2.


	80. Angel of Death

**A/N: Hey readers. Did you enjoy the introduction of the first Lord of Purgatory? Well guess what? Time for the second one to be introduced.**

"Alright Kimiko. I'll see you in a bit."

"Ok then. Bye sis."

Sarah watched as her sister Kimiko walked away with one of the hospital nurses. It was time once again for Kimiko's monthly checkup for her eyes. The test were fairly simple and short, only taking about an hour long altogether. Sarah would usually spend the time sitting around in the lobby on her phone or going through her Vanguard deck. But today she had a companion with her.

"It's nice to see she's doing well." Marcus said.

Sarah nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah. Ever since she regained her sight, she's been so much happier. Especially now that she can play Vanguard again."

"Sometimes it's hard to believe she took a six year break from it with how good she is." Marcus said with a grin. "She's beaten almost everyone at the shop."

"Yeah." Sarah said. "Anyway, you wanna go eat while we wait? I know a good cafe a couple blocks away."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Marcus said.

With that, the duo left the hospital as Sarah led the way to the cafe. Meanwhile,Kimiko was brought to one of the hospital rooms. She was escorted in and sat down in a chair.

"The doctor will be with you shortly." the nurse said. "Please wait in here."

"Ok." Kimiko nodded.

The nurse walked out of the room, leaving Kimiko alone. It was rather standard for her. It rarely took the doctor more than ten minutes before he came in so the wait was rarely long. She hummed to herself as she thought about various things. After her tests today, her sister had promised to take her to the card shop, so that would be a bonus. Playing Vanguard always helped to lift her spirits.

As Kimiko waited, she suddenly heard a thud outside. She wrote it off as nothing at first, but when more thuds came, followed by weak cries of help, she knew something was wrong. She got up and walked to the door, opening it and peeking out. What she saw shocked her.

Everywhere, people were lying around unconscious. There were a few struggling to stand, but soon they too fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

' _What's going on?!'_ Kimiko asked herself with widened eyes. Suddenly she took notice of an odd scent entering through her nostrils. As she wondered what it was, her mind suddenly began to grow hazy.

Acting on instinct, Kimiko got back inside her room and quickly closed the door. But it was too late. She could already feel herself feeling sleepy. ' _No… What's happening…?'_

Those were the final thoughts Kimiko was able to form as she fell to the ground and fell asleep like the others in the hall.

* * *

"Man, that was good." Marcus said as he and Sarah left the cafe. "I'll definitely have to bring Emma there sometime. She'd love it."

"I'm glad you liked it." Sarah smiled. "Kimiko's tests should be done soon. We made pretty good time."

"I'll say." Marcus agreed.

The two friends chatted as they made their way back to the hospital. It was lucky the cafe was such a short distance from the hospital. When they arrived however, they could both quickly tell that something wasn't right.

A nurse was stumbling out the front entrance. She caught sight of Marcus and Sarah and wobbly made her way to them. "Please… help…"

"Woah there!" Marcus said as he caught the nurse before she could collapse. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"The hospital… Gas… Danger…" she managed to mutter out before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

"Hey! Can you hear me?! Wake up!" Marcus shouted as he shook the nurse. It was no use however as she stayed asleep.

Seconds later, the front entrance to the hospital opened yet again and two hooded figures walked out. "Crap, there's already witnesses! We were supposed to get her back in before anyone noticed!"

"Hey!" Sarah shouted. "What's going on?!"

"Tch, what do we do?" one of the mystery guys asked the other.

"There's only one thing we can do. We have to make sure they stay quiet." the other one said.

Marcus gently put the nurse down and glanced over to his friend. "Sarah. Go."

"Huh?"

"I'll deal with these guys. You go find what's going on in there. Kimiko may be in danger." Marcus told her.

"But Marcus, are you sure-"

"Go! There's no time!"

Sarah was hesitant to leave Marcus all alone. But her sister's safety took priority. She ran towards the parking garage, planning to get in from the entrance there.

"Get her!" one of the hooded guys shouted, but before either of them could go after Sarah, Marcus blocked their path.

"Sorry, but you're dealing with me." he said.

"Tch, what do we do down?"

"It's fine. Lady Yuri can deal with the girl. We'll deal with this one."

Marcus watched as both hooded men brought out Vanguard decks. "A cardfight then? Bring it on." he said as he brought out his own deck.

A sheet of light appeared in front of each of them. Marcus didn't like the look of this, but he couldn't back down now. All three of them placed their decks on the table and began the fight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

* * *

Sarah rushed inside the lobby of the hospital. She gasped at what she saw. Everyone was lying around, completely unconscious. She couldn't find one person that was awake. They were all just like the nurse at the entrance.

"What's going on? Why is everyone like this?" she asked herself.

"I believe I can answer that."

Sarah watched as a woman with brunette hair tied up in a ponytail walked into the lobby. The white coat she had on made Sarah believe she was one of the workers here.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is everyone in this hospital was recently infected with a special virus." the woman explained. "Once inside the body, it gradually robs it of all strength. Eventually the person falls into a coma, and will never wake again."

"Never wake again?!"

"Correct. It's actually not painful at all really. They stay asleep as the body loses strength. Without proper care, they end up dead. Yet they don't feel a thing."

Sarah glared at the woman. "And why does it that you seem to be the only one here unaffected?"

"The answer to that is quite simple." she said. "I'm the one that set off the virus. It's a special gas I created that spread around the hospital. Just about every single person in here is affected and fast asleep."

"But why?! Aren't you a doctor?!"

"I am a doctor. And I'm curing these people of a disease with this death. The disease that is humanity."

"You're not making any sense!" Sarah shouted. "Now get rid of this virus! My sister's in here right now!"

The woman chuckled. "You think I'll just give in and do as you say? If you want to get rid of this virus, there's only one way." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Vanguard deck. "Beat me in a cardfight and the virus will disperse from everyone's bodies. Lose however, and you'll end up just like them."

"Bring it on you-" Sarah was caught off guard as she suddenly stumbled. She didn't know why but her body felt weak. "What… What's happening?"

"That would be the remaining gas lingering around." the woman explained. "It only stays in the air for a short while before disappearing. There's not enough left to put you into a coma though, otherwise we wouldn't be doing this."

' _I've gotta stay strong.'_ Sarah thought. "Let's do this. It's time I teach you about messing with the lives of innocent people. And it's a very painful one."

An amused grin appeared on the woman's face as two sheets of light appeared, one for each of them. Sarah blinked in surprise, but with all the weird stuff that was going on right now, she didn't question it. She placed her deck down, as did her opponent.

"I suppose I should at least introduce myself before we start." she said. "My name is Yuri Onizuka. One of the Seven Sins of Purgatory."

"My name's Sarah Radcliffe." Sarah said. "You can remember it as the name of the person that's going to beat you and give you a wakeup call."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Neon Messiah!"

 **Neon Messiah**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Black Candle, Azrail!"

 **Black Candle, Azrail**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the cardfight started, both Sarah and Yuri changed locations. They were no longer in the hospital lobby. Instead they were in a graveyard. Tombstones lined up all around them, except for the open area between them.

"I'll start." Sarah said. "I ride Dunamis Messiah!"

 **Dunamis Messiah**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Neon moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sarah(5), Yuri(5).]**

"My turn. Draw." Yuri said. "I ride Thousand Ray Pegasus."

 **Thousand Ray Pegasus**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Azrail moves back. And with her boost, Thousand Ray attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Yuri(0).]**

As the card went into Sarah's damage zone, she felt a sudden pain rush through her. "Ngh! What the…?"

"Oh yes. I should have mentioned." Yuri said. "The damage we take in this fight will be felt by the players."

' _It's just like what happened to Marcus at the Vanguard World Tournament.'_ Sarah thought. She remembered that awful memory. If she lost though, she'd end up a lot worse than he did afterwards.

"I end my turn." Yuri said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sarah(5), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. ' _She's an Angel Feather user. I know how dangerous this clan can be from my fight against Amy Runeheart at the semi-finals of the World Tournament. I need to be careful.'_

"What's wrong? Are you giving up already?" Yuri asked.

"You wish!" Sarah said. "Ride! Arrester Messiah!"

 **Arrester Messiah**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Neon, Arrester attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Yuri(1).]**

"Turn end." Sarah said. ' _I need to avoid being too aggressive early on. The more damage she has, the more options she gets for manipulating the damage zone. I'll slowly get her to a good damage count, then go all in for the kill.'_

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sarah(6), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. "Ride! Black Slice, Harut!"

 **Black Slice, Harut**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Nurse of Broken Heart." Yuri said. "And she'll attack your Vanguard."

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Azrail, Harut attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Yuri(1).]**

Two more damage brought even more pain for Sarah. But she stayed strong. She wouldn't lose this easily.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sarah(5), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Being of light and purity! Shine light on this darkness and broadcast a future of peace and hope to everyone! Ride! Alter Ego Neo Messiah!"

 **Alter Ego Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Neon lends support! Alter Ego Neo Messiah attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I heal. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Yuri(2).]**

"Turn end." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sarah(7), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. "Angel of compassion, grant my enemies a merciful death. Ride! Love Assassin, Nociel!"

 **Love Assassin, Nociel**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The grade 3 that appeared on Yuri's field was a Nociel with slightly long hair. She had a crossbow in each of her hands.

"Stride Generation." Yuri said. "Holy Seraph, Nociel."

 **Holy Seraph, Nociel**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I place Love Machine Gun, Nociel from my hand into the damage zone. In exchange, I take Doctroid Remnon from the damage zone and add it to my hand." Yuri explained. "Since a card was put into the damage zone, Broken Heart's skill activates. Both she and the Vanguard get 2000 power. Next I call a copy of Love Assassin, Nociel as well as Kind Care, Sartael. After that, I use Azrail's skill. I counterblast and send her to the soul. The top card of the deck goes into the damage zone, and I add the face up Love Sniper, Nociel to my hand. Broken Heart's skill goes off one more time. 2000 to herself and the Vanguard." With her field set up, Yuri began her attack. "Broken Heart will go in first!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Guard!"

"Love Assassin will attack next!"

 **(11000)**

' _She's not boosting with Sartael? What's she planning?'_

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Yuri(2).]**

"Holy Seraph, Nociel attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Sariel. Third check, no trigger." Yuri said. "Activating Nociel's skill. I send my rear guards Love Assassin and Broken Heart to the damage zone. I then call 2 cards from the damage zone to rear guard. I choose Love Machine Gun, Nociel and Thousand Ray Pegasus. Then, any of these cards that have Nociel in their name gain 5000 power. In addition, I activate Love Assassin, Nociel's skill. When she's placed into the damage zone, I can call her to rear guard. I then perform a damage check." Yuri turned the top card of her deck face up and grinned. "Stand trigger. I have no units to stand, but Love Machine Gun will gain 5000 power. On top of that, since Love Machine Gun was called, I exchange a card from my hand with one in the damage zone. Oh and Thousand Ray will gain 4000 power since it saw 2 cards go into the damage zone."

' _So now she has 2 full columns to attack me with. Great.'_

"Sartael boosts. Go Love Assassin!"

 **(11000+7000+5000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(2).]**

"With a boost from Thousand Ray, my Love Machine Gun will attack!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+4000=30000)**

"Generation guard! Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath!"

 **Large Wheel of the Cosmos, Cosmo Wreath**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Counterblast. Now choose one of your back row rear guards and lock it." Sarah explained.

"Fine then. Lock Sariel. But that still won't block this attack." Yuri said.

"That's what you think. Since a rear guard was locked, 5000 is added to the shield."

Yuri smirked. "Impressive. I end my turn then. Sariel is unlocked."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sarah(4), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Integral Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Sacrifice Messiah! Then, I lock Neon Messiah and Love Machine Gun, Nociel!" Sarah said. "Skill of Sacrifice. I lock it and countercharge. 3000 power is added to the Vanguard. I also call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmision and Dunamis Messiah."

"Shame that you have your locked Dunamis in your front row. You might have been able to get another attack off." Yuri said.

"Let's see if you still think that after witnessing my signature combo." Sarah smirked. "Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Dunamis! Activating Lady Fencer's skill to soul charge and add 5000 power in return for locking her at the end of the battle!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(3).]**

"Lady Fencer is locked. However, with Dunamis Messiah's soul blast, I can unlock her and add 4000 power to the Vanguard." Sarah said. "Lady Fencer attacks again! Using the same skill to soul charge and increase her power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(4).]**

"Lady Fencer is locked. And now Integral Messiah attacks!" Sarah called out. "Skill activated! I unlock all of my rear guards! Since I unlocked three or more, I soul charge, draw and add 10000 power to the Vanguard! In addition, Neon's skill sends itself to the soul to allow me to add grade 3 Ideal Ego Messiah from my deck to my hand!"

 **(26000+3000+4000+10000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Sacrifice and critical to Lady Fencer! Third check, draw trigger! Power to Lady Fencer and draw!" Sarah said. "Sacrifice, attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"I guard with Battle Cupid, Nociel." Yuri said. "Nociel's skill. Exchange a card from my hand with one from the damage zone."

"Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Dunamis! Skill activated! Soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000+7000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Black Seraph, Eleleth!"

 **Black Seraph, Eleleth**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Eleleth! I soul blast and flip a G guardian face up! 5000 is added to the shield for each face up card in my damage zone!"

"Lady Fencer locks herself, then Dunamis locks itself to unlock her and add 4000 power. Next I use Sacrifice's skill to lock itself in order to countercharge and add 3000 power."

At current, Sarah only had one attack left while Yuri was at 4 damage. She wouldn't be able to finish her this turn. So she'd have to settle for limiting her offensive options.

"Lady Fencer attacks your rear guard Love Assassin, Nociel!"

 **(9000+2000+3000+4000=18000)**

"No guard." Yuri said with a shrug, letting her rear guard bite the dust.

"Turn end." Sarah said. "All of my locked rear guards unlock. In addition, with my Vanguard's Generation Break 2, I soul blast to draw 2 cards."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sarah(9), Yuri(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. She showed a smirk. "I must thank you. You've helped set everything up for my victory."

Sarah widened her eyes in surprise. "What?"

Yuri held her hand over her G Zone, causing a dark aura to engulf it. "The time has come for me to open the gate to a dark future. I bind 3 of my face up G-Units face down."

Sarah gasped as the three face up cards in Yuri's G-Zone went face down into the bind zone. "What is this?!"

"Let evil and hatred devour this world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Yuri shouted.

Sarah watched in horror as a dark void swallowed up Yuri's Vanguard. Nociel screamed in agony until her voice was muffled by the darkness. Soon after, a new being emerged from the darkness. Two pitch black wings spread out as an evil-looking angel appeared. She had dark violet hair and yellow eyes. In her hands was a demonic-looking scythe.

"Fallen Angel of Purgatory, Luciel."

 **Fallen Angel of Purgatory, Luciel**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Sarah had never seen a G-Unit like this. Her knees shook as she stared at it in horror. ' _Calm down. Calm down. One of her front row rear guard circles still has a locked unit on it. That should limit her options.'_

"Stride skill. Replace a card in hand with one in the damage zone." Yuri said. "Next I call Nutrient Angel. I counterblast and send her to the soul. Unlock Love Machine Gun and countercharge one card."

' _No!'_

"Luciel's skill. Counterblast." Yuri explained. "The opponent turns all cards in their damage zone face down. Then, for each card in your damage zone, I can call a card from my damage zone. I call four cards! Broken Heart! Harut! Nakir! Happy Bell, Nociel!"

Sarah narrowed her eyes as Yuri called over each of her units besides Thousand Ray Pegasus. The front row units she chose made sense, but was it really worth it to call a stand trigger?

"For each card called, a damage check is performed." Yuri explained. "And with Luciel's other skill, all of my trigger effects will be applied to the front row."

"What?!" Sarah exclaimed.

"I called four units. That means 4 damage checks. Yuri said with a smirk. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. 5000 power and a critical is given to each of my front row units. Third check, heal trigger. I do not heal, but 5000 power is given to the front row once again. Final check, no trigger."

' _This is insane!'_ Sarah thought. ' _Her entire front row just got a 10000 power bonus, on top of going critical!'_

"Four cards were just placed in the damage zone. That means Broken Heart increases her own power as well as the Vanguard's by 8000. And Thousand Ray Pegasus has seen five cards enter this turn, increasing its power by 10000."

' _No… I can't lose this… Kimiko…'_

"Skill of Happy Bell, Nociel. Send her to the soul. Exchange a card from my hand with one from the damage zone." Yuri said. "Another card in the damage zone activates the skills of Thousand Ray and Broken Heart yet again. And now Harut attacks with a boost from Nakir. With Harut's skill, I look at the top two cards, add one to the damage zone and then call Battle Cupid Nociel. Broken Heart and Thousand Ray activate their skills yet again."

 **(9000+10000+7000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer!"

 **Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

' _With no face up damage, I can't use counterblasts, and all my other G Guardians require at least one locked card out.'_ Sarah thought to herself as she also held up a grade 1. "I also guard with this!"

"With a boost from Nociel, Luciel attacks!"

 **(26000+12000+10000+6000=54000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Yuri said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check…" A smirk came to the woman's face as she revealed the card. "Stand trigger. 5000 power to my front row and Harut stands. And now Harut will attack for a second time."

 **(9000+15000=24000)**

"Guard!" Sarah called out, holding up two cards from her hand.

"Thousand Ray boosts. Broken Heart, end this."

 **(9000+12000+15000+7000+14000=57000)**

Sarah widened her eyes in fear. She didn't have enough to stop this attack. And with the critical Broken Heart had, she'd go to six damage. "No guard…"

Broken Heart flew in and attacked Sarah's Vanguard. She felt the shock from the blow. "Damage check. First card… no trigger." Pain racked through Sarah's body, as her vision began to grow hazy.

"Don't worry. It'll all be over soon. Then you can sleep peacefully until the end comes." Yuri told her.

"No…" Sarah muttered weakly. "I have to… save Kimiko… I won't… I won't let her down again…" She reached out towards her deck. "Second check…" As she turned over the card, an emerald light shined. Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. Yuri was also shocked, as she gasped.

"Heal trigger." Sarah said with a weak grin. "One damage recovered. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Yuri(4).]**

"No way… Impossible…" Yuri said in disbelief. "You survived?"

Sarah stood tall, using what remained of her strength to do so. "Don't underestimate my will to protect the ones I love."

"Turn end." Yuri said in annoyance.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sarah(3), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. ' _I've got to end it here. It all comes down to this turn.'_

"Generation Zone, release!" Sarah shouted. "Herald of light, spread your white wings! Answer my prayer and help bring me victory! Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Call Myga Messiah! Lock Dunamis and Broken Heart!" Sarah said. "Myga and Sacrifice swap places! And now Lady Fencer attacks! Skill activated! Soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Intercept with Harut!"

"Lady Fencer locks herself. And now Myga attacks with a boost from Sacrifice! Myga gains 2000 power for each of my locked cards!"

 **(9000+4000+7000=20000)**

"Guard!"

"Myga's skill. Counterblast and lock Myga. Look at the top 3 cards and call one as locked. Then, lock Sacrifice and countercharge. 3000 power to the Vanguard." Sarah said. Her field now had five locked rear guards. Everything was set. "Harmonics Neo Messiah, attack the Vanguard! Skill activated! Unlock all locked rear guards! All of my unlocked cards gain 5000 power! Then, Harmonics Neo Messiah gets 5000 power for each unlocked rear guard! And since five or more were unlocked, you can't guard with grade 1 or higher cards from your hand!"

 **(26000+30000=56000)**

"No... guard…"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, draw trigger! Power to Lady Fencer and I draw! Final check, critical trigger! Power to Myga and critical to the Vanguard!"

Yuri gasped in shock as a blast of light came from Harmonics Neo Messiah. It engulfed Nociel, both the unit and herself feeling the pain of the attack as the last two cards went into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Yuri(6).]**

"Gah!" Yuri fell to one knee as the image field around them disappeared. "Damnit… I can't believe I lost…"

Sarah also fell to her knees, completely exhausted from the fight. But she still glared over at Yuri. "Alright, I won. Now cure everyone in this hospital."

"Your wish is already being granted." Yuri told her. "Since I lost the cardfight, my power's weakened. The virus is dispersing from everyone's bodies, whether I want it to or not."

"Good." Sarah said. ' _Thank goodness. That means Kimiko's safe.'_

"Child… You said your name was Sarah Radcliffe, correct?" Yuri asked. "We will meet again. I'm sure of it. And next time, I will not be the one to lose."

"You're not going anywhere." Sarah told her. "You can barely move. Don't bluff."

"True. I am weakened." Yuri admitted. "But who said I'd be escaping on my own?"

Out of nowhere, the front doors to the hospital shattered as a motorcycle crashed in. Sarah couldn't identify who the rider was due to the black helmet covering their face.

"Get on. We can't waste time here." he said.

"Right." Yuri said, getting into the passenger car attached to the side.

"Wait!" Sarah called out, but it was no use. Her body was too weak at the moment.

The motorcycle driver quickly sped out of the hospital, leaving with Yuri. Not even a minute later, Marcus rushed into the lobby.

"Sarah!" Marcus exclaimed. He ran over to her. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah." Sarah nodded. "Though I can't move that well right now. My body's really tired."

"What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. But I think everyone should be waking up soon." Sarah explained.

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good." Soon, the sound of police sirens were heard in the distance. "Seems the police finally arrived."

"Oh man. What are we supposed to tell them?" Sarah questioned.

"You won't be telling them anything." a new voice said. Both Sarah and Marcus looked over towards a hallway to see a familiar face. Keiko of Premium Beauty.

"You're with Premium Beauty." Marcus said in surprise.

"Yes, now shut up and let's go." Keiko told them. "Hurry."

"But what about my sister?" Sarah asked.

"You can come back for her once things die down a bit. She'll be fine. Now let's go!"

Neither of them could really argue with the idol's argument. Trying to explain things to the police would be a hassle to say the least. Marcus helped Sarah as they followed Keiko and went out the back door of the hospital. They went a few blocks away before resting to let Sarah catch her breath.

"You gonna be alright, Sarah?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah." Sarah nodded. "But that cardfight… It was unlike anything I've ever experienced."

"So you had a fight like I did then." Marcus realized.

"What happened to those two anyway?" Sarah asked.

"They fell unconscious after I beat them and went after you. I'd assume the police have them in custody by now." he explained.

"I doubt they'll get anything useful out of them. They're merely grunts in Purgatory's organization."

"Purgatory?" Marcus asked.

Keiko let out a sigh. "Considering what happened, I suppose I have no choice but to let you know." she said. "This will take a bit more time to explain to you, Miss Radcliffe."

"Me?" Sarah questioned.

"Let me guess." Marcus said. "This has to do with Cray."

Keiko nodded. "It does."

* * *

"So let me get this straight. Cray is REAL?!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Keep it down!" Keiko told her in a hushed whisper. "And yes, Cray actually exists. The units you use in Vanguard are as alive as you and me."

"And you knew about this?" Sarah asked Marcus.

"It's a bit of a long story." Marcus told her. "Back to the matter at hand, you said these Purgatory guys are working with some being called Ragnarok and they plan to destroy Earth?"

"Not just Earth. Ragnarok plans to destroy the entire universe." Keiko explained. "Purgatory is simply luring it here by spreading the negative energy it's attracted to right now."

"Which is why they attacked the hospital." Marcus realized.

Keiko nodded. "Most likely. I came over as soon as I caught wind of it, but you seemed to have resolved the situation by the time I arrived."

"So who else knows about Purgatory?" Marcus asked.

"Besides the Tatsunagi family, Team Cosmic Trio."

"Aurora and the others are involved too huh?" Marcus said. "Alright then. We'll go ask them for more information."

Keiko nodded understandingly. "You need to be on guard from now on. There's no telling when or where Purgatory may strike. With how serious this threat is, we may need to call on your help."

"Understood." Marcus said.

"You can count on me too." Sarah added. "I won't let these guys destroy our world."

"Your help is appreciated." Keiko said as she prepared to walk away and leave.

Suddenly, Sarah's eyes widened. "Oh crap! Won't the police see what happened on the surveillance tapes in the hospital?! We won't be able to lie about what happened!"

"There's no need to worry. Purgatory had already shut off the cameras to try and hide their identities. I already checked." Keiko told them. "But you should keep a low profile when you go to get your sister."

Sarah nodded understandingly. "Got it." As Keiko walked away, she let out a sigh. "This has turned into a giant mess."

"That's for sure. We'll need to be cautious from now on." Marcus said.

"By the way… Marcus?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you… for being here with me." Sarah told him. "If you hadn't been here… I don't know if I could have saved Kimiko on my own."

Marcus showed a smile to his friend. "Of course. I'll always be here to help you, Sarah."

"Thanks." Sarah said as she got up, finally recovered enough to walk on her own again. "Alright, let's go. Kimiko's probably waiting for us."

Marcus nodded his head as he walked back with Sarah. This day had been an eventful one. But they had managed to win the battle. Marcus could only pray though that they would be able to win the war.

 **Sarah: So hang on! You all knew Cray was real?!**

 **William: Yep. Pretty much.**

 **Sarah: Since when?! Why was I left out?!**

 **Aurora: It's a… complicated story.**

 **Dan: Something tells me this one's gonna be even more complicated.**

 **Anthony: Yeah. Purgatory's pulling some pretty big stunts.**

 **Aurora: What worries me is that I'm pretty sure this is just the beginning.**

 **Next time: Family Ties**

 **Card Gallery:**

Love Assassin, Nociel  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [Take a card from your hand and put it into the damage zone face up.] When this card is placed on VC or when your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, take a card from your damage zone and put it into your hand.  
 **AUTO:** When this card is placed in your damage zone, from your hand, you may call this card to RC. If you do, perform a damage check.

* * *

Fallen Angel of Purgatory, Luciel  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** _-Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
_ **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1] Your opponent flips all cards in their damage zone face down. Then, choose cards in your damage zone up to the number of cards in your opponent's damage zone and call them to separate RCs. Then, perform a damage check for each card you called.  
 **CONT VC:** All of your trigger effects are given to each of your front row units.


	81. Family Ties

**A/N: Well we've finally reached the end of this long 5 chapter week. It's been filled with twists and turns. But I've saved one final surprise for the end. What is it? You'll just have to wait and find out.**

It was the middle of the day. Card Galaxy was as busy as ever. Customers were cardfighting each other or simply chatting. Ryuji stood at the counter watching it all happen. Another normal day of business. But for Aurora and the others, today was not so ordinary.

The door to the employee room was closed, giving Aurora and her friends the privacy they needed to chat. Besides Cosmic Trio, Marcus and Sarah were also there. It had been two days since the attack on the hospital when Sarah had fought Yuri of Purgatory. Aurora and the others had heard about it on the news, but a lot of details had yet to be revealed. With things having died down a little, Marcus and Sarah thought it best to go meet with Aurora, not only to inform them of what happened but also to try and get a better grasp of the situation as a whole.

"So the incident at the hospital was Purgatory's doing after all." Aurora realized. "I had a feeling it might have been related to them."

"So you guys are familiar with Purgatory too?" Marcus asked.

Dan nodded his head. "Yeah. Anthony and I have been lucky enough to not get directly attacked by them yet but they went after Aurora a couple weeks ago."

"The member I fought seemed to be a grunt. He wasn't overly strong, but he had similar powers to Allen." Aurora explained. "Although… our surroundings didn't change like it did for you Sarah."

"It seemed like the woman I fought was more than a grunt. She called herself one of the Seven Lords or something like that." Sarah said. "Is that what their higher-ups call themselves?"

"Damnit, there's too much we don't know. All this guessing is giving me a headache." Anthony sighed.

"What concerns me is the weird card Sarah mentioned her opponent used." Aurora said. "What was it called again?"

"She called it a Purgatorial Stride, I think." Sarah recalled. "And the method used to bring it out was called Generation Overwrite. Giving up a happy future to bring forth one of misery and sadness. And it was way more powerful than any other stride I've seen before."

"But you were able to win, weren't you?" Anthony pointed out.

Sarah shook her head. "I won, but if I'm being honest it was completely due to luck. If I fought her again… I don't think I would be able to win."

"If you're saying that, then these Seven Lords must be the real deal." Dan said.

"Let's not forget the strange power she had." Marcus added. "She was able to spread a virus to every person in the hospital. That's concerning in of itself."

"I know their goal is to spread negativity by making people scared and panicked, but to attack a hospital? That's a pretty bold move." Aurora said. "If things continue, who knows what they'll do next."

"So what's our plan? We can't just sit on our butts and do nothing." Anthony asked.

"We don't know where Purgatory's base of operations is. There's nothing we can do." Aurora told her friend. "Right now we have to wait for Yukari to-" The sound of a text alert from Aurora's phone cut her off. The blonde teen took a look at her phone and saw the sender was Yukari. "Speak of the devil."

"It's from Yukari? Did she find out anything?" Dan asked.

Aurora took a look at the message. "She's calling all of us to a meeting tomorrow. She's inviting everyone that went to Cray to fight Conquest Empire. We're going to go over what information we have so far and try to come up with a plan."

"So I'm still a little out of the loop with this whole… Cray being real thing." Sarah said. "Who exactly was involved with the Conquest Empire incident?"

"Besides the three of us, there was also William Lewis, Rose Orchards, and Sophia Perez." Aurora said, counting off the cardfighters she remembered from the fight against Caezaros.

"The two of us will be there too." Marcus said. "The fate of the universe is at stake. I won't let these Purgatory guys do what they want."

"Having you two on board is definitely a big plus." Aurora nodded. "Alright then. How about we break for today? We'll meet up tomorrow at the Tatsunagi building."

"Sounds good to me." Dan said.

With that, the five teens got up and walked out of the room. Marcus and Sarah left the shop for the day, everyone promising to reconvene tomorrow at the meeting. With any luck, they would finally have some idea on how to move forward from here.

* * *

The Lewis estate was as peaceful as ever. William sat at the balcony, sipping on a cup of tea. Sitting across from him at the table was Elizabeth. The two of them were in the middle of a cardfight.

"Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl attacks the Vanguard." William said as he declared his attack.

"No guard." Elizabeth said as she placed a sixth card in her damage zone. "Darn. I really thought I had you that time."

"You were close, there's no denying that." William admitted. "But I don't plan on letting you surpass me anytime soon."

Elizabeth showed a grin. "We'll see if you're still saying that at the next Euro League."

"Looking forward to it." William said. "It's a shame we won't be able to fight Aurora and Team Cosmic Trio there. I would enjoy a rematch with her on a big stage."

"At least you got to fight her while we were in Japan before." Elizabeth said.

"Just like how you fought Anthony Ferges multiple times there." William said with a grin. "You spent quite a bit of time with him."

Elizabeth turned her face away with her cheeks red. "D-Don't get the wrong idea! I just did that to be away from the Lewis family for a bit. I know they still aren't fond of me with my family's current reputation."

William sighed. While that wasn't necessarily untrue, he knew that there was more to this than Elizabeth was willing to say. But with how long he had known her, he had a pretty good idea of what she was really thinking.

"On the topic of the Scarlet family…" William mentioned. "How are your adoptive parents doing?"

"They're doing alright. Adjusting to middle class life has been… difficult. But they're getting by."

"That's good." William said. "And… the rest of your family?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Wouldn't know. They've basically outcasted me and my parents after the scandal happened. Most of the family is broke now."

"I see…"

"Enough about them." Elizabeth said. "Let's discuss that business venture the Lewis family is planning. I finished my research on the company."

"Excellent. Then let's-" William was cut off as the sound of his cell phone ringing went off. "Excuse me."

Elizabeth watched as William got up and walked away to talk in private. Knowing his responsibilities as the Lewis heir, it was most likely a business call of some sort. It wasn't an uncommon thing for members of high class families. She herself was used to such things.

Inside the estate, William listened carefully on the phone. There was a lot of information to take in. Purgatory. Ragnarok. Not even half a month ago, he had gone to Cray to help stop the threat of Conquest Empire. And now the world was in danger once again. Not just Earth and Cray though, this time it was the entire universe on the line.

"Understood. I'll be there tomorrow." William told Yukari.

"Good. I'll see you then." Yukari said before hanging up.

William sighed. This was a lot to take in so suddenly. But time was of the essence. They couldn't afford to dawdle.

Walking back out onto the balcony, William met up again with Elizabeth. "Sorry Elizabeth, but something urgent came up. I'm afraid I have to leave for Japan."

"Japan?" Elizabeth asked. "Is it something concerning one of the companies we dealt with when we were there last month?"

"It's… something like that."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something William."

"Huh?"

"Don't take me for a fool. I've known you a long time. I can tell when you're lying or trying to keep something hidden." she told him. "You've been to Japan pretty often recently. Besides the time we went last month, you also went a couple months before that."

"It was for some minor business for the Lewis family."

"Funny. Cause I did a little digging, and no one was aware of any such things going on at the time." she said. "I didn't think much of it then, but you're acting suspicious, just like back then."

' _Geez, she really is the persistent type. She sees right through me.'_ William thought. ' _But I can't let her know about this. The secrets about Cray are supposed to be kept hidden.'_

"It's nothing so important Elizabeth. Just some minor business." William assured her.

"Then you won't mind me tagging along then."

"That… well…"

"My, my. Am I interrupting something?"

Both William and Elizabeth jumped at hearing the sudden voice. They turned towards the inside of the mansion where a hooded figure was leaning against the entrance. It was impossible to see who it was with their hood shadowing their face.

"Who are you?" William asked. "And how did you get into the estate?"

"You don't have to worry about the guards. They're just sleeping right now." he chuckled. "As for who I am… Have you ever heard of Purgatory?"

The mention of the name Purgatory put William on guard. He stood in front of Elizabeth, knowing he couldn't let her get hurt in this fight. "So you're here to fight then?"

"Now, now, don't get hasty." the figure said. "Our fight will come at a later time. For today, I am simply here to introduce myself."

"Fine. You've introduced yourself. Now get out." William glared.

"Such hostility. I wasn't expecting this from the Lewis heir." the figure said with a sarcastic tone. "And besides, I still haven't given my name. I'm sure you've heard of it. I know _she_ has."

William glanced back at Elizabeth. This person was someone Elizabeth knew? Who could it be then? She seemed just as confused as him. The mystery figure grabbed their hood and slowly removed it, revealing their face. It was a male in his early twenties. He had red hair and black onyx eyes. A devious smirk was seen on his face as he looked at William and Elizabeth, the later of whom was gasping in shock.

"My name is Roman. Roman Scarlet."

Elizabeth froze. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Roman… Is that really you?"

"It's been awhile, traitor." Roman said.

Elizabeth tensed up as she heard this. It wasn't hard for her to guess what Roman was referring to. "I didn't betray the Scarlet family. I wasn't the one who leaked the info."

"No, but you failed to stop it." Roman reminded her. "That failure lead to the collapse of the Scarlet family. The empire that I was destined to lead."

"Roman Scarlet. Heir to the Scarlet family." William said, realizing who they were dealing with.

"That's right. And with the family in ruins, my future is gone." Roman glared. "So I will make the ones that took what was rightfully mine pay. And that failure of a Scarlet over there is near the top of the list."

Elizabeth clenched her fists. "Roman…"

"If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at your family for getting involved in such shady business." William told him.

"The world is a cruel place. Only the chosen few are able to live at the top. Things like morals only serve to drag people down." Roman responded. "But fools like you wouldn't understand that. I will watch as this world burns. And when everything is said and done, the world will grovel before me."

"You're insane." William glared. "Do you have any idea what Purgatory's goal is?!"

"Oh I do. More than you realize." Roman smirked. "And soon I'll crush both of you, as well as any others that try to get in the way of my revenge!" He walked over to the side of the balcony by the railing. "Until then."

"Wait!" William shouted, but it fell on deaf ears as Roman fell from the balcony to the grass bellow. William and Elizabeth rushed to the edge of the balcony to see Roman getting on a motorcycle and speeding away. William slammed his fist against the railing. "Damnit!"

"William…" Elizabeth said. "What was that about. You seemed to know this Purgatory group Roman spoke about."

"Elizabeth… I…"

"No. No secrets or keeping me in the dark this time." she told him with a stern tone. "If Roman is doing something dangerous then it's my responsibility to stop him. So if you know what's going on, then tell him. I'm not asking this time."

William let out a sigh. There was no keeping this from Elizabeth anymore. "Very well. I'll tell you as we head to Japan. You're going to be in for a long story."

* * *

 _ **-The next day-**_

Team Cosmic Trio walked out of the subway station as they neared the Tatsunagi building. It would only be another ten minutes or so of walking before they reached it.

"It'll be nice to see everyone again." Aurora said. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"I just hope we finally end up making a plan of what to do." Anthony said. "I'm sick of standing around doing nothing."

"Everyone's just as much in the dark as we are. It isn't easy pinning down a group like Purgatory." Aurora pointed out.

"So far, our information on them is pretty limited. But hopefully we'll figure some new things out if we pool our information together." Dan said.

The team of three continued their journey to the Tatsunagi building. Within minutes, the tall structure could be seen in the distance. It stood as tall as it always had. It still surprised them how often they had come here within the course of half a year.

"Well, we're just about there." Aurora said. "And we can finally get some answers on Purgatory."

"So you've finally shown up, Cosmic Trio."

The sudden voice from right behind them caused Aurora and her friends to jump as they turned around. They leaped back to distance themselves. Standing near them were a duo wearing dark jackets, similar to the one Aurora had seen Demon wearing. But these two had their hoods off. They were both male and seemed to be in their teens. Both had dark brown hair, with one having red eyes while the other had green.

"Who the heck are you two?" Anthony asked.

"We've been waiting for you to show up." one of them said.

"We heard there would be a gathering at the Tatsunagi building today. It seems that information was correct." the other added.

"Wait… Those voices…" Aurora said. She widened her eyes when she recognized them. "I remember you two! You were the ones that helped Demon escape!"

"Indeed." the one to the right said. "But we have let you run around free for long enough."

"It is time to end your meddling before you become too big of a problem." the left one said.

"You want a fight? Bring it on." Anthony said.

The right one pointed to an alleyway. "There's a secluded space over there. We'll settle this there."

"What? Do you honestly think we'll just follow you around blindly?" Dan asked.

"Would you rather do this right here in broad daylight?"

None of them could come up with an argument. If these two were members of Purgatory, then this fight could get very dangerous very fast. They couldn't let all of the people walking around the city get caught up in it, let alone see it.

"Fine then." Aurora said. "Let's go."

The two members of Purgatory lead the way as Cosmic Trio followed them. They went through the alleyway to an open area surrounded by buildings. There were no windows whatsoever for people to watch. A perfect spot to keep wandering eyes away.

"So which of you losers is first?" Anthony asked.

"We'll fight both of you simultaneously." the red-eyed one said. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are two of the Seven Lords of Purgatory. I am Sora."

"And I am Kage." the other one added.

"Fine then." Dan said, stepping up. "Let's do this."

"That won't be necessary."

The sudden voice caught everyone off guard. They looked to the alleyway they had come from, seeing two new people arrive. All three members of team Cosmic Trio gasped at who they were.

Allen Demacio and Amy Runeheart

"Allen…" Aurora said in shock.

"The hell are you doing here, you scumbag?!" Anthony questioned. "You're with these Purgatory creeps?"

"Don't mix us up with them." Allen said. He glanced over at Sora and Kage. "You two. We'll be your opponents."

"The leader of Team Apocalypse." Sora realized, recognizing Allen.

"Very well then. We'll crush you two first before defeating Cosmic Trio." Kage said.

Allen looked over at his partner. "You ready, Amy?"

Amy nodded her head. "Of course, Allen."

Aurora and her team backed away to the side as Allen and Amy stood across from Sora and Kage. Tension filled the air.

"Am I the only one wondering what the heck those two are doing here?" Anthony whispered to his teammates.

"I have no clue either." Aurora said. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Four sheets of light appeared, one in front of each player. They each placed their decks down and started the cardfight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco!"

 **Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Stealth Rogue of Wintry Wind, Kamojigusa!"

 **Stealth Rogue of Wintry Wind, Kamojigusa**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco!"

 **Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Disciple Stealth Fiend, Minosuke!"

 **Disciple Stealth Fiend, Minosuke**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

With that, the fight began. Each of the units for the fighters appeared as if they were actually there. Though they knew that with this kind of cardfight, they might as well be actually there.

"So those two from Purgatory use Nubatama and Murakumo." Dan realized.

"Forget about that. Look at Allen and Amy's units." Aurora pointed out.

Taking a look at the same unit Allen and Amy were both using, Dan widened his eyes, as did Aurora and Anthony. It was a young male soldier holding up a flag with a pointed tip at the end. It was a unit none of them had seen before, but they all got the same feeling from it.

"That appearance… There's no doubt." Aurora said. "That's a Conquest Empire unit."

 **Aurora: What are Allen and Amy doing here? And why do they have Conquest Empire units?**

 **Anthony: I don't know. But something tells me neither of them are the same as before.**

 **Dan: For their sake, I hope they're stronger than before. These Purgatory guys don't seem to be playing around.**

 **Amy: Don't you worry. We'll send these two packing.**

 **Allen: I don't care if you are from Purgatory. We will not lose to you.**

 **Next time: Enemy of My Enemy**


	82. Enemy of My Enemy

**A/N: Well readers. I know you're excited to see Conquest Empire's return. It's coming back big with a bunch of new units. Enjoy. As for me and Deviljho's Hatred, we're heading to White Plains tomorrow for Springfest. With any luck, we'll have the same results as Team Cosmic Trio at the World Tournament.**

Aurora and her friends stared in shock as they looked at Allen and Amy's units. Conquest Empire. A clan that were long thought gone from both Cray and Earth. But now they were back in the hands of not only Allen Demacio, but Amy Runeheart as well.

"What the heck is going on?!" Anthony exclaimed. "What are those two doing with Conquest Empire decks?!"

"I thought that clan didn't exist on Earth anymore." Dan said. "After we beat Allen, the deck disappeared for him. And we beat Conquest Empire on Cray."

"I'm concerned too." Aurora nodded. "But for now, all we can do is wait and see where this fight goes."

Sora and Kage narrowed their eyes. Like Cosmic Trio, they too were surprised to see Conquest Empire in the hands of humans.

"You seem surprised." Allen said. "I was the original user of Conquest Empire. If anyone would wield it on Earth, it should be me."

"You may hold a unique clan." Sora said. "But it matters not."

"We will defeat you regardless." Kage finished. "Our orders are to get rid of all who oppose us."

"You'll find those orders harder to carry out than you think." Allen said. "I'll start. I ride Inspired Young Knight!"

 **Inspired Young Knight**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Marco moves back with forerunner." Allen said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(5), Sora(5), Kage(5).]**

"My turn then." Sora said. "Ride! Stealth Dragon, Onibayashi!"

 **Stealth Dragon, Onibayashi**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Minosuke moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(5), Sora(5), Kage(5).]**

"Then it's my turn." Amy said. "Ride! Imperial Analyst!"

 **Imperial Analyst**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Marco moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(5), Sora(5), Kage(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Kage said. "Ride! Tempest Stealth Rogue, Fuuki!"

 **Tempest Stealth Rogue, Fuuki**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Kamojigusa moves back. And then I call Stealth Dragon, Dreadmaster behind my Vanguard."

' _In a tag fight, the player that goes last gets to attack first.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _That means this guy will get the first chance to strike.'_

"Boosted by Dreadmaster, Fuuki attacks!"

 **(7000+7000=14000)**

"No guard." Allen said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (1), Sora & Kage (0).]**

"Turn end." Kage said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(5), Sora(5), Kage(5).]**

"Then it's over to me. Stand and draw." Allen said. "Ride! Noble Swordsman, Roberto!"

 **Noble Swordsman, Roberto**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Calling Duplication Mage, Lisanna." Allen said, calling a grade 2 to his front row. "Lisanna attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Kage said, holding up a card.

"Roberto strikes with a boost from Marco!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Allen said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (1), Sora & Kage (2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(5), Sora(5), Kage(4).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Sora said. "Ride. Stealth Rogue of Envy Ikyuu."

 **Stealth Rogue of Envy, Ikyuu**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With a boost from Minosuke, Ikyuu attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Amy said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger." Amy said. She flinched at the stinging pain she felt from the card going into the damage zone.

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (2), Sora & Kage (2).]**

"Turn end." Sora said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(5), Sora(6), Kage(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "Ride! Duplication Mage, Lisanna!"

 **Duplication Mage, Lisanna**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Marco, Lisanna attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (2), Sora & Kage (3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(6), Sora(6), Kage(4).]**

Kage started his turn. "Stand and draw." he said. "I ride. Stealth Beast, Tamahagane."

 **Stealth Beast, Tamahagane**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Skill activated." Kage said. "Bind Lisanna."

Allen watched as his rear guard was suddenly wrapped in chains before sinking below the ground. At the same time, the card was put into his bind zone.

"Call. Stealth Rogue of Night Fog, Miyabi." Kage said. "Boosted by Kamojigusa, Miyabi attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard."

"Tamahagane attacks next, with a boost from Dreadmaster."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (3), Sora & Kage (3).]**

"Activating skill of Dreadmaster. Counterblast." Kage said. "Since the attack it boosted hit, the opponent must discard a card from their hand."

"Tch." Allen didn't like losing a card in his hand, but he had no choice. He took a sentinel in his hand and sent it to the drop zone.

"Turn end." Kage said. "The rear guard you bound returns to your hand. And because it does, the Afterimage of Kamojigusa triggers."

' _Afterimage. That's gonna be a tricky skill to deal with.'_ Aurora thought. ' _When a card is sent to from the bind zone to the hand, a rear guard with the ability can return to the hand if the player has six or less cards in hand.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Allen(4), Amy(6), Sora(6), Kage(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. He looked at his hand, knowing what he had to do. ' _It's time. You returned for a reason. And with your strength, we will fight together and beat these guys.'_

* * *

 _Allen and Amy walked together through the city streets. The former was sulking as he walked._

 _Amy let out a sigh. "Allen, are you sure you don't want to stop by the card shop?"_

" _You've asked me that already, Amy." Allen responded. "My answer is still the same. No."_

" _Allen…"_

" _Why are you still following me around anyway?" Allen asked. "You do remember the Vanguard World Tournament, right?"_

" _I do." Amy nodded. "Along with every awful horrible thing you said and did."_

" _Then why-"_

" _But I know that wasn't you. Not the real you at least." Amy told him. "That clan… Those cards changed you."_

 _Allen sighed. "You don't get it Amy. Conquest Empire wasn't the issue. True, they gave me the power to do those things, but it was still my actions that did it." He looked up at the sky. "I wanted power. Power to finally be strong. But when I finally acquired it, I got drunk on it. I let it consume me."_

 _Amy put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "But that's not you anymore. I know you regret what you did. You're back to the friend I know."_

" _Maybe so. But that won't erase the past." he said. "Either way, Conquest Empire is gone now. So you won't have to worry about me turning into that again."_

" _That's all that matters to me."_

 _The two friends continued to walk together. Suddenly, they noticed a change in their surroundings. Things started to distort and become twisted. Both Allen and Amy gasped as they looked around, seeing everywhere around them act the same._

" _Wh-What's going on?!" Amy gasped._

" _I don't know." Allen said._

 _The next thing, the two of them knew, a bright light engulfed them. They shielded their eyes to avoid being blinded. When they could finally see again, they found themselves in a completely different place. It was an abstract bluish space, with vortexes and all the like floating around, almost like the two of them were in some sort of sci-fi movie. Both of their bodies were somewhat transparent too._

" _Where are we?" Amy asked._

" _I believe I can answer that."_

 _The new voice caught the attention of both teens. They turned and saw two figures walking up to them. One was a male knight in silver armor with a massive sword sheathed at his back. The other was a female teen, with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. A pair of swords were sheathed at her waist. Both Allen and Amy recognized them. Alexander and Rachel from the Conquest Empire deck Allen had used._

" _You two… You're units from Allen's Conquest Empire deck." Amy realized._

" _Indeed." Alexander nodded. "And we've come here with a request."_

 _Allen sighed. "Look, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not acting as your Vanguard anymore. I'm done with that. I don't care if you plan on Conquering Cray or Earth or whatever. I don't want any part of it."_

" _That's not why we're here." Alexander said._

" _Yeah sure. Look just go and tell Lilith-"_

" _Lilith is dead."_

 _This got Allen's attention as he widened his eyes. "What?"_

" _Conquest Empire lost the war against Cray. A large number of our forces were wiped out, including her." Alexander explained. "And skipping over that fact, Conquest Empire is no longer interested in Conquering the universe."_

" _Then why are you here?"_

" _Because there is a different matter to deal with." Alexander said. "One that affects not only us, but Cray and Earth as well. A being that plans to destroy the universe. Ragnarok."_

" _Ragnarok?"_

 _Alexander nodded his head. "We need all the help we can get in order to stop this threat. And that is why we would like for you to act as our Vanguard on Earth."_

" _You mean… you want me to use Conquest Empire again?"_

 _Before any more could be said, Amy stepped in. "Absolutely not. There is no way I'm letting you turn Allen into some monster again."_

" _Human child, you need to understand-"_

" _This human child has a name. It's Amy Runeheart." Amy said with a glare. "I watched as Allen got drunk on power once before from using Conquest Empire. I won't let that happen again."_

 _Rachel stepped forward. She stared Amy directly in the eyes, with Amy staring right back. "You've got a lot of spirit."_

" _What's it to you?"_

" _Don't go acting rude with me, or my teacher." Rachel told her. "Human. You said your name was Amy Runeheart?"_

" _Yes."_

" _And you're willing to risk your own life to keep your friend from getting corrupted again?"_

" _You bet."_

 _Rachel showed a small smirk. "I like you." she said. "Well then, if you're so worried about your friend losing himself, then I'll grant you my power as well."_

 _Amy blinked her eyes in surprise. "Huh?"_

" _You'll have the power of Conquest Empire at your disposal too. That way, if your friend starts to lose his way, you can set him back on the right track." Rachel told her. "Sound good?"_

 _Amy kept her gaze on Rachel. The swordswoman seemed sincere enough. She was hesitant, but she didn't have much choice if the fate of the world really was at stake. "Fine. I'll accept your power. But if you do anything to Allen, then you'll have me to deal with."_

" _Heh, fine by me." Rachel said._

" _Very well then." Alexander said. He looked at Allen. "So then, will you accept? Will you be Conquest Empire's Vanguard."_

 _Allen thought about it. Conquest Empire had allowed him to become stronger than he had ever thought possible. He'd be lying if he didn't crave it just a little. But at the same time, he didn't want to turn into what he became the last time he used the clan. In the end however, the universe was at stake. If that was true, then he couldn't stand by and do nothing._

" _Alright." Allen said. "I'll act as your Vanguard."_

 _With that, Alexander and Rachel dissolved into light. A pair of decks floated in front of Allen and Amy. Both reached out and grabbed them._

" _Thank you." Alexander's voice spoke. "Use our power and save your world."_

* * *

' _Conquest Empire. I never thought I'd use this clan again.'_ Allen thought. ' _But I can't stand by and do nothing while these creeps attempt to destroy the universe.'_

"Warrior of the reborn empire! Appear now and lead your forces to victory! Crush all that stand in the way of your goal!" Allen shouted as he raised a card into the air. "Ride! Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander!"

 **Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Duplication Mage, Lisanna!" Allen said. "Go Lisanna! Conquer!"

With no rear guards in Kage's front left circle, Lisanna was able to occupy it without issue. The female mage invaded Kage's field.

"Lisanna's skill. Counterblast." Allen said. "When she Conquers, I can call another Lisanna from my deck. Then, both the called Lisanna and the Lisanna that Conquered get 3000 power until end of turn."

Kage watched as another Lisanna suddenly appeared on the field. And it was in the same column as Miyabi. ' _Her power is over Miyabi's. Then he's planning to-'_

"My second Lisanna Conquers!" Allen declared.

The copy of Lisanna moved forward, pushing Miyabi to the back row. Now Kage found both of his front row circles occupied, giving Allen the advantage.

"My first Lisanna attacks!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"Guard!"

"Alexander's coming in with Marco's boost!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to my standing Lisanna. Then, I recover one damage."

"Damage check." Kage said. "Stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard. Stand Miyabi."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (2), Sora & Kage (4).]**

"My remaining Lisanna attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"Guard!"

"Turn end." Allen said, satisfied with the lead he had taken.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Allen(4), Amy(6), Sora(6), Kage(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Sora said. "Fickle demon, hiding in the shadows. Appear now and cut down my foes. Ride! Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie!"

 **Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Calling Stealth Rogue of Revenge Ooboshi." Sora said. "Ooboshi attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"With a boost from Minosuke, Yasuie attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Amy said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (4), Sora & Kage (4).]**

"Turn end." Sora said.

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Allen(4), Amy(5), Sora(7), Kage(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "Fearsome swordswoman! Take to the battlefield and cut down all in your path! Ride! Imperial Reborn Sabre, Rachel!"

 **Imperial Reborn Sabre, Rachel**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Here goes. Stride Generation!" Amy called out. "Offensive Rush Marshal, Atilla!"

 **Offensive Rush Marshal, Atilla**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! I give my Vanguard a skill. Whenever one of my rear guards Conquer, both it and my Vanguard gain 3000 power until the end of the opponent's next turn."

' _Interesting. So she's giving power to her field. The Vanguard's power will return to normal at the end of the turn since the G Unit will no longer be there. But even still, her rear guards keeping the power can be a big bonus.'_ Aurora thought.

"First I call Imperial Analyst. With her skill, I retire her and give my Vanguard a skill to draw whenever my unit Conquers. Next, I call Inspired Young Knight! And he'll Conquer your empty front row circle!" Amy declared. "3000 is added to him and the Vanguard, and I draw. Then with his soul blast, he gets another 10000 until end of turn since he's on your field. Next up is a copy of Rachel. And she'll Conquer over Ooboshi! Once again, 3000 to the Conquering rear guard and the Vanguard, and I draw!"

"Ooboshi moves to the back row." Sora said.

"Activating Marco's skill. I rest him in order to add 5000 power to Rachel and Inspired Young Knight until the end of the turn."

"She's really adding on the power." Anthony noted.

"Not to mention she's replenishing her hand with draw skills." Dan added.

"She's using a different clan, but it's clear to see she knows what she's doing." Aurora said. She looked over at Allen. ' _If Amy's this much stronger, then what about Allen? And will we have to face him after this?'_

"Rachel attacks the Ooboshi!"

 **(11000+5000+3000=19000)**

"No guard. Ooboshi is retired."

"Inspired Young Knight attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(7000+10000+3000+5000=25000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (4), Sora & Kage (5).]**

"Atilla attacks the Vanguard." Amy said. "Skill of Atilla. When it attacks, I move my Conquering units back. I then get to call up to 2 cards from my hand to the Conquered circles in your front row. So Inspired Young Knight and Rachel move back to make room for Noble Swordsman Roberto and Piercing Bullet Sniper! On top of that, this call is treated as those circles being Conquered once again! So they both gain 3000 power from the stride skill while the Vanguard gains another 6000! On top of that, I draw 2 more cards thanks to Imperial Analyst! And with Roberto's skill, he gains 5000 power until end of turn when he Conquers!"

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive!" Amy said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Both effects to Piercing Bullet Sniper." Her Vanguard attack was over, but Amy was far from finished. "Roberto attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"Guard." Sora said.

"Piercing Bullet Sniper takes aim!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"Generation guard. Ambush Demon Stealth Fiend, Hougen Wing."

 **Ambush Demon Stealth Fiend, Hougen Wing**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end." Amy said. "At the end of the turn, if Roberto is Conquering, I get to countercharge."

 **[Turn 12. Hand: Allen(4), Amy(7), Sora(3), Kage(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Kage said. "Dragon who the shadows serve. Appear now and help me complete my mission. Ride! Phantasmal Stealth Dragon, Shiranui "Asato"!"

 **Phantasmal Stealth Dragon, Shiranui "Asato"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation! Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gedatsurakan!"

 **Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gedatsurakan**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I call Gekisou Ookami from my hand. Then the opponent binds a card from their hand face down." Kage explained. "In addition, since I have a rear guard with Afterimage, the opponent must discard a card from their hand."

"He made Allen lose two cards from his hand." Anthony said. "Allen's only got 2 cards left. That's hardly what I'd call a solid defense."

"Nubatama. It's a dangerous clan that messes with the opponent's hand." Aurora said. "Allen's gonna have to play smart if he wants to survive."

"Activating Gekisou Ookami's skill. I rest it and add 2000 power to the Vanguard. In addition, the opponent must bind one of their rear guards."

"Bind Marco." Allen said.

"Calling Kamojigusa." Kage said. "With its skill, send one of the cards in your bind zone to the drop zone."

"I send the facedown Piercing Bullet Sniper to the drop zone."

"Since a card was sent, I countercharge. And now with Dreadmaster's boost, my Vanguard attacks."

 **(26000+2000+7000=35000)**

Allen and Amy glanced at each other and nodded simultaneously. Amy quickly discarded a heal trigger from her hand. "Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius! I move my Conquering Roberto to the guardian circle! Since he was Conquering, 10000 is added to the shield!" Amy said.

"I also intercept with my left Conquering Lisanna." Allen said.

"Triple drive." Kage said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Kamojigusa and I recover one. Third check, stand trigger. Stand Gekisou Ookami and add 5000 power to Kamojigusa."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (4), Sora & Kage (4).]**

"Kamojigusa attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(5000+10000=15000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (5), Sora & Kage (4).]**

"Turn end. The Marco in your bind zone returns to your hand. Then, Afterimage triggers for Kamojigusa and Gekisou Ookami, returning them to my hand." Kage said.

 **[Turn 13. Hand: Allen(3), Amy(6), Sora(3), Kage(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I call Marco and Roberto." Allen said. "Marco's skill. Rest him and add 5000 power to Lisanna and Roberto until end of turn. And now Lisanna will attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard."

"Roberto is up next!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (5), Sora & Kage (5).]**

"Darius attacks. With his counterblast, I stand both of my Conquering rear guards and add 5000 power to both of them." Allen said.

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Roberto and I draw. Third check, no trigger." Allen said. "And now for another round from my rear guards."

Kage watched as both Lisanna and Roberto leaped in for another series of attacks. He blocked Lisanna's attack with a single card from his hand, but he had little choice but to let Roberto's attack through.

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (5), Sora & Kage (6).]**

"Turn end." Allen said. "Countercharge with Roberto's skill. Also, with Alexander's soul blast, I give my Conquering rear guards 5000 power until the end of my opponent's next turn. And lastly, I activate the skill of Shield Arms, Terra in my drop zone." Allen revealed the sentinel in his drop zone. "At the end of my turn, if I have at least 2 rear guards on my opponent's field, I can add Terra back to my hand with a soul blast."

 **[Turn 14. Hand: Allen(6), Amy(6), Sora(3), Kage(3).]**

"It's my turn then. Stand and draw." Sora said. "Stride Generation! Dharma Deity of the Five Precepts, Yasuie Genma!"

 **Dharma Deity of the Five Precepts, Yasuie Genma**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I counterblast and choose my Vanguard I get to call a copy of it from the deck! Come forth Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie! It gains a skill! And then with Genma's soul blast, I call out another copy of it!"

With that, Sora's back row was filled up. Both Yasuie's in his back row could attack since the front row was Conquered. Amy prepared herself for the series of attacks about to come.

"Yasuie Genma attacks with a boost from Minosuke!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"You'll soon regret that." Sora said. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Yasuie I called from the stride skill! Third check, stand trigger. Stand Minosuke and power to the other Yasuie."

"Nice. She blocked it." Anthony said.

"Nice isn't the word I'd use." Aurora said.

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

Aurora showed a serious expression on her face. "Yasuie Genma has a very nasty skill."

"Shadowstitch of Yasuie Genma." Sora said. "Since the attack did not hit, all of my rear guards get 5000 power and plus one critical. In addition, with the Yasuie called off the stride skill, it gained a Shadowstitch ability that increases its power by 5000 when one of my units doesn't hit."

Amy widened her eyes. "What?!"

' _Shadowstitch. A skill that triggers when an attack doesn't hit.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Against a deck like this, the timing of when you guard is essential.'_

"Let's start with the Yasuie called from the stride skill! Attack!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

' _This one has a critical of three. I can't afford to let this hit.'_ Amy thought. ' _But with my hand size…'_

"Guard!" Allen said, holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

' _Perfect. Just what I needed.'_ Amy thought with a grin. "I intercept with Piercing Bullet Sniper and Roberto!"

"Shadowstitch. Since the attack did not hit, Yasuie goes to the bottom of the deck. In exchange, I draw and grant a skill to my other Yasuie rear guard. For his attack, the opponent cannot call grade 0s from the hand to the guardian circle. Now attack!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Amy said, letting 2 cards fall into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (7), Sora & Kage (6).]**

"Turn end." Sora said. "My rear guard Yasuie goes to my hand."

 **[Turn 15. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(4), Sora(8), Kage(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "Let's go! Stride Generation! Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _My rear guards may be gone from his front row, but it's still technically Conquered since he hasn't called cards to it. In that case, the stride skill is pointless to use.'_ Amy thought. "Rachel and Inspired Young Knight move up. Then I use Knight's soul blast to increase his power by 10000. Next, I use Marco's skill to increase both of their powers by 5000."

"You'll need more than a couple of Conquering rear guards if you wish to win." Soar said.

"This will be plenty." Amy said. "Rachel attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard."

"Inspired Young Knight swings in next!"

 **(7000+10000+5000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (7), Sora & Kage (7).]**

"Darius strikes!" Amy called out. "Activating skill! I stand my Conquering rear guards and increase their power by 5000!"

 **(26000)**

Darius leaped forward, sword gripped tightly in his hands. Just when Amy thought the attack was about to connect, a unit suddenly appeared to block the attack.

"Generation guard." Kage said. "Jinx Stealth Fiend, Zashikihime."

 **Jinx Stealth Fiend, Zashikihime**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated." Kage explained as he flipped a G Guardian face up. "The opponent must discard one card from their hand. If they do not, 20000 is added to the shield."

"Amy made the attack, but Allen is technically Kage's opponent." Aurora realized. "That means he'd have to discard."

All eyes fell on Allen who shrugged. "Go ahead and gain your shield."

With the extra 20000 shield, there was no way for Amy's attack to get through. But she didn't seem to mind. "Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Inspired Young Knight. Third check, draw trigger. Power to Knight and I draw."

"Inspired Young Knight is at 37000 power. And it's got a critical" Anthony noted. "If it hits, they'll win."

"Inspired Young Knight attacks!" Amy declared.

 **(7000+10000+5000+5000+10000=37000)**

"Perfect guard."

"Rachel attacks next!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (7), Sora & Kage (8).]**

"Turn end." Amy said.

 **[Turn 16. Hand: Allen(5), Amy(8), Sora(5), Kage(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Kage said. "This has gone on for long enough. It is time for us to crush you. Master Ryo commands us to do so."

Cosmic Trio tensed up. Aurora looked at Kage's G Zone. ' _With Zashikihime's skill, he got 2 more cards face up in his G Zone with that Generation Guard last turn, putting him to 3. Is he going to…'_

Out of nowhere, a dark aura engulfed Kage's G Zone. "The time has come for me to open the gate to a dark future. I bind 3 of my face up G-Units face down."

Suddenly, the skies turned dark. Aurora and her teammates looked up at it worriedly. "I don't like where this is going…" Aurora said.

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!"

A flash of lighting struck down from above. In that instant Shiranui was gone and a brand new unit was standing in its place. It was a demonic fiend with pale violet skin. Two circles with odd runes floated behind it. At its waist was a long katana.

"Ninja Seal of Purgatory, Kagemaru."

 **Ninja Seal of Purgatory, Kagemaru**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

"Stride skill. I call Kamojigusa. The opponent binds a card from their hand. Then since I have an Afterimage rear guard, you must discard as well." Kage said. "Kamojigusa's skill when called. Your card in the bind zone goes to the drop zone and I countercharge."

' _Allen's down to three cards in his hand.'_ Aurora thought. ' _And he still has yet to use whatever skill his Purgatorial Stride has.'_

"Activating skill of Kagemaru." Kage said, paying a counterblast. "I draw, then bind the grade 3 Shiranui "Asato" in my hand. Now the opponent must bind cards from their hand or rear guard equal to the grade of the card I bound."

"But that's 3 cards!" Anthony exclaimed.

Allen looked at the cards available to him. "I bind my 3 rear guards."

"In addition, my Vanguard gains a skill." Kage said. "When the opponent wishes to play a sentinel or G Guardian this turn, they must first discard a card from their hand."

' _But Allen's only got 3 cards in his hand.'_ Dan noticed. ' _Having to discard a card for a sentinel or G Guardian puts him at a huge disadvantage this turn.'_

"I call Tempest Stealth Rogue, Fuuki to the front row, and move Kamojigusa up." Kage said. "My Vanguard also has a continuous skill. While the number of rear guards and cards in my hand exceeds the number of cards in my opponent's hand, my front row gets 10000 power."

"But Allen's got 3 cards in hand. And Kage's got 3 rear guards and no cards in hand." Anthony said. "So he's fine for now."

"Not as fine as you'd think." Aurora said. "If he attacks with his Vanguard first, he'll get triple drive and add 3 cards to his hand. That'll put him above Allen."

"Then… is Allen going to lose?" Anthony asked. "Damnit, this is so conflicting. I hate the guy, but Purgatory's the bigger threat right now."

"Kagemaru attacks the Vanguard with Dreadmaster's boost."

 **(26000+7000=34000)**

"Perfect guard." Allen said, holding up a sentinel.

"But he has to discard a card then! His hand will be at zero!" Dan exclaimed.

"Triple drive." Kage said. "First card, critical trigger. All effects to Kamojigusa. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Fuuki."

' _Allen and Amy have seven damage. If either of these 2 attacks hit, they'll go to nine damage and lose.'_ Aurora realized.

"Kamojigusa attack!"

 **(5000+10000+5000=20000)**

"Guard!" Amy called out, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Fuuki!"

 **(7000+10000+5000=22000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, holding up 2 cards this time. "I won't let you touch Allen!"

Aurora widened her eyes. "I get it! That's why she didn't call any rear guards last turn!"

"Huh?" Anthony asked.

"She was saving her hand for this moment. Since Allen's hand was going to be depleted, Amy kept her hand as big as possible to defend him with tag guards."

"That's some pretty good teamwork." Dan noted. "Which is odd, considering the last thing I'd consider Allen is a team player."

Allen smirked. "Thanks Amy. You saved me."

"You got it." Amy told him with a thumbs up. "Now finish 'em off."

"... Turn end." Kage said regrettably. "The cards in your bind zone go back to your hand. Afterimage triggers for Kamojigusa."

 **[Turn 17. Hand: Allen(3), Amy(5), Sora(5), Kage(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "It's time for me to finish you off! Bow before the might of Conquest Empire!" The teen discarded a grade 1 and 2 from his hand. "Generation Zone, release! A hero rises to take the mantle of leadership! The infinite futures line up for him! Stride Generation! Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander!"

 **Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire one of your front row rear guards and call a card from my hand to Conquer it!" Allen said. "Retire Fuuki and call Noble Swordsman, Roberto! It gets 5000 power until end of turn, on top of another 5000 from its own skill!"

"You may have a Conquering unit, but you have no more cards in your hand." Kage said. "You won't win with such a small formation out."

Allen smirked. "Then I guess I'll just have to get more soldiers."

"What?"

"Skill of Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander! Generation Break 3!" Allen called out. "My Vanguard gains 2 skills! First, all of my rear guards gain 5000 power this turn! Then, Alexander gains 5000 power for all the rear guards I have! And then, since I have five or less cards in my hand, I draw until I have 5!"

Kage and Sora both widened their eyes. "No way."

Allen gained a fresh new set of five cards in his hand. He wasted no time in calling out units. "Call! Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army! He Conquers your other front row rear guard circle! Then I call Lisanna, Imperial Analyst, White Witch of the Imperial Army, Death Scope Sharpshooter, and Marco!"

"He's got seven rear guards out!" Dan exclaimed.

"Time to end this." Allen said. "I use Marco's skill to increase the power of my two Conquering rear guards. Boosted by White Witch of the Imperial Army, Imperial Analyst attacks!"

 **(7000+5000+5000+5000=22000)**

"Guard!" Kage said, holding up a pair of cards from his hand.

"Duplication Mage, Lisanna attacks with a boost from Death Scope Sharpshooter!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000=24000)**

"I guard!" Sora said, using up a pair of cards from his hand to protect his teammate.

"Alexander attacks!" Allen declared. "Skill activated! When he attacks, all of my Conquering rear guards gain 5000 power!"

 **(26000+35000=61000)**

Kage held up a sentinel. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Roberto. Third check…" Allen smirked as he showed the next card. "Stand trigger. All effects to Lisanna."

Kage and Sora widened their eyes. They glanced at each other worriedly.

"Roberto! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+5000+5000=34000)**

"... No guard." Kage said. The attack connected and the final card fell into the damage zone of the Purgatory duo.

 **[Damage: Allen & Amy (7), Sora & Kage (9).]**

With the fight over, the units vanished and the decks returned to their owners. Sora and Kage both fell to one knee, feeling the pain from the fight.

"Well then. I think we'll be taking you two into custody now." Aurora said. "We have some questions for you."

"Don't get cocky, Aurora Fujou." Kage said.

"We will meet again. And the result will not be the same next time." Sora added. He took out a small ball from his hand and threw it onto the ground. Smoke exploded from it, as Aurora and the others covered their mouths to avoid breathing it in. When the smoke cleared, Sora and Kage were nowhere to be seen.

"A smoke bomb?! Seriously?!" Anthony shouted. "Those two are taking the whole ninja gimmick too far."

"Regardless, it seems they got away." Aurora said. She looked over at Allen and Amy. "Onto other matters though… what are you doing here?"

"That's simple." Allen said, turning to Aurora. "We're here to meet with Yukari Tatsunagi."

The three members of Cosmic Trio widened their eyes in disbelief. "You're joking! Yukari called YOU for the meeting too?!" Dan exclaimed.

"You have to be lying!" Anthony yelled. "There is no way in hell we'd ever want your help!"

"I don't know what this meeting you're talking about is. And for the record, we weren't called here. We're here to speak with her, nothing more."

"It's true." Amy assured them. "We needed to speak with Yukari Tatsunagi about Purgatory and Ragnarok to understand what's going on better. On our way here though, we saw you three enter the alleyway with those two shady guys. So we decided to follow you."

Aurora and her friends looked at each other. They were hesitant to trust Allen, but Amy had shown to be a good person at least. Plus it could possibly enlighten them as to why and how Conquest Empire existed on Earth again.

"Fine." Aurora said. "You can come with us to see Yukari. We're already on our way there now."

"That's fine." Allen said. The sound of gathering murmurs from the city streets picked up, catching their attention. "We should probably leave. That fight drew too much attention, even with this secluded area. It'll be complicated if we're all found here."

"Agreed." Aurora nodded.

The group of five quickly took off running out a different exit before anyone could show up. Aurora and her friends couldn't honestly say they trusted Allen. But for now, they would have to believe he was being honest.

With any lucky, Yukari could provide answers to this as well.

 **Anthony: So we were** _ **actually**_ **rooting for Allen in that fight?**

 **Dan: Let's be honest. We were rooting against Purgatory.**

 **Aurora: Well this should be an interesting conversation with the others. I just hope we don't end up regretting it.**

 **Next time: Glimmer of Light**

 **Card Gallery:**

Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Rest this unit]. Choose up to two of your rear guards, and they gain +5000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Inspired Young Knight  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT 1/Turn RC GB1:** [SB1]. If this unit is on your opponent's field while you have a Vanguard with "Imperial Reborn" in its name, this unit gets +10000 power until the end of the turn.

* * *

Imperial Analyst  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Retire this unit]. Choose your Vanguard with "Imperial Reborn" in its name and it gets **(CONT VC: Whenever your rear guard Conquers, draw 1 card.)** until the end of the turn.

* * *

Shield Arms, Terra  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO GB1 [drop zone]:** [SB1]. At the end of your turn, if you have two or more rear guards on your opponent's field, you may pay the cost. If you do, add this card to your hand.

* * *

Noble Swordsman, Roberto  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC:** When this unit Conquers, if you have a vanguard with "Imperial Reborn" in its name, this unit gets +5000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** At the end of your turn, if this card is on your opponent's field and you have a Vanguard with "Imperial Reborn" in its name, CC1.

* * *

Piercing Bullet Sniper  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO GB1:** [CB1]. When this unit is called to RC, if you have a Vanguard with "Imperial Reborn" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire all rear guards in front of this unit that are in the same column as it and this unit gets +3000 power. If you use this skill, this unit cannot Conquer for the rest of the turn.

* * *

Duplication Mage, Lisanna  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC:** [CB1] When this unit Conquers, if you have a Vanguard with "Imperial Reborn" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card named "Duplication Mage, Lisanna" and call it to RC. Both it and this unit gain +3000 power.

* * *

Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **AUTO VC:** [CB1]. When your G Unit with the Conquer ability STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's front row RCs and retire all cards on it. Then, choose a card from your hand and call it to that RC. That unit gets +5000 power until the end of your turn.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** [SB1] At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, all your units on your opponent's field get +5000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Imperial Reborn Sabre, Rachel  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **AUTO VC:** [CB1]. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, your Vanguard gains **(CONT: When your rear guard "Conquers", both it and this unit gain +3000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO RC GB2:** When this unit "Conquers", it gains 10000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Offensive Rush Marshal, Attila  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **AUTO VC:** [CB1 & Take a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up]. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two of your units on your opponent's field and move them to open RCs you control in the same column they are currently in. Then, choose up to two cards from your hand and call them to Conquered RCs on your opponent's field. This call is treated as "Conquering" the RCs once again.

* * *

Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **ACT VC 1/Turn GB3:** CB2 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up. This unit gets **(CONT VC: All of your rear guards get +5000 power.)** and **(CONT VC: This unit gets +5000 power for each of your rear guards.)** until end of turn. Then, if you have five or less cards in your hand, draw until you have five cards.  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, all your rear guards on your opponent's field gain +5000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.

* * *

Phantasmal Stealth Dragon, Shiranui "Asato"  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO RC: Afterimage  
** **AUTO VC:** [CB1]. When your G-Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, call up to one card from your hand to RC and your opponent discards a card from their hand. Then, if you have a rear guard with the Afterimage ability, your opponent chooses a card from their hand and binds it facedown. At the end of that turn, your opponent puts the card that was bound with this effect into their hand.  
 **CONT VC GB1:** All of your units' Afterimage abilities can be used regardless of the number of cards in your hand.

* * *

Ninja Seal of Purgatory, Kagemaru  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** -Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1]. Draw 1 card and bind a card from your hand or RC. Your opponent binds cards from their hand or rear guards face down equal to the grade of the bound card. Then, this unit gets **(CONT: When your opponent would call a Sentinel or G Guardian to GC, they must first send a card from their hand to the drop zone.)** until end of turn.  
 **CONT VC:** If the total number of cards in your hand and on your RC is equal to or greater than the number of cards in your opponent's hand, all your front row units gain +10000 power.

* * *

Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **Shadowstitch- AUTO RC GB2:** [Send this unit to the bottom of the deck.] At the end of the battle that this unit's attack did not hit, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw one card and choose one of your rear guards and it gets **(AUTO RC: When this unit attacks, your opponent cannot call grade 0 cards from their hand to GC.)  
** **AUTO VC:** [CB1]. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units and search your deck for up to one card with the same name as that unit and call it to RC. Then, until end of turn, it gets **(Shadowstitch- AUTO RC: At the end of the battle that your unit's attack did not hit, this unit gets +5000 power.)**. At the end of the turn, return the called unit to your hand.


	83. Glimmer of Light

**A/N: Hey readers. Back for a brand new chapter. White Plains was a ton of fun. Did well in both premium and standard days, but sadly the team didn't get into top 8 either time. Anyhow, on with the chapter. And this is one you won't want to miss.**

The conference room of the Tatsunagi building was an often used room. Being a global conglomerate, business meetings were frequently taking place. But this time it was being used for a different purpose. A purpose that a majority of the company was unaware of.

Sitting in the room were William, Elizabeth, Sophia, Marcus, and Sarah. Each of them were here to discuss Purgatory and the threat they were all facing. The only ones left to arrive were Cosmic Trio. A tense silence filled the air of the room. Each of them were aware of how serious the situation was, some more than others.

Finally the door to the room opened once again. Aurora, Anthony, and Dan all walked inside. Aurora waved to the others. "Hey guys."

"It's been awhile, Aurora." William greeted. "I hope you three are doing well."

"We've been fine. Minus having to worry about Purgatory and all."

"Well it seems we're all here." Elizabeth said. "Now we just have to wait for Yukari."

"About that…" Aurora said, rubbing the back of her head. "There's… another group here too."

"And you won't believe who it is." Anthony mumbled, rolling his eyes at who they had brought along.

The others narrowed their eyes, wondering who they were referring to. But then two more entered the room. Everyone instantly recognized them as Allen and Amy from Team Apocalypse.

"Oh hell no!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she stood up and slammed her hands on the table. "Are you kidding me?!"

"What are they doing here?!" Marcus shouted. "You can't seriously tell me Yukari recruited Team Apocalypse too!"

Before Aurora could say anything, Allen stepped forward. He looked at all the hateful glares coming his way. "No one invited me here. I came because I have the same goal as the rest of you. Stopping Ragnarok from wiping out the universe."

"And that's supposed to erase what you did?!"

"I would apologise to all of you. But I highly doubt anyone here would believe it." Allen said. "That said, I am sorry for what I did."

"Sure you are." Marcus grumbled as he sat back in his chair. He didn't care what Allen had to say, he had no intention of forgiving him for what he did to Emma.

"I am well aware that not all of us are the best of friends." Yukari said, walking into the room and making her presence known. "That said, desperate times call for desperate measures. And these are indeed desperate times." The young girl looked at everyone gathered. "Ragnarok is a threat unlike anything we have faced before. We must take help from wherever we can get it." She walked over to the end of the table and sat down. "Now then, let us get down to business."

"By the way…" William said. "Where's Rose? I would have thought she'd be invited here too."

"She's unable to travel to Japan at the moment with her busy schedule as a model." Yukari explained. "So we gave her another way to speak with us." Pressing a remote, the monitor at the end of the room turned on, showing a live video with Rose. "Hello Ms. Orchards."

"Bonjour, everyone." Rose greeted with a wave.

"Now then… I believe you all know why we are gathered here." Yukari said. "But for those of you still hazy on the details, allow me to explain. A worldwide cult known as Purgatory has managed to awaken a being known as Ragnarok from its slumber. That being is now traversing the universe, absorbing everything into itself. It is attracted to negative emotions felt by living things. At current, Purgatory is attempting to lure it towards Earth by spreading negativity and panic around the world."

"Have they done anything outside of Japan yet?" Aurora asked. "Their biggest attack so far was the one at the hospital, right?"

"That was by far their boldest move so far, yes." Yukari nodded. "Thankfully, the lives of everyone there were saved thanks to Marcus Cersy and Sarah Radcliffe. However, there have been other attacks performed by them." She looked over at Aurora. "As you know Aurora, the first was their attack against you. You fought against one of their grunt members."

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. That's right."

"Not long after, there was an incident at the Tokyo Institute of Technology." Yukari explained.

"The school that Genius Prodigy goes to?" Dan questioned.

"Correct. And Yuma Koto was able to drive them away." Yukari said. "However, we have reason to believe that Aurora and Yuma were the targets of those attacks in the first place. They were going after cardfighters that showed promise to eliminate them, and prevent them from interfering with their plans."

"Genius Prodigy didn't make it to the main tournament. But they are the Japanese national champions." Anthony noted. "It's no wonder Yuma would be targeted."

"What about everyone else?" Aurora asked. "You guys haven't been attacked, have you?"

Rose shook her head. "Not me. Everything seems quiet in France."

"Actually… I was." Sophia said.

The group all widened their eyes as they looked at Sophia. "What happened?" Aurora asked.

"It was just one person. They called themselves one of the Seven Lords of Purgatory." Sophia explained. "They came after me at the orphanage. Maria was hurt in the attack."

"One of the Seven Lords of Purgatory… That's what the member I fought called herself too." Sarah said.

"First a hospital, now an orphanage too? These guys are unforgivable." Marcus said, clenching his fist.

Sarah looked over at Sophia. "Did the person you fought use any kind of special card? Something called a Purgatorial Stride?"

Sophia nodded her head. "Yeah, she did." Sophia said. "That unit… I've never been so terrified in my life."

"Those two that Allen and I fought on the way here used a card like that." Amy added.

"From the information we were able to gather, this is what we can assume." Yukari told the group. "Purgatory has an incredibly large amount of members. But there are seven higher ups in the organization. These seven are called the Lords of Purgatory. And they each use a special form of striding called Generation Overwrite."

"Generation Overwrite…" Aurora said. "We saw what a Purgatorial Stride is capable of. They have incredible power."

"Indeed. And we've identified 4 of these Lords." Yukari said. "The first is Yuri Onizuka, the woman that Ms. Radcliffe fought. She worked as a doctor at the hospital that was attacked, but hasn't been heard or seen from since. The hospital staff do not know her whereabouts, or the fact that she was the instigator of the attack. Second is a young girl named Isabelle, the one that went after Sophia. We don't have any information on her other than her name and appearance though. Next is a duo we heard from Cosmic Trio, Allen, and Amy. Their names are Sora and Kage. Like Isabelle, we have little other information on them."

"Actually… There may be one more." William said. "Before Elizabeth and I left England, we were approached by a member of Purgatory."

"Did you get his name?" Aurora asked.

William looked at Elizabeth, who let out a sigh. "His name was… Roman Scarlet."

"Wait… Scarlet?" Anthony asked. "You mean…?"

"He was the heir to the Scarlet family. He was going to be its next head." Elizabeth said before striking a glare at Allen. "Until _somebody_ came and made them go bankrupt."

"But why would he work with Purgatory?" Dan asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. I believe it's mostly for revenge. He wants to make the people that ruined the Scarlet family pay. And apparently I'm up on that list." Elizabeth said.

"That's ridiculous though!" Anthony argued. "It's not like you tried to make the family lose their fortune!"

"Roman's never been the type to care about others, unless it will help him. He probably still holds resentment towards me for not being a true Scarlet yet still trying to act like one." she explained.

"We're not sure of his position in the organization. But considering he was the heir to the Scarlet family, I doubt he'd be satisfied as a simple grunt." William said.

"Very well. We'll make sure to look into his recent activity as well." Yukari said.

"So that's four Lords of Purgatory. Five if we count Roman." Aurora said. "But who are the other two?"

"We're still looking into that." Yukari said. "Moving on, there is another thing we should be concerned about. As Sarah and Sophia mentioned, the Lords of Purgatory use special G Units known as Purgatorial Strides."

"What exactly is it that makes them special?" Rose asked.

"As I'm sure all of you are aware, striding is a means to summon a being from the past or the distant future." Yukari explained. "However, with Ragnarok being consumed by its dark half, it was able to grant the members of Purgatory the power to overwrite those futures into one of misery and despair. A future where all that exists is a living hell, where everything still alive brings nothing but destruction. It resonates with the negative feelings the members of Purgatory each possess. These Purgatorial Strides are created from this ability. Generation Overwrite."

"Generation Overwrite…" Aurora said. "How messed up are these people for them to imagine a future filled with nothing but destruction and despair?"

"I cannot answer that, I'm afraid." Yukari admitted. "But from what we've been able to gather from the times they have been used, there are conditions to using them." The silver haired girl counted off from her fingers. "First, they must have at least 3 face up G Units in the G Zone to use one. They then bind those face up G Units face down. This allows them to use their Purgatorial Stride. However, if they are able to bind a total of five G Units, the power of the unit goes up by an additional 10000."

Sarah, Allen, and Amy widened their eyes. In each of their cases, only three G Units were bound, so the power was normal. And even then, they had barely managed to survive them. But they could become even stronger?

"If most of you combat the Lords of Purgatory as you all are now, their power may be too much for you." Yukari told them. "That is why we must combat them with a power of our own."

"A power of our own?" Marcus asked. "Do you mean more powerful G Units?"

"Something along those lines." Yukari nodded.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Aurora questioned.

Yukari rose from her seat. "It would be best if I showed you." she said. She looked over at Aurora. "That is why I wish to cardfight you, Aurora Fujou."

"A cardfight?"

"That is correct." Yukari nodded. "I will show you the power I speak of through through this method."

Aurora thought to herself. She had fought Yukari in the past. In each of those cases however, it did not end well for her. Yukari was a powerful fighter.

"Alright then." Aurora said. "Let's fight, Yukari."

Yukari got up from her seat. "Follow me."

The group followed Yukari out of the room as she lead them through the building. They all got into an elevator together and went down. She had the others exit at one floor while she and Aurora continued down further.

As the others walked into the room past where they exited the elevator, they found themselves in a small area. A window was on the side, showing off a large fight field down further. They soon saw Yukari and Aurora enter it.

Aurora looked around them, surprised that there was such a large fighting field down below the Tatsunagi building.

Yukari walked to the other end of the room. As if reacting to her, a Motion Figure System started up and a table sprung up from the ground before her. The same happened for Aurora as well.

' _I haven't fought Yukari since I won the preliminary round for the Vanguard World Tournament.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But I'm a lot stronger from back then. Even if this is to show me a new power, I don't intend to lose.'_

"Are you ready, Aurora Fujou?" Yukari said, placing her deck on the table.

"Yeah." Aurora said, doing the same as her eyes burned with determination.

The two of them drew their opening hands as they prepared to start. With a shout, they began the cardfight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Neo Element, Atmos!"

 **Neo Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the fight began, the group watched the two units appear on the field. William raised a brow. "Is that a Cray Elemental?"

"Yup." Anthony nodded. "Yukari's deck is full of them."

"You've seen her fight before?" Rose asked, watching the fight through a monitor.

"Once. I fought her before we went to Cray to fight Conquest Empire." Dan explained. "I managed to win… but I have a feeling she was holding back a little against me."

"Has Aurora ever fought Yukari before?" Sarah asked.

"Twice I believe." Dan said. "But Aurora lost both times."

"If Aurora couldn't beat her, then Yukari must be really strong." Marcus said.

"There's another thing to mention." Dan added. "Her starter… It's different than before."

Aurora took the first move. "Stand and draw." she said. "I ride Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius!"

 **Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Yukari(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Ride! Air Elemental, Fwarlun!"

 **Air Elemental, Fwarlun**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

' _She would usually ride the grade 1 version of Atmos. On top of that, her starter's changed.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Just how much has her deck changed?'_

"Fwarlun attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Yukari(0).]**

"Turn end." Yukari said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _Yukari's deck isn't the only one that's changed. My deck is a lot stronger since the last time I fought her, and so am I.'_

"Ride! Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Boosted by Vivi, Gemini attacks!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." Yukari said.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Yukari(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Ride! Fire Element, Magnum!"

 **Fire Element, Magnum**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Storm Elemental, Sebreeze." Yukari said, placing the grade 1 behind her Vanguard. "With a boost from Sebreeze, Magnum attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Yukari said. "Critical trigger. All effects to Magnum."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yukari(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(6), Yukari(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said.

"They've both been poking at each other for the most part up until now." Allen noted. "But now is when they'll get serious."

Aurora raised a card from her hand into the air. "Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Libra, as well as Star Beast, Ursa." Aurora said. "With Ursa's boost, Libra attacks the Vanguard! Using Ursa's skill, I bind the top card of my deck face up to add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard." Yukari said, holding up the critical trigger she got last turn.

"Vivi boosts. Attack Hikari!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. All effects to Libra."

"Damage check." Yukari said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yukari(2).]**

"Vivi's skill. Since the attack hit, I send Vivi to the soul. Then I send her to the bind zone face up." Aurora explained. "Libra attacks for a second time!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Yukari(3).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(7), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said.

' _She hasn't used any of the usual forms of Atmos so far.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Prophecy Element, Atmos requires the grade 0 through 2 forms to be in the soul or face up in the G zone. But since her grade 0 Atmos is different does that mean she also…'_

"Protector of two worlds, shine your light on this battlefield and empower my forces!" Yukari shouted. "Ride! Divine Element, Atmos!"

 **Divine Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _I thought as much. A new grade 3 form of Atmos.'_ Aurora silently thought as she saw the new unit appear. It looked similar to Prophecy Element, but this one had a pair of thin small shining wings sprouting from its back.

"With Divine Element Atmos's skill, I can send the cards I would discard for paying the stride cost to the G Zone face up instead." Yukari explained. "Stride Generation! Cosmic Element, Paleos!"

 **Cosmic Element, Paleos**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Neo Element, Atmos in the soul!" Yukari said. "When I stride into a Cray Elemental, I can look at the top 3 cards of the deck and add one of them to the G Zone face up." The top 3 cards came to her and she quickly decided. "I send Frost Element, Valancher to the G Zone. Next I activate the stride skill of Divine Element, Atmos! Counterblast! I call Valancher from the G Zone to rear guard! Then, until end of turn, all of the Beaconed rear guards on my field get 5000 power!"

Sophia tilted her head. "Beaconed?"

"It's the strategy Yukari's deck revolves around." Dan explained. "By binding a face up card in the G Zone until end of turn, Yukari's rear guard with the Beacon skill can become Beaconed until end of turn. That in turn unlocks a variety of skills and bonuses for her."

"A one of a kind deck of Cray Elementals." Elizabeth said with interest. "Yukari Tatsunagi sure is full of surprises."

Aurora looked at Yukari's G Zone. There was a lone grade 3 there. The card Yukari had used to stride. Chances were, she'd bind that card to Beacon Valancher.

"Skill of Paleos!" Yukari declared as she paid a counterblast and flipped a copy of Paleos face up. "I look at the top seven cards of the deck and add cards among them to the G Zone up to the number of face up units currently there! In addition, all of my Beaconed rear guards get 1000 power for each face up card in my G Zone!" Taking a look at the cards, Yukari selected a grade 2 and grade 1. "I send Shine Element, Phota and Rain Elemental, Tear. They go to the drop zone at the end of the turn. Next, I activate Phota's skill. I counterblast to call it from the G Zone to rear guard. It also automatically becomes Beaconed and gets 5000 power."

"And now you'll bind a card to Beacon Valancher. Correct?" Aurora said, anticipating Yukari's next move.

Yukari smirked. "Normally that would be how it would go. But Valancher is a special case."

"Special case?"

"Valancher's Generation Break 2!" Yukari declared. "I take a face down copy of Subzero Element Valancher in my G Zone and flip it face up as an alternative cost to Beacon Valancher this turn."

"What?!" Aurora gasped.

"So she gets another face up card in her G Zone, AND she can Beacon her rear guard?!" Anthony exclaimed. "That runt is way stronger than before!"

"Phota attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+4000=23000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yukari(3).]**

"Paleos attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Valancher. Third check, no trigger." Yukari said. "Valancher attacks next!"

 **(9000+5000+4000+5000=23000)**

"Tauros will help put a stop to that!" Aurora said, holding up the critical trigger from her hand. "And Libra will intercept!"

"Turn end." Yukari said. "The Rain Element, Tear sent to the G Zone with Paleos goes to the drop zone. But with Paleos's other skill, I can add it back to my hand. "

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(4), Yukari(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Cosmic Harp, Lyra from my deck and then call it to rear guard! Since it has Warpdrive, I draw! Then, Lyra's Warpdrive activates, allowing me to bind Sagittarius from my deck and add 2000 power to Lyra!" Aurora said. "Then I call Gemini from my hand!"

"That's not a very intimidating formation." Rose noted. "Does she not have much in hand to call?"

"I don't think that's it." William commented. "She's just trying to slowly push Yukari to the edge while conserving her hand to deal with what she throws at her. She's going to wait before she goes in for the kill."

"Considering the kind of units Yukari has, keeping her hand large is definitely smart." Dan said.

"Gemini attacks Frost Element, Valancher!" Aurora declared.

 **(10000)**

"Phota intercepts."

"Pleiades attacks!" Aurora called out. "Skill of Pleiades! I bind Gemini and call cards from the bind zone up to my Generation Break number! So I call Gemini back out, along with Vivi! Both their Warpdrives activate, giving each of them 5000 power!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard with Metal Element, Impregna!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lyra! Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Lyra attacks with Ursa's boost! Ursa's skill binds the top card of my deck to add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000+3000=26000)**

"Guard!" Yukari called out, holding up a pair of cards in her hand.

"With Vivi's boost, Gemini's coming in!"

 **(10000+5000+5000+5000=25000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yukari(4).]**

"With Vivi's skill, I send her to the soul, bind her, and draw." Aurora said. "Turn end. I bind the Aires in my drop zone to soul charge." ' _Darn. I was really hoping to get her to five damage, but I could only get one point of damage through.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(8), Yukari(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Generation Zone, release! Being of purity and light! Shine down on this world and guide me into the future! Stride Generation! Savior Element, Atmos!"

 **Savior Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _Savior Element, Atmos.'_ Aurora thought as her body tensed up. ' _That's the unit that beat me last time.'_

"Skill of Neo Element, Atmos. Look at the top 3 cards of the deck and send a Cray Elemental to the G Zone." Yukari said, scanning her three cards and putting Fire Element, Magnum into the G Zone. "Next up, stride skill. I call Fire Element, Magnum from the G Zone. In addition, all Beaconed rear guards this turn gain 5000 power. On top of that, the skill of the Storm Element, Sebreeze I sent to the G Zone to stride. I discard a card from my hand and draw. Then, I call Rain Elemental, Tear. With Tear's soul blast, I can countercharge for every face up Cray Elemental in my G Zone. And I have more than enough to countercharge the four face down cards I have."

' _Damnit. She refreshed her counterblasts just like that.'_

"Activating the skill of Subzero Element, Valancher in my G Zone. I flip it face down to soul charge. Then, I use the skills of Frost Element, Valancher and Fire Element, Magnum. I flip Subezero Element, Valancher and Inferno Element, Magnum face up in my G Zone to Beacon both of them. Next, Valancher's skill. When it's Beaconed, I can send a Cray Elemental from my drop zone to the G Zone to draw. I then call Shine Element, Phota and Potential Element, Atmos to rear guard. I bind 2 face up cards from my G Zone to Beacon them."

' _That's 4 Beaconed rear guards.'_ Aurora realized. ' _And she's got at least 4 face up G Units in her G Zone too.'_

"Frost Element, Valancher attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Lyra intercepts."

"Fire Element, Magnum attacks with Tear's boost. When Magnum attacks while Beaconed, it gets 10000 power."

 **(9000+5000+10000+6000=30000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Papillion's soul blast! Bind the attacking rear guard!"

"Clever." Yukari smirked, binding her rear guard.

"The less Beaconed rear guards you have out, the better off I am." Aurora said with a grin.

"Maybe so. But even with three Beaconed rear guards, I can still do this." Yukari said. "Savior Element, Atmos attacks! Generation Break 3! I send all of my Beaconed rear guards to the G Zone face up! I then call face up G Units to rear guard up to the number of cards sent to the G Zone with this skill."

"Wait, so she can call G Units?!" Elizabeth gasped.

"And that's not the worst part." Anthony said.

"Come forth! Subzero Element, Valancher! Inferno Element, Magnum! Cosmic Element, Paleos!" Yukari called out as the three G Units appeared on her field. "They each gain 5000 power and the ability to attack from the back row!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Yukari said. "First check, critical trigger. All effects to Magnum. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Magnum and I recover one. Third check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Yukari(3).]**

"Magnum attacks!"

 **(15000+5000+10000=30000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Power to Hikari and stand Ursa."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Yukari(3).]**

"Valancher attacks."

 **(15000+5000=20000)**

"Guard!"

"Paleos attacks."

 **(15000+5000=20000)**

Once again, Aurora held up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Turn end. The G Units go back to the G Zone and I call my three other rear guards back out." Yukari said. "Impressive Aurora. You managed to survive it this time."

"Well get ready. Cause now it's my turn to go all out." Aurora told her.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(3), Yukari(6).]**

"Stand and draw!" Aurora said. "Generation Zone, release! Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Galaxy Champion, Leo and call it! Since it has Warpdrive, I draw!" Aurora said. "Leo's Warpdrive! I call Gemini and add 5000 power to both it and Leo! Then, Gemini's Warpdrive gives himself 5000 power and Boost! And with Star Shimmer's skill, I counterblast and soul blast to call Libra from my bind zone! Libra's skill allows me to check the top 3 cards of the deck, bind one of them, add another among them to my hand, and put the last one on the bottom of the deck! Lastly, I call Sun Smasher, Apollo from my hand!"

"She's got a full field out." Amy observed. "She's planning to end it."

"Can she do it though? Yukari's at 3 damage." Sophia pointed out.

"At this point, she doesn't have much choice." Anthony said.

"Libra attacks with Ursa's boost! And with Ursa's skill, I bind the top card of the deck to add 3000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

Yukari smirked. "The skill of Metal Element, Impregna in the drop zone. I can bind him and discard a card as the cost to call a G Guardian."

"What?!" Aurora gasped.

"Generation guard! Protection Element, Barrios!"

 **Protection Element, Barrios**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Barrios! I send Valancher and Magnum in my front row to the G Zone and call two face down copies of Barrios to my front row. They gain the ability to intercept. If they're attacked or retired, they go to the G Zone face up. At the end of the turn, if they're still on the field, they go to the G Zone face down."

"That's some really scary defense." Rose commented.

"Star Shimmer attacks with a boost from Apollo!" Aurora called out.

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"No guard." Yukari said.

"Triple drive. First check, heal trigger. Power to Star Shimmer and I recover one. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Star Shimmer." Aurora said. She looked at her deck. If the next card was a critical trigger, she would be able to push Yukari to six damage and win. "Third check…"

The others watched with interest as Aurora performed her final drive check. She turned the card over, allowing everyone to see.

"... No trigger." Aurora said.

"Damage check." Yukari said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I stand Tear."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Yukari(5).]**

"Skill of Star Shimmer Dragon. I bind Libra and Ursa, then discard two cards to stand my Vanguard with drive minus one." Aurora explained. "Now Leo attacks with a boost from Gemini!"

 **(11000+5000+10000+5000+5000=36000)**

"The left Barrios intercepts." Yukari said. She then held up a critical trigger from her hand. "I also guard with this."

"Star Shimmer attacks again! And with Apollo's skill, I send him to the soul to draw and add 5000 power to the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+10000=41000)**

"My right Barrios intercepts." Yukari said. "And then, Generation guard! Metal Element, Scryew!"

 **Metal Element, Scryew**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Scryew. I discard a card to add 10000 to the shield." Yukari said.

"Twin drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger." Two of her Vanguard's attacks had been shut down. But Aurora wasn't finished yet. "Activating the same skill one more time! I bind Gemini and Leo, then discard 2 cards! Stand up once more Star Shimmer! Take her out!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

Star Shimmer Dragon roared as it fired a blast from its mouth at Atmos. But before it could collide with Yukari's Vanguard, a new unit appeared and blocked the attack.

"Perfect guard." Yukari said.

Aurora clenched her fists. She had been so close. But Yukari had shut her down. "Turn end. With Hikari's skill, I bind a card in my drop zone to countercharge."

"With the end of the turn, Valancher and Magnum come back to my front row." Yukari said.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(4), Yukari(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "That was quite the display, Aurora. I was nearly finished there."

"You're as strong as ever. There's no denying that." Aurora said. "But you still haven't shown off this power you were talking about."

"You needn't worry. Your wait for that is over." Yukari said. "You see, this power requires a bit of preparation."

"Preparation?"

"Indeed." Yukari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Now watch! Observe as even the limits of the future possibilities are cast aside!"

Aurora watched as a shining light shot up from Yukari's G Zone. She gasped in awe. "What's happening?!"

From Yukari's G Zone, her Savior Element, Atmos flew into her hand. Soon, the other face up copy, as well as two more that were face down left her G Zone and hovered above her. Savior Element, Atmos appeared as a silhouette above her Vanguard.

"What's going on?!" Anthony exclaimed.

"You're guess is as good as mine." Dan said as he and everyone else looked on.

"I discard a card with the same name as my Vanguard. Then, I exclude my 4 copies of Savior Element, Atmos from the game." Yukari explained. "Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride!"

Aurora watched in awe as the appearance of Savior Element, Atmos changed. The small pair of wings that had been on her grade 3's back were now larger, spreading out as they shined with a warm glow. The six orbs from its body hovered behind it in a circular pattern, embedded in an odd pattern of white light.

"Deity Element, Atmos."

 **Deity Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

Aurora was speechless. She had never seen anything like this before in her life. Just standing in its presence, Aurora could feel the incredible power that this unit wielded.

"This is the power I mentioned." Yukari said. "The power to transcend into an even further beyond future. Cross Stride."

"Cross Stride…"

"There are 2 conditions that must be met before being able to use this ability." Yukari explained. "First, there must be at least 4 face up G Units in the G Zone. In addition, at least one of those face up cards must be a particular G Unit. Once these conditions are met, then by discarding a card from your hand that is the same name as your Vanguard and excluding 4 copies of the mentioned G Unit from the game, you can Cross Stride into a grade 5 that is an even more distant version of the unit. That is Cross Stride."

"Amazing…" Aurora said.

"Now let me show you what a Cross Stride's full power can do." Yukari said. "I call another copy of Magnum over Tear. And now I activate Deity Element Atmos's skill!" She paid the cost of a counterblast as she readied to make her move. "I send all five of my rear guards with Beacon to the G Zone! I then call out the same number of G Units from my G Zone to rear guard! I call Magnum, Valancher, two copies of Paleos, and Miracle Element, Atmos!"

Just like that, 5 G Units appeared on Yukari's field. Their intimidating presence only served to put Aurora more on edge.

"All of the called G Units gain the ability to boost and a skill. In addition, Deity Element, Atmos gains 5000 power for each G Unit rear guard I have." Yukari explained. "Boosted by Miracle Element, Deity Element Atmos attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(36000+25000+15000=76000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Yukari said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Both effects to Magnum. Third check, no trigger." With her Vanguard's attack finished, she went onto her next attack. "Boosted by Paleos, Magnum attacks! The skill gained from the Vanguard now activates. When it attacks, I discard two cards from my hand. My unit then gets the ability to perform triple drive."

"A rear guard that can triple drive?!" Aurora exclaimed.

 **(15000+5000+15000=35000)**

"... No guard."

The flames from Magnum engulfed Hikari as the last two cards fell into Aurora's damage zone. Neither were the heal trigger she needed to survive.

 **[Damage: Aurora(6), Yukari(5).]**

With the fight over, the units disappeared. Aurora still felt herself shaking from the power she had just witnessed.

' _Unbelievable… What incredible power.'_ Aurora thought to herself. She looked at her deck in her hand. ' _Can I… really do something like that too?'_

"So that was what Yukari wanted to show us…" William said. "Cross Stride. I never would have imagined such a power existed."

"I'll go into more detail about Cross Stride." Yukari said. She glanced up at the others watching from the other room. "But first, let us all gather again."

* * *

After leaving the fighting area, Yukari and Aurora met up with the others. They all returned to the conference room to continue their discussion.

"That was quite the trump card you had hidden, Tatsunagi." Allen commented.

"Yes. It is rather powerful." Yukari said. "However, it is not something that simply anyone can use."

"So then explain it for us." Anthony said. "Cause this Cross Stride seems like it would be pretty damn useful for beating those Purgatory guys."

"Cross Stride, to go into further detail, allows one to take a future possibility, enhance it, and expand its power to the next level. They go even further beyond the future that unit is from." Yukari said. "In a sense, you could call it striding while in the form of a stride. In my case, I took Savior Element, Atmos and evolved it into Deity Element, Atmos."

"So how does one become able to use it?" William asked.

"For someone to use it, they need to take their Stride Force to the next level. This involves using your imagination more powerfully than ever before. They would also need to be connected to that unit in some way. A strong connection, or even a bond." Yukari explained. "That means each of you will need to take your Stride Force to the next level."

"Is there any special way we can do that?" Aurora asked.

Yukari shook her head. "I'm afraid there isn't. You will have to unlock the power of Cross Stride for yourselves."

"Well that's a pain." Anthony sighed. "But I guess it wouldn't be so powerful and special if it was easy to get."

"Now then, I would like to make a suggestion." Yukari told the group. "We currently do not know what Purgatory's next move will be, or when they will do it. We aren't even sure about their whereabouts, other than the fact that their main base of operations is in Japan. With that in mind, I would suggest everyone stay in Japan for the time being. That way, it will be easier to meet up in the case of an emergency."

"That does make sense…" Aurora said. "But what about those of us that live overseas?"

"I could make arrangements for Elizabeth and I to stay in Japan fairly easily." William said.

"I'm fine staying here too." Sophia said. "But… I don't know where I could stay."

"You could stay at my place." Aurora suggested. "Given the circumstances, I doubt my dad would object."

"Ok then." Sophia said with a bright smile.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to stay in Japan for an extended period of time." Rose said. "I already have plans the agency has set up for my modeling career. That said, I'll be sure to stay in touch and come right away if anything happens."

"It can't be helped I suppose." Marcus admitted. "We all have our own personal lives on top of this."

"Sadly, we won't be able to stay in Japan either." Allen said. "School is a thing, and Amy and I leaving indefinitely will raise a lot of questions."

"Who even said we wanted your help in the first place?" Elizabeth glared. "I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to the Scarlet family."

"Whether you like me or not, none of us really have a choice in this situation." Allen told her. "Unless you want the world to end because of a grudge."

"Why you little-"

"That's enough." Amy said, stepping between the two. "I know we've all had our differences in the past, but right now we need to work together to stop Purgatory and Ragnarok." She turned to Elizabeth and bowed her head. "I can vouch for Allen that he's sorry about what happened. So can you please forgive him?"

Elizabeth eyed the duo from America. She didn't really have a problem with Amy so much as Allen, but when it came to him she couldn't quell how much she hated him. At the same time however, the fate of the universe was at stake here. The red-haired girl slowly walked over to him. She stopped when she was directly in front of him, the two staring eye to eye. Everyone stayed silent as they waited to see what happened next.

They got their answer when Elizabeth reeled her arm back and shoved her fist right into Allen's gut. Allen felt the air rush out of his lungs as he hunched down. Several eyes widened as they saw this.

"There. Now I forgive you. A little." Elizabeth said before walking back over to William.

Allen slowly stood back up, slowly catching his breath. He couldn't complain much, knowing he deserved it.

"What about you two?" Aurora asked, glancing at Marcus and Sarah. "Are you guys ok with Allen?"

Marcus and Sarah glanced at each other. Marcus let out a sigh. "Well it can't be helped. We need all the help we can get with this." he said.

"What about your other member? Keith was his name, I think?" Sarah said. "Why isn't he here?"

"Keith was never really a friend per say." Allen explained. "I just hired him to be on the team to increase our chances of winning."

"After the tournament ended, Keith left." Amy told them. "We haven't seen or heard from him since."

"It's for the best. We need to try and keep the existence of Cray and the threat of Ragnarok a secret during this." Yukari said. "We do have an important mission ahead of us. But for now, try to go about your lives normally to avoid drawing suspicion."

"Come to think of it… Allen and Amy mentioned about going to school." Aurora said, looking over at Sophia. "Will you be alright staying out of school for this long?"

Sophia nodded her head. "If I stay in Brazil, I might get attacked again. Then everyone there will get caught up in it."

"That's true." Dan admitted.

"If you want, I can tutor her while she's here so she doesn't fall behind." Elizabeth offered. "I went to a private high school. Tutoring for her level of education shouldn't be a problem."

"Really? Thank you so much." Sophia said with an appreciative nod.

"We'll take care of the arrangements for Ms. Perez." Yukari said. "For now, we will adjourn for the day. But make sure everyone stays in touch."

Everyone gave a collective nod. They all split up and went their separate ways for now. From here on, they weren't a bunch of strangers across the world. They were a team.

And they wouldn't rest until Purgatory was dealt with and the world was safe.

 **Anthony: Well our lives just got a lot more intense. This should be interesting.**

 **Dan: Interesting isn't the word I'd use. We're practically fighting a war now.**

 **William: Regardless, we have to prevail. We cannot allow Purgatory to win.**

 **Sophia: Yeah.**

 **Aurora: Don't worry. We've got each other's backs, no matter what.**

 **Next time: Sleepover Cardfight**

 **Card Gallery:**

Neo Element, Atmos  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 _ **ACT VC/RC: Beacon  
**_ **AUTO [soul]:** When your Cray Elemental G-Unit STRIDE, you may look at the top 3 cards of your deck, search for up to one Cray Elemental among them, and place it in your G Zone face up. Then, shuffle your deck.

* * *

Storm Element, Sebreeze  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 _ **ACT VC/RC: Beacon**_ _  
_ **AUTO:** [Discard a card from your hand]. When this card is discarded or sent to the G Zone for the cost to STRIDE, if you have a Cray Elemental Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card.  
 **CONT [Hand]:** This card gets grade +2 when paying the cost to STRIDE.

* * *

Fire Element, Magnum  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 _ **ACT VC/RC: Beacon**_ _  
_ **AUTO RC 1/Turn:** When this unit attacks, if this unit is "Beaconed", this unit gains +10000 power until end of turn.  
 **CONT RC GB2:** You may pay **[ACT: Take a face down card in your G Zone named "Inferno Element, Magnum" and turn it face up.]** as the cost to Beacon this card.

* * *

Frost Element, Valancher  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 _ **ACT VC/RC: Beacon  
**_ **AUTO RC:** CB1 When this card is Beaconed, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to one card in your drop zone and send it to your G Zone face up. If you sent a card, draw a card.  
 **CONT RC GB2:** You may pay **[ACT: Take a face down card in your G Zone named "Subzero Element, Valancher" and turn it face up.]** as the cost to Beacon this card.

* * *

Shine Element, Phota  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 _ **ACT VC/RC: Beacon  
**_ **ACT [G Zone]:** [CB1]. Call this card to RC. Until end of turn, this unit gets +5000 power and automatically becomes Beaconed.

* * *

Divine Element, Atmos  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 _ **ACT VC/RC: Beacon  
**_ **AUTO VC:** CB1 When your Cray Elemental G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose your Vanguard and it gets **(CONT VC: All your "Beaconed" rear guards get +5000 power.)** until end of turn. Then, choose a face up grade 3 or lower card in your G Zone and call it to RC.  
 **AUTO VC GB2:** [Take a face up G Unit from your G Zone and turn it face down.] At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, CC1 or SC1.  
 **CONT VC:** When discarding cards for the cost to STRIDE, you may send them face up to the G Zone instead.

* * *

Inferno Element, Magnum  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT [G Zone]:** [Flip this card face down.] Choose your Vanguard and it gets +5000 power.

* * *

Subzero Element, Valancher  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT [G Zone]:** [Flip this card face down.] CC1 or SC1.

* * *

Deity Element, Atomos  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Savior Element, Atmos):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose a card from your hand with the same name as your Vanguard and discard it & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up]. Send any number of your rear guards that have "Beacon" to the G Zone face up. Choose face up G Units from your G Zone up to the number of cards sent to the G Zone with this skill and call them to separate RCs. They each get **Boost** and **(AUTO RC 1/Turn: [Discard 2 cards from your hand.] When this unit attacks you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets Triple Drive until the end of the battle.)**. At the end of the turn, send all of your G Units on your RC to the G Zone face up, choose the same number of face up cards in your G Zone whose grades are 3 or lower, and call them to separate RCs.  
 **CONT VC:** This unit gains +5000 power for each of your G Units on your RC.


	84. Sleepover Cardfight

**A/N: Hey readers. New chapter time. It's time for a fight you've never seen before. A Star Chaser mirror match!**

Night darkened the skies of Japan as Aurora changed into her pajamas. Today had been hectic to say the least. But at the same time, it gave Aurora an idea of what she needed to do next. She had seen how far she still had to go after her fight with Yukari.

' _Cross Stride… I need to learn how to use it and make it my own.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _I have to if I want to take down Purgatory.'_

Aurora walked out of her room and headed downstairs to the kitchen. When she entered, she noticed Sophia sitting at the table. Like her, the little girl was also changed into a set of pajamas.

"Hey Sophia." Aurora greeted. She received no response from the girl who seemed to be lost in thought. "Sophia?"

"Huh?" Sophia snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed Aurora in the room. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you come in."

"That's alright. You must be pretty overwhelmed too with everything going on." Aurora said as she walked over and took a seat at the table with her. "Do you need anything? Some water?"

Sophia shook her head. "No thank you, I'm fine. If anything, you and your dad have given me more than enough by letting me stay here."

"It's fine, Sophia. I don't mind having a houseguest." Aurora assured her. "It's kind of like a slumber party."

Sophia smiled. "Yeah. I guess it is."

"You know…" Aurora said. "I've noticed you seemed a bit distant today. Is everything alright?"

Sophia nodded her head. "Of course."

"Sophia, you know it's alright to talk to someone about it. You were attacked by Purgatory, right? That must have been scary."

Sophia looked away. "I… don't really feel like talking about it."

' _I knew it. She's hiding something.'_ Aurora said. "Alright then." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her deck. "In that case, how about a cardfight?"

"A cardfight?" Sophia asked. She nodded her head. "Sure. Let's do it."

The two girls placed their decks on the table and drew their opening hands. Aurora had never really played Vanguard here with anyone other than her father. She remembered the countless games the two of them would play. This was probably one of the only times she had played against someone else on this table. And perhaps a cardfight would be just the thing Sophia needed to open up.

"You ready, Sophia?"

"Yeah."

The two girls started the game together. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Evolution Star-saver, Carbon!"

 **Evolution Star-saver, Carbon**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start things off." Aurora said. "Ride! Star Beast, Ursa!"

 **Star Beast, Ursa**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Sophia(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Ride! Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star!"

 **Star-saver of Cosmic Blades, Binary Star**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"I move Carbon back with forerunner. And now Binary Star attacks with Carbon's boost."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sophia(0).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Sophia(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Maiden of Balance, Libra!"

 **Maiden of Balance, Libra**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Libra attacks with a boost from Vivi!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Sophia said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sophia(2).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Sophia(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride! Papillion Star-saver, Photon!"

 **Papillion Star-saver, Photon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Renowned Star-saver, Radon. And I'll have it attack your Vanguard."

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Aurora said.

"Boosted by Carbon, Photon is up next."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Sophia(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Sophia(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "You know Sophia, this reminds me a lot of our first cardfight."

"Huh?"

"You remember, right? The Vanguard World Tournament. That fight you and I had in the second round."

Sophia showed a small smile. "Yeah… That fight was a lot of fun."

"It sure was." Aurora said as she thought back reminiscently. "Back then, you were using Link Joker. But by the next time we fought, you had a Star Chaser deck."

"Yeah…" Sophia said. Those were bittersweet memories for her. "But when we came to rescue you…"

"I know. I was a different person." Aurora said. "But even then… your words resonated with me."

"They did?"

"Mhm." Aurora nodded. "Because of you. Dan. Everyone. I was able to gather enough courage to fight again. You helped me learn to believe in myself again. That meant a lot."

"Of course. After all, we're friends."

"That's right. We are." Aurora said. "Friends that trust each other no matter what."

Aurora's words made Sophia think back to Isabelle. She still hadn't told anyone about who Isabelle was. If she was being honest, she was a little afraid to admit the truth herself.

"Here I come, Sophia." Aurora said. "Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Vivi lends her support. Go Hikari!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Hikari and I recover one."

"Damage check." Sophia said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sophia(2).]**

"With Vivi's skill, I send her to the soul. Then I bind her from the soul and draw. Turn end." Aurora said. "With Hikari's skill, I bind the Gemini in my drop zone and soul charge."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(8), Sophia(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. She took a card from her hand and held it up. "Banish the darkness so the light of the twinkling stars can shine and give hope to everyone! Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon!"

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Sophia called out. "Peace Star-saver, Galaxy Buster!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Galaxy Buster**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I bind Carbon and call it back out! It then gains 5000 power." Sophia explained. "Next, with Carbon's skill, I bind Binary Star from my deck. In addition, I use Radon's skill at the beginning of the main phase to bind him and soul charge. And next I call Photon and Neon from my hand. Using Photon's skill to bind Neon and call it back out. Since the card I called was a Star-saver, countercharge."

' _She's got her bind zone set up. So next she's probably going to…'_

"Skill of Galaxy Buster! I counterblast and flip a card in my G Zone face up! Next I bind my rear guard Photon and the Photon in my drop zone. I can now call out two cards from my bind zone. I choose Photon and Binary Star. Both of the called units get 5000 power. And next their Warpdrives activate. Photon gives herself and the Vanguard 5000 power. Binary Star calls out a second Photon from my bind zone, who's Warpdrive also activates as a result."

' _She has a full field. Not to mention how much she's powered up her units.'_ Aurora thought. ' _You're as strong as ever, Sophia.'_

"Galaxy Buster's other skill. As long as I have 5 or more Star-saver rear guards, it gains 10000 power and plus one drive." Sophia explained. "Now Photon will attack with Binary Star's boost!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+5000=26000)**

"Sorry but I'm not letting that through. Generation guard!" Aurora called out. "Star Cross Barrier, Crux!"

 **Star Cross Barrier, Crux**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Crux. I send the Gemini in my bind zone to the drop zone, then bind it again. Crux gets 5000 shield."

"With Neon's boost, my Galaxy Buster attacks!"

 **(26000+10000+7000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to my standing Photon. Third check, stand trigger. All effects to my other Photon. Final check, no trigger." Sophia said. "With a boost from Carbon, Photon attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+5000+5000=34000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. First card no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Sophia(2).]**

"My other Photon attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sophia(2).]**

"Turn end. With Neon's skill, I bind him and draw."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(5), Sophia(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Cosmic Harp, Lyra from my deck and call Gemini to rear guard! Since he has Warpdrive, I draw! Gemini's Warpdrive gives him 5000 power and Boost!" Aurora explained. "Next I use Lyra's soul blast to call her out and countercharge! Her Warpdrive lets me bind Sagittarius from my deck! Then I call Caller of the Cosmic Winds, Capricorn behind Lyra!"

' _Three rear guards. She's holding onto her hand while going for as much offense as she can afford.'_ Sophia realized.

"Boosted by Capricorn, Lyra attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Guard!" Sophia called out.

"Capricorn's skill. Counterblast." Aurora said. "After the battle he boosted, I bind the rear guard he boosted, and call a unit from the bind zone. So I'll bind Lyra and call out Vivi behind Gemini. Vivi's Warpdrive gives her 5000 power. And now with that boost, Gemini attacks!"

 **(10000+5000+5000+5000=25000)**

"Generation guard! Galaxy Machine, Froura!"

 **Galaxy Machine, Froura**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"I attack with Pleiades!" Aurora declared. "Skill of Pleiades! I bind all of my rear guards! Then I can call cards from the bind zone to rear guard up to my Generation Break number, in this case three! I call Gemini, Sagittarius, and Vivi! All three of their Warpdrives activate! Then, since three or more were called, I add 5000 power to my front row!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Sagittarius! Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "With a boost from Vivi, Sagittarius takes aim at your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+1000+3000+5000+5000+5000+5000=31000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Photon."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sophia(4).]**

"The attack hit so Vivi's skill activates. I send her to the soul, bind her, and draw." Aurora said. "Gemini swings in at the Photon on the right!"

 **(10000+5000+5000=20000)**

"No guard. Photon is retired."

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Binding the Tauros in my drop zone to countercharge."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(9), Sophia(6).]**

"Stand and draw. Using Infinite Star's soul blast to bind Carbon, call it back out, and draw. Carbon's skill let's me bind Promethium from my deck." Sophia said. She looked at the board. ' _Aurora's as strong as always. I should have expected as much. The reason I know how to use Star Chaser so well is from watching her at the Vanguard World Tournament.'_

"You really are strong, Aurora." Sophia said. "To be honest, I've always looked up to you."

"Really?" Aurora asked with a giggle. "I don't really think I'm anyone that special. You're plenty strong too, Sophia."

Sophia shook her head. "No, you're always shining so brightly. Like a star in the night sky. I always love watching you cardfight. You're like a big sist-" Sophia cut herself off, realizing what she was about to say.

Aurora narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Sophia?"

' _A big sister…'_ Sophia thought. ' _I have an older sister. But I found out about her in the worst possible way.'_ She clenched her hand into a fist as a tear rolled down her cheek. ' _Why… It's not fair…'_

"Sophia? Is everything ok?" Aurora asked.

"Aurora. There's… something I've been keeping from you. From everyone actually." Sophia admitted.

' _So she was hiding something after all.'_ Aurora thought. "What is it?"

"It's about the member of Purgatory that I fought back in Brazil." Sophia said. "She… She knew me."

"Knew you how?"

"She said… she was my sister."

Aurora widened her eyes in shock as she heard this. "Your sister?!"

"I don't really have any proof that she was telling the truth. But the things she said… the images she showed me… they seemed too real to be made up." Sophia said. More tears fell from her eyes. "I saw what my parents were like and it… it was awful. They treated her so badly. And it turned her into what she is now. She wants to destroy the world. I always wanted to know what my family was like. But now… I wish I never found out."

"You know that's not true." Aurora told her.

Sophia's eyes blinked in surprise. "Wh-What?"

"I know finding out all of that must have been hard." Aurora said. "But there's no way it could be better than not knowing."

"Aurora…"

"I wanted to know about my mother. I wanted to know about her so badly that I was willing to do anything." Aurora said. "I even ended up finding about a sister I never even knew existed." She stared Sophia in the eyes. "My life could have been a lot easier had I not gone searching for answers. But then I'd just be running away and blinding myself. And that's the worst thing anyone could do."

"But-"

"I can't speak for you. I don't know exactly what you saw." Aurora told her. "But it sounds to me like what your sister needs more than anything else right now is you. She was all alone. Purgatory must have seen that and taken advantage of that. So the only one that can save her is you."

' _The only one that can save her... is me.'_ Sophia thought.

"So what are you going to do Sophia?"

"I…" Sophia was silent as she thought to herself. But soon enough, her resolve was clear. "I'm gonna stop my sister. And I'll save her from herself and Purgatory."

Aurora grinned. "That's the Sophia I know. Now show me what you've got."

"Right!" Sophia nodded. "Generation Zone, release! Now shine brightly! Star of the future that lights my path! Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Carbon and call it back out and add 5000 power! With Carbon's skill, I bind Krypton from my deck! Next I counterblast for Photon's skill! I bind Binary Star and call it back out, as well as soul charge! Binary Star's Warpdrive calls out Krypton from my bind zone! Krypton's Warpdrive then grants him a skill! And lastly, I call Nebula Dracokid from my hand!" Sophia explained. "On top of that, with Infinite cosmos Dragon's Generation Break 3, when a card is called from the bind zone, that unit and Infinite Cosmos get 3000 power."

' _She's got one strong formation out.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But I'm not going down easy.'_

"With a boost from Binary Star, Photon attacks!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out holding up a card from her hand.

"Krypton's up next with Carbon's help!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+3000+5000=25000)**

"I guard with Apollo in my hand! And Gemini will intercept!"

"Infinite Cosmos Dragon attacks!" sophia declared. "Skill activated! I bind all my rear guards! I can then call cards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break number! That's five cards! Krypton! Photon! Binary Star! Neon! Carbon! Photon's Warpdrive gives herself and the Vanguard 5000 power! Krypton's Warpdrive gives him an extra 20000 power! And lastly, Carbon's skill will bind Prometheus from my deck! On top of that, my Vanguard gains a critical since 5 rear guards were called out!"

 **(26000+24000+5000=55000)**

"As if I'd let that through! Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Krypton! Third check, stand trigger! Power to Krypton!" Sophia said. "Boosted by Carbon, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+3000+20000+5000+3000=39000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Andromeda's skill! Since I have at least 3 cards in my bind zone, I can add 10000 to the shield!" Aurora explained. "I also guard with Aries from my hand!"

"Photon attacks with Binary Star's boost!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+7000+3000=27000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Sophia(4).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said. "With Neon's skill, I bind him and draw."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(3), Sophia(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _Sophia's got a big hand. It's going to be tough to break through her defenses. But at the same time, if I don't finish her off this turn, there's no way I'll be able to survive her next one.'_ She looked at her G Zone. ' _It's risky since I don't know most of her hand. But I've got to bet on it.'_

"Generation Zone, release!" Aurora called out. "Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Libra from my deck and call her out and draw! With Libra's Warpdrive, I look at the top three cards of the deck, add one to my hand, bind another, and return the last one to the deck!" Aurora explained. "I activate Lyra's skill from the bind zone! I soul blast to call her behind Sagittarius and countercharge! Her Warpdrive activates, allowing me to bind Aquarius from my deck! Next I call Ursa and Capricorn! Sagittarius and Lyra swap places. Lastly, I activate Constellation of Light's skill Generation Break 3! Hikari gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill!"

Sophia looked at her hand. With Aurora's Vanguard's skill, guarding wasn't going to be easy, even with a large hand.

"Boosted by Ursa, Hikari attacks!" Aurora declared. "With her skill, I send the Aquarius in my bind zone to the drop zone! Now you can't guard with any cards from your hand that have the same grade as her! On top of that, Ursa's skill lets me bind the top card of my deck and add 3000 power!"

 **(26000+10000+7000+3000=46000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With her skill, 10000 is added to the shield! Next I activate Prometheus's skill from the bind zone! I bind Binary Star and call Prometheus to the guardian circle! Het gets 10000 shield!" Sophia explained before holding up a grade 2 and a grade 0 from her hand. "I also guard with these!"

' _Altogether, that brings her to 61000. I'd need three triggers to pass through that.'_ Aurora thought. "Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Lyra! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Libra!"

"Lyra attacks with a boost from Sagittarius!" Aurora called out. "I send Cancer in my bind zone to the drop zone and prevent grade 1s from the hand once again."

 **(9000+5000+7000+1000=22000)**

Sophia looked at her hand and sighed. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Sophia(6).]**

With that, the game was over. Sophia looked over at Aurora and smiled. "Thanks for the fun game Aurora. And also… for what you said."

"Don't mention it, Sophia." Aurora told her with a smile. "And if you ever need to talk to someone, no matter what it is, feel free to come to me."

Sophia nodded her head. "I will."

"Good. Now let's get to bed, shall we?"

The two girls put their decks away and went to bed. As she laid on the bed in the Fujou family guest room, Sophia looked up at the ceiling.

' _I promise Isabelle. I'm not going to let you be alone anymore. I'm going to save you no matter what.'_ Sophia thought. ' _And then… we can be real sisters.'_

 **Sophia: Aurora?**

 **Aurora: Yes, Sophia?**

 **Sophia: I don't really know what it's like to have a sister. But you have Hikari, right? What's it like?**

 **Aurora: That's… not really a good example. I wasn't aware Hikari existed until a few months ago. On top of that, we live on different planets.**

 **Sophia: I see… That's true.**

 **Aurora: From what I do know though, every sibling relationship is different. So you'll just have to find what works for you.**

 **Sophia: Ok then! I'm gonna save Isabelle and be the best sister ever!**

 **Aurora: Hehehe, that's the spirit, Sophia.**

 **Next time: Scarlet Emperor**

 **Card Gallery:**

Peace Star-saver, Galaxy Buster  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1, Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up]. Choose a card on your RC and up to one normal unit in your drop zone, and bind them face up. Choose up to two face up cards in your bind zone with "Star-saver" in their name and call them to RC. They both get +5000 power until end of turn.  
 **CONT VC:** If you have five or more rear guards with "Star-saver" in their name, this unit gets +10000 power and +1 drive.


	85. Scarlet Emperor

**A/N: Well readers, time for the first fight of another Purgatory member. How will things go? You'll just have to read and find out.**

The inside of Card Galaxy was busier than ever. There were people all around, with each of the tables filled up. Most of the excitement however was coming from some of the tension filled cardfights going on.

"Pleiades attacks the Vanguard!" Aurora called out.

"Guard!" Marcus said, holding up cards from his hand. "You're not getting past this!"

Sarah looked over at Marcus and the cardfight he was having with Aurora. It was close. There was no way telling who would win.

"You shouldn't be getting distracted." Dan told the girl as he declared an attack. "You won't beat me if you're head's not in the game."

"You're right. Sorry." Sarah said, bringing her focus back to the fight she was in.

Team Cosmic Trio, as well as Sophia and Team Sightless Vision, were all busy in their cardfights. Daiki had learned about the threat facing the world from his teammates. Just like them, he too was determined to protect the world. What they had seen the other day from Yukari had them all determined to get stronger. They needed to master Cross Stride.

"You kids sure seem fired up." Ryuji said from the counter. His voice didn't register in any of their ears however, with the teens being too engrossed in their special training.

Anthony looked around them. "Hey, weren't William and Elizabeth supposed to be here too? They're late."

"William said he had some minor business to take care of. He and Elizabeth will be here in a bit." Aurora explained.

After a little bit, each of the cardfights currently going on ended. They had all been training together for about a week, but there was no sign of any of them getting closer to Cross Stride.

' _Well, I guess it wouldn't be so amazing if it was easy to get.'_ Aurora thought. ' _We just have to keep pushing forward.'_

"Hey, Dan." Sophia spoke. "Do you mind fighting me next?"

Dan nodded his head. "Sure, no problem. Any reason me in particular."

"Isabelle… she used a Pale Moon deck." Sophia explained. "When I end up facing her again, I want to be as ready as possible. So I figured if I fought you I might get some ideas on how to counter her."

"Makes sense to me." Dan said. "Bring it on."

* * *

William sat in his room typing away on his laptop. Even outside of England, he was still heir to the Lewis family. His responsibilities never seemed to end. And being away from home didn't make them any easier. But in the end, this was what was necessary. He and Elizabeth needed to stay in Japan for the time being, so he would accept this extra work. The sooner they could deal with Purgatory, the sooner this would all be over.

He soon heard a text alert go off from his phone. He glanced at it and saw a message from Elizabeth, reminding him of their plan to train with Aurora and the others.

' _She's been especially motivated lately.'_ William thought. ' _It must be due to Roman.'_

The fact that Roman Scarlet was a member of Purgatory was still a shock to both him and Elizabeth. But the hatred he bore was clear to see. William didn't like to discriminate, but a large majority of the Scarlet family had the same egotistical sense of superiority that Roman had. Thinking that others were beneath them. And with Roman having been the heir to the family head, he was probably the worst of them all. And that ego led him to hate all who had taken part in the collapse of the Scarlet family's high standing. That would include both Allen and Elizabeth.

He didn't particularly care about Allen being a target. He had brought that wrath on himself. But Elizabeth was a different story. She had fought with all her might to protect the Scarlet family. To see her failure as a sign of betrayal was unforgivable in William's eyes.

Suddenly, William heard his phone start ringing. He didn't even look at who was calling him, already guessing it was Elizabeth. "I'm almost done with business. I'll meet up with you soon."

"Oh really? You gonna take me out for a night on the town?" Roman spoke from the other end.

William widened his eyes at hearing Roman's voice. He pulled the phone away from his ear to see that the number hadn't been Elizabeth's but one that was unknown to him. He brought the phone back to his ear. "What do you want?"

"That's all I get? No hello? Now asking me how I've been?"

"If all you plan on doing is joking, I'm hanging up." William told him.

"Alright, settle down. I'll stop beating around the bush." Roman said. "You see, I want to see what the heir to the Lewis family is really all about. So I'm calling you out."

"That's rather bold of you."

"Perhaps, but it makes things easier for me." Roman said. "Meet me on top of the building you're at. Alone. You have thirty minutes."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I guess I'll have to take my luck with sweet Elizabeth."

That one threat was all William needed to know there was no backing out of this. "Fine. I'll be there."

"Good. See you soon."

With that, Roman hung up the call. William looked over at his deck at his bedside. He reached out and grabbed it, holding the case tightly.

' _Elizabeth, I know you wanted to be the one to take down Roman. But I'm sorry. You're my friend, and I won't let you get hurt in a fight you were forced into.'_

William closed his laptop and got up from his bed. He put on a jacket and walked out of his room. He was taking down Roman himself.

* * *

The cold air of fall blew around as William walked out onto the roof of the building. But the cold was practically nonexistent in his mind. He was too focused on one thing. The person standing on the roof waiting for him.

"You actually came alone. I'm impressed." Roman smirked. "Too bad. Since you're going to end up regretting it."

"Why are you working with Purgatory?" William asked. "You do know they plan to destroy the world, right?"

"Oh, sad ignorant William." Roman said as he shook his head. "Someone like you couldn't possibly understand my grand designs. What it is I truly want."

"At least we can agree on something." William remarked.

"Enough chit chat. Let's get down to business." Roman said, pulling out a Vanguard deck. "I'm going to crush you like the insignificant worm you are."

"That won't happen. I refuse to lose to someone like you." William said.

The two of them stood on opposite ends of the roof. With a wave of Roman's arm, two sheets of light appeared for them. They each placed their decks down and began the game after drawing their hands.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Shadow Revenger, Conrad!"

 **Shadow Revenger, Conrad**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

With the start of the fight, their setting changed. They soon found themselves in a lavish palace. But there was a hint of danger in the air. William couldn't help but find it appropriate to Roman's character.

"I'll start." Roman said. "I ride! Loyal Revenger, Dorint!"

 **Loyal Revenger, Dorint**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conrad moves back with forerunner. Turn end." Roman said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: William(5), Roman(5).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "I'm a bit surprised. I wasn't aware you played Vanguard."

"It wasn't until recently. I wasn't aware such a simple card game would be able to hold so much power." Roman said. "It was fairly easy to master this game. And now I have more power than ever before."

"Vanguard isn't a tool meant for pushing others around." William glared. "It's something that's meant to be enjoyed by everyone."

"Spare me the morality lesson, Lewis." Roman said. "That's what I hate most about your kind. You go around with your stupid goody two shoes appearance and act like you're better than us just because you stick to the rules society has set up." He glared at him. "But the truth is that real society has no rules. It's those that are willing to win by any means necessary that truly succeed in this world."

"That kind of thinking is exactly why the Scarlets got what happened to them." William said. "I ride! Awakened Blaster Javelin, Laroussse!"

 **Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Wingal Brave moves back." William said. "And now he'll boost Larousse's attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." William said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(0), Roman(1).]**

"Skill of Wingal Brave. Since the attack hit, I send him to the soul. Then I add Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew to my hand." William explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: William(6), Roman(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Ride! Revenger, Darkbless Angel!"

 **Revenger, Darkbless Angel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Revenger, Detonate Heat Dragon!" Roman said. "Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" William called out, holding up a card from his hand.

"Darkbless attacks with a boost from Conrad!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Roman said, turning over the top card of his deck. He grinned at what he saw. "Well whadya know? A critical trigger."

' _Damnit.'_

"I guess I'll go ahead and give both effects to my Vanguard. That's two damage for you."

Darkbless Angel flew through the air, slicing her sword through William's Vanguard. As his Vanguard cried out in pain, William felt the same pain rush through his body. "Ahhhh!"

 **[Damage: William(2), Roman(1).]**

"Hehehe… That's the sound I wanted to hear. The sweet sound of an enemy in agony."

"You're insane."

"Sticks and stones, Lewis. Just hurry up and take your turn."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: William(5), Roman(5).]**

"My pleasure." William said. "Ride! Awakened Blaster Arrow, Elisse!"

 **Awakened Blaster Arrow, Elisse**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura!" William declared. "Elisse attacks your Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Roman declared, holding up the critical trigger he had gotten last turn.

"Drive check. No trigger." William said. "Laura swings in at your Vanguard next!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"No guard." Roman said. He flinched in pain as the card went into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: William(2), Roman(2).]**

"Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: William(5), Roman(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. He grinned as he took a card from his hand and held it out. "Despair! Fall on your knees and cry out in fear in the presence of the destructive dragon of revenge! Ride! Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon!"

 **Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Conrad lends his support. Attack, Raging Terror!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger." He let out a chuckle at seeing the card. "Seems lady luck is on my side today. I give the power to Detonate Heat. The critical will stay with my Vanguard."

"Damage check." William grunted. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger." The green icon on the card was a welcome sign of relief. "Recover one damage. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: William(3), Roman(2).]**

"Go Detonate Heat! Crush Laura!" Roman called out. "Detonate Heat gains 2000 power since I have a Vanguard with Raging in its name!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"As if I'm about to let that hit! Guard!" William called out.

"Tch. Turn end." Roman said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: William(4), Roman(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. ' _He's stronger than I expected. But I don't have any plans of losing to him.'_

"Light and dark, come together! Let two powers fuse to reside in one body! Ride! Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew!"

 **Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Llew! Counterblast!" William declared. "I retire Detonate Heat!"

The white sword in Llew's right hand glew as he swung it down, an energy slash going forth and slicing through Roman's rear guard.

"Stride Generation!" William called out. "Holy Dragon, Shine Saver Dragon!"

 **Holy Dragon, Shine Saver Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I superior call Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl! Then, since I have more rear guards than my opponent, I countercharge and soul charge!" William declared. "Next, I call Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse from my hand behind Laura!"

"Do you really think it's a good idea to get rid of cards from your hand when you already have so little?" Roman asked with a confident smirk.

"If you were an actual cardfighter, you'd understand." William retorted. "Now I activate Shine Saver's skill! I counterblast and flip a card with my G Zone face up! Then I superior call Awakened Blaster Arrow, Elisse from my deck! I call her behind my Vanguard! Grawl's skill increases his power by 5000 since a Blaster was called from the deck! Lastly, for every card face up in my G Zone, all of my rear guards with Blaster in their name get 3000 power!"

Roman looked at William's field. Namely, the unit he just called to the back row. ' _Why would he call a grade 2 to the back row? It can't boost his Vanguard.'_

"I attack your Vanguard with Elisse!" William declared.

"What?!"

"Elisse's skill. She can attack from the back row if she's in my center column." William explained with a grin.

 **(9000+1000+3000=13000)**

"No guard." Roman said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Roman(3).]**

"Shine Saver attacks next!" William called out.

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." William said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Laura. Third check, draw trigger. Power to Grawl and draw 1." With his Vanguard attack over, William continued his assault. "Laura attacks with a boost from Larousse!"

 **(9000+1000+3000+5000+7000+1000+3000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Dragwiser, Bronach!"

 **Dragwiser, Bronach**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Bronach! Look at the top five cards of the deck and call any grade 1 cards among them to the guardian circle." Roman said. Two grade 1 cards appeared among the five that came to him.

"Grawl, get in there!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+3000+5000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check." Roman said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(3), Roman(4).]**

"Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: William(6), Roman(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Well it's clear you didn't earn your ranking in the Euro League for nothing. Then again, if you couldn't at least entertain me this much, you wouldn't be worth my time."

"Is that so? Well then I suggest you get ready." William said. "Cause I'm just getting started."

* * *

Elizabeth laid on the bed in her room. She was still waiting for William to finish with the business he needed to take care of. Elizabeth didn't want to rush him too much. She knew he was already busy with his responsibilities as heir of the Lewis family. Having the fate of the world on his mind was probably also wearing at him.

' _I need to do what I can to ease the burden for him. He's always been there for me. Now I need to be there for him.'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _When Roman shows up again… I'll defeat him.'_

Deciding to kill some time, Elizabeth decided to watch some television. When she turned her tv on, she was greeted with a news story.

"We're here with breaking news." a female anchorwoman said as a video played behind her. "Roughly ten minutes ago, a dark cluster suddenly appeared in the city. Details are still unknown."

Elizabeth looked closely at the video. It showed what seemed to be a black cloud hovering around the top of a building. She widened her eyes when she realized it was the building she was in right now.

' _Is it Purgatory?!'_ Elizabeth thought. ' _But why would they… William!'_ The red haired girl quickly tried to call her friend on her cellphone. After several rings, no answer came from the other end. Not wasting another second, Elizabeth rushed out of her room and ran as fast as she could towards the roof.

' _Let me be in time.'_ Elizabeth prayed. ' _Please let me be in time.'_

* * *

"Stride Generation!" Roman called out. "True Revener, Raging Rapt Dragon!"

 **True Revenger, Raging Rapt Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast!" Roman called out. "My Vanguard gains a skill to let all cards in my hand become grade 3 Abyss Dragons."

' _They become grade 3 Abyss Dragons while in his hand? What's he planning with that?'_ William thought.

"Skill of the Loyal Revenger, Dorint I discarded for the stride cost! Retire Grawl! On top of that, call! Revenger, Darkbless Angel! Revenger, Weitgore Dragon! Detecting Revenger, Aife!" Roman said, calling out 3 rear guards to give himself a total of 4. "Activating Aife's skill! I rest her and check the top five cards of my deck." Five cards came to him and he grinned as he selected a card among them. "Adding Revenger, Raging Form Dragon to my hand."

' _Weitgore is only a grade 1, yet he put it alone in his front row with nothing behind it. Is he planning for a trigger? But Darkbless can't hit my Vanguard either. Roman's no fool, he has to be planning something.'_

"Darkbless Angel attacks Grawl!"

 **(9000)**

"Laura intercepts!"

"Boosted by Conrad, my Vanguard attacks!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Weitgore and I draw! Third check, no trigger." Roman said. "Unfortunately for you, I'm far from done. Behold the power of my Raging Rapt Dragon!"

Roman's Vanguard let out a powerful roar as both Darkbless Angel and Aife became swallowed up by darkness and disappeared. "What's going on?!"

"Skill of Raging Rapt Dragon! Limit break!" Roman declared. "I retire 2 rear guards and discard 2 grade 3 Abyss Dragons from my hand! With that, I can send my current copy of Raging Rapt Dragon to the G zone face up and stride into another copy of it!"

"What?!"

"Superior Persona Stride! Raging Rapt Dragon!" Roman called out. "When I stride him with this skill, he loses one drive, but that's more than worth it. Behold the incarnation of my rage! Hahahaha!"

' _He's lost it.'_

"I've still got more surprises for you, William! Darkbless Angel's skill! When she's retired for the cost of my Vanguard's skill, I can counterblast and call a grade 1 or lower Revenger from my deck! Appear Revenger of Vigor, Maur! In addition, Weitgore gains 3000 power when one of my rear guards is retired while I have a Raging Vanguard."

' _He has 3 rear guards now. He can use Raging Rapt's skill one more time in that case.'_ William thought as he assessed the situation. ' _But that still means I have to deal with another 2 Vanguard attacks, on top of another rear guard attack.'_

"Raging Rapt Dragon! Tear into him with your almighty fury!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard! Vivid Sacred Staff, Andragius!"

 **Vivid Sacred Staff, Andragius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! As long as I have 2 or more grade 2 rear guards, add 10000 to the shield!"

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger." Roman said. "That's fine. Because now I get to use my Vanguard's skill once again! Maur and Conrad, give me your power so I may rise again! Superior Persona Stride! Raging Rapt Dragon!"

' _One more Vanguard attack to deal with. And on top of that, he still has Weitgore Dragon to attack with afterwards.'_ William thought. ' _Three cards left in my hand. I have to survive no matter what.'_

"Conrad's skill. When he's retired due to my skill, I send him to the soul to draw 1 card and add 5000 power to a unit of my choice. I pick Weitgore Dragon. In addition, since I discarded Raging Terror Dragon from my hand for the skill, its own skill allows me to countercharge." Roman explained. "Now attack, my Vanguard! Tear him to shreds!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Roman said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Weitgore and I recover one."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: William(4), Roman(3).]**

"Weitgore, attack!"

 **(7000+12000+5000+10000=34000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: William(5), Roman(3).]**

Being pushed to five damage, William fell to one knee. Roman chuckled at the pathetic look of his opponent. "Look at you. On the ground like a worm. How fitting."

"Shut up…"

"Hm?"

"Shut up!" William shouted, standing back up on wobbly legs. "I am going to put an end to your sick twisted ego once and for all!"

"Heh, go ahead and try." Roman said. "It's your turn."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: William(3), Roman(6).]**

"Stand and draw!" William said. ' _He has 4 face up cards in his G zone currently. And he got a heal trigger last turn. That means I have to finish him this turn, or else he'll use his Purgatorial Stride against me. If that happens, I'll be in serious trouble.'_

"I retire Javelin to activate his skill! During this turn, I can stride into a Blaster or Saver without paying the cost!" William explained. "Generation Zone, release! Let two merge into one! The ultimate blade that transcends time and space! Hold it high and let its glow envelop the world! Stride Generation! Blaster Infinity, Llew!"

 **Blaster Infinity, Llew**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Superior call Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura from the deck! Then, countercharge and soul charge since I have more rear guards than the opponent!" William explained. "Now call! Little Tactician, Marron! Counterblast to activate his skill! I superior call Guardian Blaster, Iseult from the deck and add 3000 power to it! Then, Iseult's skill adds another 3000 to it! Grawl alos gains 10000 power since two Blasters have been called from the deck this turn!"

"Call as many weakling as you want! You still can't defeat my Raging Terror Dragon!"

"They may not be as strong as your dragon on their own." William admitted. "But together, they can become far stronger than you could ever hope to be alone!"

"What a bunch of garbage. Why don't you go on and prove that then?"

"My pleasure!" William said. "Activating the skill of Blaster Infinity, Llew! I add a card from my hand to the soul! All of my Blaster rear guards gain 5000 power! In addition, Llew gains a skill since I have three or more Blaster rear guards! Now Elisse, start us off! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+1000+5000=15000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Iseult, Laura attacks next!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+6000+1000+3000+3000+5000=33000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Plotmaker Dragon! Ritual 3! Add 10000 to the shield!"

"Blaster Infinity, Llew attacks the Vanguard!" William declared. "Generation Break 4! Since there is a card in my soul that is of a different clan than my heart, add 10000 power, plus one critical, and plus one drive! On top of that, the skill he gained earlier activates! I counterblast and call Elisse to my back row behind Llew, and a second Grawl over Laura! My new Grawl gets 5000 power, while the Grawl I currently have out gains another 10000!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

' _If he gets a critical trigger, he can push me to six damage with this attack. I can't let that happen.'_ Roman thought. "Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to my second Grawl and critical to my first one! Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, heal trigger! Power to the Grawl with the critical and recover one damage!"

 **[Damage: William(4), Roman(3).]**

"Elisse attacks Weitgore Dragon!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Weitgore is retired."

"Grawl attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Guard!" Roman called out, holding up a critical trigger in his hand.

"Boosted by Marron, my other Grawl attacks!"

 **(9000+20000+5000+5000+7000=46000)**

"No guard." Roman said. Two cards fell into his damage zone, putting him to the edge.

 **[Damage: William(4), Roman(5).]**

"Turn end. With Iseult's skill, I return her to my hand." William said. ' _Damn. I couldn't finish him. But still… I have seven cards in my hand. Roman on the other hand has one card in hand and no rear guards. I can do this.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: William(7), Roman(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Well I suppose this has been at least somewhat entertaining. But now it's time for me to end this." He held his hand over his G Zone, a dark aura covering it. "The time has come. Watch as I open the gate to a dark future. I bind five of my face up G Units face down."

William watched as a dark shadow swallowed up Roman's Vanguard. He laughed as he watched his own Vanguard become devoured by darkness. ' _Here it comes. His Purgatorial Stride.'_

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Roman called out. "Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago!"

 **Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

William gasped as he saw the Purgatorial Stride appear before him. It was a male swordsman with violet hair wearing deteriorated black armor. A large sword was in his hand with a blade that was as black as night. A bloody red aura surrounded the unit, giving off the intent of bloodlust.

"No need to use the stride skill." Roman said. "But I will call this out. Come, Revenger of Vigor, Maur. Activating Maur's skill. Counterblast. I add a copy of my Vanguard to my hand. Now I call Raging Terror Dragon."

' _He used up what little he had left of his hand.'_

"I activate Vassago's skill. Counterblast. He gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill." Roman explained. "But first we'll have Maur boost an attack from my Raging Terror Dragon!"

 **(11000+6000=17000)**

"Guard!"

"Vassago attacks." roman said. "Activating Vassago's skill. When he attacks, I can retire any number of my rear guards. I then call 2 cards from my deck and they get 5000 power for each rear guards retired."

' _So he'll retire his own two rear guards and get 2 more rear guards with an extra 10000 power.'_ William calculated. ' _I should be able to handle that depending on what triggers he pulls.'_

"Oh I should also mention one other thing." Roman said with a smirk. "Vassago has another skill. When retiring my units to pay a cost, I can also retire up to two of my opponent's rear guards for the cost too.

"What?!"

"Now give your pitiful lives to me! Raging Terror Dragon! Revenger of Vigor, Maur! As well as the two Grawl units in your front row!"

Vassago let out a loud yell as the aura around him swallowed up the two rear guards on Roman's field as well as both Grawl's William had on his field. As the units vanished from the field, two red pillars appeared in Roman's front row. From them appeared two new units.

"Come. Two Detonate Heat Dragons." Roman said. "Four units were retired so they both gain 20000 power! But first you have Vassago to deal with!"

 **(36000+10000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Detonate Heat on the right! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to the Detonate Heat on the left!"

William gasped as he saw both of Roman's rear guards go critical. He looked at his hand. ' _I can't guard both of them…'_

"Destroy him Detonate Heat Dragon!"

 **(9000+2000+20000+5000=36000)**

William lowered his head. "No guard."

Detonate Heat Dragon breathed a blast of intense flames at Llew. The knight became engulfed in fire as he cried out in pain. William felt the same pain as he cried out in agony.

 **[Damage: William(6), Roman(5).]**

With the cardfight over, the interior of the castle they had been in disappeared and the two were back on the roof. William collapsed, not having anymore strength in his body.

"I'm sorry… Elizabeth…" he muttered.

"What a fitting end for a loser." Roman said. "As much as I like the sight of you on the ground like a loser, I have my own plans for you."

"What are you… talking about?" William asked weakly.

"See I have a bit of a special power granted to me by Purgatory." Roman said. "Those that lose to me in cardfights become loyal servants that live to do my bidding."

Just as Roman said this, William saw a dark aura begin to surround him. "Wh-What's going on?!" He felt a presence invade his mind. His sense of self began to fade. "No… I can't… give in…"

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice." Roman smirked.

Within seconds, the look in William's eyes became hollow. He slowly got up and walked over to Roman. As he stood in front of him, he got on one knee and lowered his head.

"How may I serve you, my king."

"Hehehe, much better." Roman said. The sound of a helicopter in the distance told him his ride had come. "Right on time."

The helicopter hovered over the roof, a ladder coming down from it. Roman motioned over to his servant. "Come. We're going."

"As you command." William said, walking over and climbing the ladder.

As William climbed into the helicopter, Roman began climbing the ladder as well. As he grabbed onto it, the sound of the door to the roof opening caught his attention. He turned and saw Elizabeth.

"Well hello, failure of the Scarlet family." Roman greeted.

"Roman?!" Elizabeth gasped. "What's going on?! Where's William?!"

"Oh you don't have to worry about him. I'm just taking him along with me."

"What?! You can't!"

"Oh but I can." Roman said. "And it's all because of you. If it wasn't for William's relation to you, I wouldn't have a need to target him."

Elizabeth widened her eyes. "No… You mean it's… my fault…?"

The helicopter began to fly away with Roman hanging by the ladder. He laughed at Elizabeth's pathetic state. "Let's see how you do without the Lewis heir to help you! Wallow in despair over how worthless you really are! Hahahaha!"

Elizabeth fell to her knees as the helicopter flew further and further away. "No… William…" Elizabeth muttered as tears formed in her eyes. She cried out into the open sky. "WILLIAM!"

 **Aurora: I can't believe it. William's with the enemy now?**

 **Sophia: What are we gonna do now? Purgatory keeps getting stronger.**

 **Elizabeth: It's… all my fault…**

 **Anthony: Those Purgatory guys are gonna pay for this. I'll make them wish they'd never been born.**

 **Next time: Cardfight on the Catwalk**

 **Card Gallery:**

Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 card with "Revenger" in its name]. When your G Unit with "Revenger" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose your Vanguard and it gets **(CONT VC: All cards in your hand gain Abyss Dragon and become grade 3.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO:** When this card is sent from your hand or RC to the drop zone for the effect or cost of your Vanguard with "Revenger" in its name, CC1.

* * *

Shadow Revenger, Conrad  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO:** [Put this card into your soul]. When this card is retired from RC for the cost of effect of your card, if you have a Vanguard with "Revenger" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card, choose one of your units, and it gets +5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Loyal Revenger, Dorint  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO:** [SB1] When this card is discarded as the cost to STRIDE into a G Unit with "Revenger" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it.  
 **CONT [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this card gets grade +2.

* * *

Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** -Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1]. This unit gains +10000 power, +1 critical, and **(AUTO VC: When this unit attacks, you can retire any number of your rear guards. Then, search your deck for up to 2 cards and call them to separate RCs. They both gain +5000 power for each rear guard you retired until the end of the turn.)** until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** When you would retire any of your rear guards for the effect or cost of your unit, you may choose up to two your opponent's rear guards instead of your own.

* * *

Holy Dragon, Shine Saver Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and turn it face up. If you have a heart card with "Blaster" or "Alfred" in its name, search your deck for up to one card with "Blaster" in its name and call it to RC. Then, this unit and all your rear guards with "Blaster" in their name gain +3000 power for every face up card in your G Zone until end of turn.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** If you have five or more rear guards, this unit gets +1 critical.

* * *

Awakened Blaster Arrow, Elisse  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC GB1:** If this unit is in your center column and you have a Vanguard with "Blaster" in its name, this unit can attack from the back row.


	86. Cardfight on the Catwalk

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for a fight with a clan not yet used in this fic. Get ready cause here it is.**

Flashes came from multitudes of cameras as Rose stood on the catwalk, modeling off the dress she was wearing. Despite being a top-ranked fighter in the Euro League, her fame as a model was also well-known.

As she walked backstage, Rose went to her dressing room and sat down. The first thing she did was take a look at her phone for any messages from her friends. She made sure to check often, with the threat of Purgatory leaning over all of them.

A few days had passed since William had been taken by Purgatory. When she had found out about it, Rose was shocked. For a fighter of William's caliber to lose, these Purgatory members truly were a threat to be taken seriously. But there was nothing anyone could do right now. They had no ideas as to where William was. That left Rose with one option. Hope for the best as she continued to try and master Cross Stride.

Rose sat down and took a look through her deck. ' _I need to get stronger. There's no telling when or where Purgatory will strike. I need to be ready for them.'_

As the red haired model looked through her deck, a knock was heard at the door. "Excuse me? Miss Orchards?"

"Yes? Come in."

The door to the dressing room opened and one of the members of her agency came in. "I just wanted to inform you that the next show will be in Marseille in two days. We'll be leaving right after the show here is finished."

"Understood. Thank you." Rose said.

"One more thing." the staff member said. "The theme for the show will be based around Vanguard."

"Vanguard?" Rose asked.

"Yes. With your popularity as not only a model, but a player as well, it was decided to try and show both sides of Rose Orchards. As such, you will be in a cardfight as well as modeling off clothes."

Rose nodded her head understandingly. "Alright then. I'll make sure I'm prepared."

"That will be all. If you'll excuse me." With that, the person left and closed the door behind them.

Rose thought to herself. A Vanguard gig would certainly be new. She could only assume the agency wanted to capitalize on her popularity. It was a smart choice on their part.

' _I wonder who I'll be fighting.'_ Rose thought. ' _Either way, this will be good practice. I've been so busy modeling lately that I've had little time for Vanguard.'_

* * *

The days leading to the show passed by quickly for Rose. Luckily, there had been no news on Purgatory from anyone. Without having to worry about them right now, she could focus on the show.

The dress Rose was wearing was flower themed. An obvious way to further emphasize the Neo Nectar clan she played she assumed. It didn't matter what she was wearing in her mind though. The cardfight at hand was what mattered.

A knock was heard at the door to Rose's dressing room. "Five minutes, Miss Orchards."

"Got it." Rose replied. She took a deep breath. ' _Alright. Time to go out there and show this crowd the beauty of Vanguard.'_

Once it was time, Rose was led to the stage. She could hear the crowd's excitement coming from behind the curtain. No doubt there were more of her fans as a cardfighter out there than usual this time around.

"First, let us introduce the beauty of France. A top-ranked fighter in the prestigious Euro League. Rose Orchards!"

Rose walked out onto the catwalk, waving to her fans as they cheered for her. She noticed a fight table towards the end of the catwalk. She came up to it, readying herself for the cardfight.

"And now, her opponent. Another famous beauty of France. Put your hands together for Laura Barreau!"

Rose blinked her eyes in surprise when she saw who walked out on stage. It was a young girl around the same age as herself, with long blonde hair that sparkled like the sun. It was a model Rose recognized, one that was her senior by a few years in the business. Laura struck pose after pose as she made her way to the table.

"Thank you! Thank you! You're far too kind!" Laura told the cheering crowd as she blew kiss after kiss at them. Finally, she made it to the table and looked at Rose with a smirk. "Hello there, Rose Orchards."

"Laura Barreau…" Rose said. "It certainly has been awhile. I believe the last time we met was that show in Paris."

"Indeed." Laura said. She held out a deck case. "Now then, shall we get started?"

"To be honest, I'm surprised to hear you're interested in Vanguard." Rose said, placing her deck on the table. "I wasn't aware you played."

"Well to be honest, I'm still a little new." Laura admitted. "But it's such a fun game. Don't go easy on me now, you hear?"

"Don't worry. I intend to go all out." Rose told her.

The two models drew their opening hands. The crowd was silent as they waited for them to start.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Calluna Musketeer, Elma!"

 **Calluna Musketeer, Elma**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Ancient Dragon, Pterakid!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Pterakid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _Tachikaze, huh?'_ Rose thought as she looked at Laura's unit. "That's a surprising clan choice from you."

"Well it's not as elegant as those flower girls you fight with. But sometimes you need to know how to play rough to win." Laura said. "Now then, first move goes to you."

"Why thank you." Rose said as she drew for her turn. "I ride! Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri!"

 **Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Elma moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Rose(5), Laura(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Laura said. "Ride! Ancient Dragon, Iguanogorg!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Iguanogorg**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Pterakid moves back with forerunner." Laura said. "And with its boost, my Vanguard will attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Rose said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Laura(0).]**

"That's it for my turn." Laura said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Rose(5), Laura(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Ride! Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia!"

 **Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia**

 **Grade 2, Power: 7000**

"Sylvia's skill. When she's placed on the field, I look at the top card of my deck. If that card is a Neo Nectar unit, I get to call it." Rose explained as she looked at the top card. "Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila! Superior call! And I'll have her attack your Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Sylvia attacks with a boost from Elma!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to Sylvia!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Laura(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Rose(6), Laura(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "Ride! Ancient Dragon, Dinocrowd!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Dinocrowd**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Ancient Dragon Gattlingaro!" Laura said, bringing out the grade 1 unit to her front row. "Dinocrowd attacks! With its skill, I retire Pterakid to add 5000 power! Then, I use Pterakid's skill! When it's retired, I look at the top three cards of my deck and call and Ancient Dragon." As she took a look at the top three cards, she smirked. "Calling Ancient Dragon, Tyrannobite!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger for me either."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Laura(2).]**

"Go Tyrannobite! Take out Favilla!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Rose said.

"Gattlingaro, fire on Sylvia!" Laura called out. "Skill of Gattlingaro. When he attacks, I can retire one of my rear guards to add 5000 power. I retire Tyrannobite. And then with Tyrannobite's counterblast, I can call it back out."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

' _She's already coming at me with such a relentless assault.'_ Rose thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Laura(2).]**

"Tyrannobite, time to take another bite out of Favilla!"

 **(9000)**

"Ngh… no guard." Rose said reluctantly as she sent her rear guard to the drop zone.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Rose(5), Laura(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. ' _I'm surprised how good she is. Is she really new to the game?'_

"What's wrong, Rose? Getting cold feet?"

"Not a chance." Rose said. "Even the smallest bud can one day bloom into a beautiful flower! Let her grace and beauty stun you into silence! Ride! Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia!"

 **Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _Usually I'd try and go for the early aggressive game. But I don't want to hinder my resources too much early on if she's going to retire them.'_ Rose thought. "Amelia attacks with a boost from Elma!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Rose said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Amelia!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger." Laura said. "Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Laura(3).]**

"Turn end." Rose said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Rose(7), Laura(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "Ah, this is such a fun time, isn't it? Isn't it great? Two of France's most beautiful models standing up here having a cardfight?"

"I suppose." Rose said. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but have a bad feeling. Something about all of this just didn't add up for her.

"Now then, I think it's time I get serious." Laura said. "Dragon from beyond time, awaken and unleash your full power! Ride! Ancient Dragon, Tyrannoverlord!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Tyrannoverlord**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Laura called out. "New Destruction Emperor, Gaia Devastate!"

 **New Destruction Emperor, Gaia Devastate**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I select Tyrannobite! Now for the rest of this turn, whenever a card with the same name as the chosen unit is retired, I draw a card!" Laura explained. "Next, I move Gattlingaro back and call Ancient Dragon, Hylaeon Pike in front of it, as well as Ancient Dragon, Nodotank behind Tyrannobite!"

' _She's got 4 rear guards out. She's planning for a big move.'_

"Tyrannobite attacks with a boost from Nodotank!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

Rose quickly held up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Hylaeon Pike is up next with a boost from Gattlingaro!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(3).]**

"Here comes the big one! My Vanguard attacks!" Laura called out. "Engorge, activate!"

Rose braced herself. With her experience in the Euro League she was somewhat familiar with the Engorge ability of the Tachikaze clan. ' _When the unit with Engorge attacks, she can retire her own rear guards to activate skills.'_

"I retire Tyrannobite and Nodotank to activate Gaia Devastate's Engorge. Then with Gaia Devastate's skill, I counterblast and draw. I can then select two rear guard circles with cards on them for every face up card in my G Zone and retire the cards on them. I retire my Hylaeon Pike and your Elma. Next, I use the counterblast of Tyrannobite and the soul blast of Hylaeon Pike to call them back out! Hylaeon Pike also gains 5000 power when this skill is used. On top of that, I use Nodotank's soul blast to countercharge and add 4000 power to Tyrannobite. Speaking of Tyrannobite, I draw since he was retired, thanks to my stride skill."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Rose called out.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Tyrannobite. Third check, no trigger." Laura said. "Hylaeon Pike, tear into her Vanguard again!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Rose said. "Damage check, heal trigger." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Power to Amelia and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(3).]**

"Tyrannobite attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Guard!"

"Turn end." Laura said. "Now go ahead and make your move."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Rose(4), Laura(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "Stride Generation! Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain! Virginal Cecelia!"

 **Maiden Lily Musketeer Captain, Virginal Cecelia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Look at the top four cards of the deck!" Rose explained. "I call Tessa and add Nikla to my hand! Next I activate the skill of Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne, which I discarded to stride! I counterblast and call a Musketeer off of the top four cards of my deck! I call Sylvia! Then I use her skill to call the top card of my deck! Come forth, Rozeeta!"

"Not bad. You got three rear guards out quite easily." Laura commented.

"I'm not done yet. Tessa's skill activates, giving herself 2000 power!" Rose said. "Next I call Rebecca. Tessa gets another 2000 power. And now I activate Cecelia's skill! Counterblast! I retire Rebecca, Sylvia, and Rozeeta! Then I look at the top seven cards of the deck and call Musketeers among them up to the number I retired! I call! Favilla! Alain! Verneri! They each get +3000 power with there being a face up Musketeer in my G Zone! Next, Tessa's skill gives herself another 6000, and then gives 4000 power to the Musketeers just called! Alain's skill lets me countercharge two cards since he was called by a skill! Lastly, I use Favila's skill to give herself and Tessa and extra 6000 power and Resist until end of turn!"

' _Both her side columns are rather large. I'll have to be cautious.'_ Laura thought.

"Verneri lends his support for Favilla's attack!"

 **(9000+4000+3000+6000+7000+4000+3000+4000=40000)**

"Generation guard! Cliff Authority Retainer, Blockade Ganga!"

 **Cliff Authority Retainer, Blockade Ganga**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! I retire Gattlingaro! Add 10000 to the shield!" Laura explained. "Next I choose two of my rear guards, Tyrannobite and Hylaeon Pike. Until the end of this turn, if either of them gets retired, they go back to my hand."

' _Meaning she's free to use them to intercept and not have to lose them.'_

"Tyrannobite intercepts. That should be enough to deal with your attack." Laura said. "With the skill Tyrannobite gained, I return it to my hand."

Rose had no intention of letting up. "Cecelia attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard." Laura said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Tessa and critical to the Vanguard! Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Laura said, watching as two cards fell into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(5).]**

"Tessa attacks with support from Alain!"

 **(9000+10000+6000+5000+4000+4000+3000=41000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Turn end." Rose said. "With Amelia's skill, I send the Elma in the drop zone back to the deck and draw 1 since I have 4 or more Musketeer units out."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Rose(6), Laura(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "It must be nice, Rose. Being a celebrity in both the modeling world and the Vanguard world. Everyone seems to adore you."

"Enough, Laura." Rose said. "What's this all about? You're not fighting me here for the fun of it."

A smirk came to the blonde model's lips. "Well… that's not untrue. After all, this whole gig was my idea."

Rose widened her eyes. "You were the one that suggested this show?"

"Of course. It was the perfect excuse to destroy you on a big stage." Laura said as she pointed at her opponent. "I'm going to show you who number 1 really is."

"What are you talking about?"

"I started as a model two years before you. I had to crawl my way up to where I am." Laura said. "I was well on my way to becoming the best model in France! In all of the world! But then you came along! People became entranced by you so quickly! It infuriated me!"

" _That's_ what this is about? Some petty jealousy?" Rose asked. "Laura, you're a great model. Why would you stoop to this?"

"Because people shouldn't care about someone like you! They should be worshipping ME!" Laura shouted. "Like I told you Rose, sometimes one needs to play rough to win. And when I'm through with you, there won't be anything left."

"You honestly think beating me in a cardfight is going to help make you more famous? Especially with everyone hearing what you just said?"

Laura's lips smirked once again. "Why don't you take a look at that "audience" of ours right now?"

It took Laura's saying it for Rose to notice, but the cheers and noises had died down to silence. She had thought they were just focused on the cardfight, but when Rose looked over she saw that wasn't the case. The look in everyone's eyes were hollow. Like their minds weren't there.

"What's going on?!"

"I have to say, the new club I joined was really something." Laura said. "Such strange powers. And so useful too."

"Strange powers?" Rose asked. Slowly, her eyes widened in realization. "Laura… No… You're a member of Purgatory?!"

"Oh, so you've heard of us? Ryo figured you might have been informed." Laura told her.

"Are you insane?! Don't you realize Purgatory plans to destroy the world?!"

"Explaining things to you would be far too tedious." Laura said. "But now that the cat's out of the bag, I can finally kick things up a notch with this cardfight!"

All of a sudden, the air around them felt different. Rose gasped as the units they were fighting with appeared next to them, as if they had come out of thin air.

"Allow me to explain how my power works. It's quite similar to hypnotism." Laura explained. "I can entrance others, and make their minds focus solely on me. Sure they act like mindless zombies just staring around, but is that really any different than normal."

Rose clenched her fists. "Do people really mean that little to you?"

"If they're not around to worship me, then they're worthless." Laura said. "Now then, I believe it's my turn."

Rose braced herself. ' _This fight just became a lot more serious. I can't afford to lose.'_

"Stride Generation!" Laura called out. "Super Ancient Dragon, Spinocastle!"

 **Super Ancient Dragon, Spinocastle**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I select Hylaeon Pike! Now whenever it's retired, I can draw." Laura explained. "And now call! Dinocrowd! Iguanogorg! Dinodile! Gattlingaro!"

' _She's got a full field now.'_ Rose thought.

"I use Dinodile's skill to send it to the soul and countercharge." Laura said. "Now Hylaeon Pike! Attack Tessa!"

 **(9000)**

"Intercept with Favila!"

"Dinocrowd attacks with a boost from Gattlingaro! Using Dinocrowd's skill to retire Hylaeon Pike and add 5000 to Dinocrowd! Then I use Hylaeon Pike's soul blast to revive it with 5000 extra power!" Laura said. "And that's not all. Spinocastle's Generation Break 3! When an Ancient Dragon is called during the battle phase, it gets 10000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Hylaeon Pike, go say hello to Tessa again, along with Iguanogorg."

 **(9000+5000+10000+7000=31000)**

"No guard." Rose said begrudgingly, watching her rear guard get retired.

"Spinocastle attacks!" Laura declared. "Skill activated! I retire any number of Ancient Dragon rear guards that I choose! I pick all four of my rear guards! Since at least 2 were retired, I draw! Since at least 3 were retired, Spinocastle gets +10000 power and a critical! And lastly, since at least 4 were retired, I can soul charge! Since Hylaeon Pike was retired, draw with the stride skill! And then I pay the costs for Hylaeon Pike and Iguanogorg to call them to my front row! They both get 10000 power since they were called during the battle phase!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! Power to Iguanogorg and critical to Hylaeon Pike! Second check, no trigger! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Hylaeon Pike and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(4).]**

"Now Hylaeon Pike, attack!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+5000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Antero's soul blast! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Iguanogorg attacks!"

 **(7000+10000+5000=22000)**

"No guard." Rose said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Laura(4).]**

As the card fell into her damage zone, Rose suddenly felt pain rush through her body. She fell to one knee as she tried to endure it. "Ngh!"

"And here I thought that might finish you." Laura said with a smug grin. "Oh well. I just need to finish you off next turn."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Rose(3), Laura(7).]**

"There won't… be a… next turn… for you." Rose said as she managed to stand back up.

Laura laughed as she looked at Rose struggling to stand. "That's a very nice wish, but it won't come true. You lost your front row that turn. And I have seven cards in my hand. You have no chance at beating me this turn. You'd need a miracle."

"Then I'll just have to make a miracle happen." Rose said firmly. "Don't underestimate me, or my clan! Generation Zone, release!"

Laura watched as a pillar of light shot up around Rose's Vanguard. "What?! What's going on?!"

"Let true beauty bloom across this battlefield! Witness a spring like you've never seen before!" Rose called out. "Stride Generation! Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia!"

 **Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia! Generation Break 3! When placed, I can counterblast and flip a card in my G Zone face up! In return, my Vanguard gets a skill! Whenever a Musketeer is called, my front row Musketeer rear guards gain 5000 power!"

"Every time?!"

"That's right! And now I'll use Amelia's stride skill! I look at the top 4 cards, add Elma to my hand, and call Favilla! My Vanguard's skill, activates, adding 5000 to the front row! Next, I call Elma to my front row, adding 5000 to the front row once again! Favilla's skill activates, giving 6000 power to her and Elma! Lastly, I call Blue Rose Musketeer, Ernst! The skill activates once again! Up next is Ernst's skill to counterblast and return him to the deck! I look at the top four cards of the deck and call Daphne! 5000 to the front row once again!"

' _Damn her. How much power is she going to give her units?'_

"One more thing. Amelia has another skill." Rose added. "If I have five or more Musketeer rear guards, she gets 10000 power and plus one drive. But before you start worrying about that, you should focus on Elma's attack, boosted by Verneri!"

 **(5000+15000+6000+7000+5000=38000)**

"No guard. Damage check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Laura(5).]**

"Amelia attacks with a boost from Daphne!" Rose declared. "Elma's skill! Counterblast! I send Elma to the bottom of the deck and look at the top 4 cards! I call Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia! Another 5000 to the front row rear guards thanks to my Vanguard's skill!"

 **(26000+10000+7000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Favila! Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, stand trigger! Power to my Amelia rear guard and stand Verneri!" Rose said. "Favila attacks with a boost from Alain!"

 **(9000+25000+6000+5000+4000=49000)**

"Intercept with Hylaeon Pike!" Laura declared. "And then, Generation guard! Barrage Giant Cannon, Bullish Primer!"

 **Barrage Giant Cannon, Bullish Primer**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Bullish Primer! I flip a G Guardian face up! Then, Bullishe Primer gets 5000 shield for each of my open rear guard circles! With Hylaeon Pike gone, that's four, for an extra 20000!"

"Amelia attacks with a boost from Verneri!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+7000+5000=33000)**

"Guard!" Laura called out, holding up 2 cards from her hand.

Rose clenched her fists, having been unable to finish her opponent off like she had wanted. "Turn end. Using Amelia's skill to send Rachel back to the deck and draw."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Rose(7), Laura(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "Well Rosie, so much for that miracle of yours. And now it's time for me to finish you." The blonde model held her hand over her G Zone as a dark aura appeared around it. "I bind five of my face up G Units face down to open the path to a dark future."

Rose widened her eyes as shadows overtook Laura's Vanguard. The air in the room had a sudden chill to it. ' _This is bad.'_

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Laura called out. "Purgatory Carnivore, Tyrannodoom!"

 **Purgatory Carnivore, Tyrannodoom**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

Rose gasped as Laura's Purgatorial Stride appeared. It was a gigantic Tyrannosaurus with decayed black skin and piercing red eyes. It let out a roar that shook Rose to her very core. And it wasn't just her. The entire building was shaking from the presence of the terrifying unit.

"Laura, what are you doing?! This whole place will collapse if this keeps up!" Rose said.

"As if any of that matters to me!" Laura said. "I'll have enough time to get out. You on the other hand might find it tricky once I'm through with you." She moved Iguanogorg to the back row and called out the remaining cards in her hand. "Call! Gattlngaro! Tyrannobite! Tyrannoverlord! Next, I counterblast for Tyrannodoom's skill! I choose each of my rear guards and give them the skill to revive when I retire them!"

' _They each gain the ability to revive!?'_

"Tyrannobite attacks with a boost from Gattlingaro!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

Rose wasted no time in holding up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Tyrannoverlord! Iguanogorg! You're up next!"

 **(11000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!"

"Tyrannodoom attacks!" Laura called out. "Skill of Tyrannodoom! I retire all of my rear guards! Then, for each one retired, I can add 10000 power to Tyrannodoom and retire an opponent rear guard! So I'll go ahead and retire both your left and right columns! And if five or more rear guards were retired between us, my Vanguard gains a critical!"

Rose watched as Laura's Vanguard devoured its allies, on top of four of her own rear guards. The powerful beast roared even louder.

"Let's also not forget that each of my rear guards now revive since they were retired." Laura smirked, watching as her four rear guards came back.

 **(26000+40000=66000)**

Rose found herself completely helpless against this. There was nothing she could do. "No guard…"

Tyrannodoom lunged down at Amelia. The Musketeer screamed in pain, as did Rose as the final card fell into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Rose(6), Laura(5).]**

"AHHHHHH!"

Laura watched as Rose collapsed to the ground. The sight brought a grin to her lips. But the cracks forming in the building's structure told her it was time to go. As if on cue, a helicopter appeared in the sky and dropped down a ladder. Laura grabbed on and began climbing.

"Laura… Wait…" Rose muttered as she laid on the ground.

"Sorry Rosie, but I've got better places to be. Feel free to come after me. If you make it out of here alive that is, hahahaha!"

As Laura climbed into the helicopter and got further and further away. Rose, managed to get to her feet. At the same time, the trance everyone else seemed to be in vanished. Everyone came to their senses, only to find the building falling apart.

"Wh-What's going on?!"

"What happened?!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Everyone hurry!" Rose shouted. "Out of the building! Now!"

Screams of terror flooded the crowd as people rushed to get out. They pushed and shoved each other in a giant flow.

' _I need to make sure everyone gets out.'_ Rose told herself, watching the sea of people leave. As they did, she noticed a little girl standing by herself, looking around with fear in her eyes.

Rose leaped off the stage and rushed over to the little girl. "Are you alright? You need to get out of here."

"My mommy… I got separated from her…" the girl said with tears in her eyes. "I don't know where she is. I'm scared."

A chunk of the roof fell near them. Rose shielded the child from the debris. "I'm sure your mom is outside with the others. Let's hurry and get out of here so we can find her."

"I'm too scared to move."

"It's alright. I'll carry you." Rose said, lifting the girl up in her arms. She ran as fast as she could in her dress towards the exit.

As they neared it however, another chunk of the building came raining down towards them. Rose barely had enough time to notice it before getting blown back and blacking out.

* * *

"Ugh…"

Rose slowly managed to blink open her eyes as she came to. Her entire body was in pain. The first thing she managed to notice was that she was in a bed in a white room.

"Where… am I?" Rose muttered.

"Ah good. You're awake." a new voice spoke. Rose saw a doctor walk in. "You're in the hospital. How are you feeling?"

"What… happened…?"

"Honestly, people are still trying to figure that out as well." the doctor said. "An incident occured at the fashion show you were in. You were playing another model in a game of Vanguard. According to witnesses, the building suddenly started collapsing out of nowhere. Everyone's memories seem very hazy of how it happened though."

It all came flooding back to her. "That's right… Laura…"

"I'm afraid they haven't found Miss Barreau yet." the doctor explained. "They're still clearing out the rubble looking for her. You were lucky they found you when they did, not to mention that you weren't crushed by the rubble."

"Right… I was escaping…" Rose recalled. Suddenly her eyes widened. "There was a girl with me! Is she okay?!"

"You needn't worry. She's fine. A few scrapes, but nothing to worry about. Actually, it was her calling out that allowed the rescue team to find you so quickly. She's with her mother now."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"That girl owes you her life, Miss Rose. She told us you saved her. You were very brave back there." the doctor said.

Rose glanced down, noticing cast on her right arm. "My arm…"

"Yes. You're right arm was broken, as well as your right leg." he explained. "Thankfully, that seems to be the worst of the damage. They should heal given enough rest."

The pain her body was in was immense. But it was nothing compared to the emotional pain Rose was feeling right now. Someone she had considered a friend was a member of Purgatory, the group trying to destroy the world. On top of that, there was no telling how many people had been hurt from this incident. And what had she been able to do? Nothing.

' _I can't go at this half hearted anymore. I need to master Cross Stride.'_ Rose told herself. ' _I can't let anymore people get hurt like this.'_

"Doctor… Can you relay a message to my agency for me?" Rose asked.

"Certainly. What is it?"

"I want you to let them know that I'll be taking a leave of absence from my modeling career." she told him. "And once I'm healed up, I'll be going to Japan for a bit."

 **Rose: Laura…**

 **Dan: Purgatory keeps managing to one up us.**

 **Sophia: People keep getting hurt because of them. It's not fair.**

 **Anthony: First William, now this. We need to stop these monsters.**

 **Aurora: Cross Stride… I need to learn it fast.**

 **Next time: The Vanguard Equation**

 **Card Gallery:**

Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** [CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up.] When this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, until end of turn, this unit gets **(CONT VC: When your unit with "Musketeer" in its name is placed on RC, all your front rear guards with "Musketeer" in their name get +5000 power until end of turn.)**.  
 **CONT VC:** If you have 5 or more rear guards with "Musketeer" in their name, this unit gets +10000 power and +1 drive.

* * *

Ancient Dragon, Tyrannoverlord  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** When this unit is placed on VC or when your G Unit STRIDE, choose one of your rear guards with "Ancient Dragon" in its name. Until the end of this turn, any time a card with the name of the chosen unit is retired, draw a card.  
 **AUTO VC/RC:** [Choose 3 of your rear guards and retire them.] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains +10000 power and +1 critical. Then, if you have 4 or more damage, your opponent can not call Sentinels to GC during this battle.

* * *

Super Ancient Dragon, Spinocastle  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC:** [Take a facedown card from your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up]. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, retire any number of "Ancient Dragon" rear guards you control. If you retired 2 or more, draw a card. If you retired 3 or more, this unit gets +10000 power and +1 critical. If you retired 4 or more, CC1 or SC1.  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** During your battle phase, when your unit with "Ancient Dragon" in its name is placed on your RC, that unit gets +10000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Purgatory Carnivore, Tyrannodoom  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** -Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1]. All of your rear guards gain **(CONT: When this unit is retired due to the effect of your unit, call this card to RC.)  
** until end of turn **AUTO VC:** [Choose any number of your rear guards and retire them]. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gains +10000 power for each of your rear guards retired. Then, for each rear guard retired, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it. Then, if the number of retired rear guards with this effect was 5 or more, this unit gets +1 critical.


	87. The Vanguard Equation

**A/N: Time for yet another new clan's premiere in this fic. Hope you all enjoy it.**

"Attack the Vanguard! Get him Hikari!"

"No guard." Anthony said, putting the sixth card into his damage zone. "Darn it. I thought I had you for sure that time."

"One more time." Aurora said. "Fight me again."

"Huh?" Anthony said. "Look, not that I mind fighting you, but we've fought five times in a row. Shouldn't we take a short break?"

"We can't afford a break. We need to get stronger." Aurora said. She wouldn't say it aloud with the other people in the card shop, but it was clear she was referring to mastering Cross Stride.

Dan stepped forward. "We get that. But you've been fighting almost non stop since you got here. You can't keep going like this."

"I'm fine." Aurora said.

"You say that Aurora, but-"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Aurora shouted. She quickly took notice of her outburst, silencing everyone else in the shop. Wanting some privacy, she walked to the employee room. "Excuse me."

Watching Aurora close the door behind her, everyone in the shop was still recovering from their surprise. It was rare to see Aurora lose her temper like that.

Sophia showed a frown. "I'm worried about Aroura. Is she going to be ok?"

"I'll… see how she's doing." Dan offered, walking over to the employee room and going inside.

As Dan walked in, he heard the sound of Aurora sobbing. He saw her kneeling in the corner. Dan walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"... I'm sorry I yelled like that." Aurora said. She wiped the tears from her eyes, but new ones replaced them. "I just… I don't know what to do."

"I know." Dan said, sitting next to her. "You've been even more impatient about learning Cross Stride ever since what happened with William."

Aurora clenched her fists. "I don't want to see anymore people I care about get hurt. William's missing. Not to mention how bad Elizabeth feels."

Dan nodded his head understandingly. Next to Elizabeth, Aurora was taking what happened to William the hardest. He couldn't really say he blamed her. Purgatory kept getting one up on them. There was also the attack Rose encountered in France that they had heard about. The only plus they had was that this brought their knowledge to the members of the Seven Lords of Purgatory to six. And with all the panic spreading from the mysterious events happening across the world, it was clear that Purgatory was still very much in control of the situation.

Aurora leaned her head on Dan's shoulder. "I can't stand feeling so helpless. I feel like I'm letting everyone down."

"You could never do that." Dan told her.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you are the strongest person I've ever known." Dan said, looking at her with a reassuring smile. "If there's anyone that can stop these guys, it's you."

"... Thanks Dan." Aurora said. "I'll be alright. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be out."

"Got it. I'll let the others know." Dan said, getting up and walking out.

As Dan walked back into the main room of the shop, things seemed back to normal for everyone. They were going back to their own business.

"She should be out in a few minutes." Dan told Ryuji as he walked over to the counter. "I think she's just putting too much stress on herself."

"Thanks Dan." Ryuji said. "She really has been in a rut lately, hasn't she?"

"Aurora's not the only one depressed." Dan admitted. "Elizabeth's also having a hard time bouncing back."

"How is she doing anyway? With William gone, things must be hard."

"She's staying at my place for now." Anthony said, walking over. "Luckily I was able to convince my aunt and uncle. But she's still trying to get back her groove."

"I hope William's ok." Sophia frowned. "Yukari says she's looking into his whereabouts, but we haven't heard anything yet."

"All we can do is hope." Anthony said. "In any case, how about you and I go a round, Sophia?"

"Sure." Sophia nodded.

Ryuji watched as Anthony, Sophia, and Dan walked over to one of the tables. He glanced back at the employee room. He couldn't help but worry about Aurora. He remembered how much she loved Vanguard. And now her love for the game had to be pushed aside to try and help save the world.

As the man thought to himself, the door to the shop opened. Ryuji saw a man walk in and come over to the counter. "How may I help you, sir?"

"This is Card Galaxy, correct?" the man asked.

Ryuji nodded his head. "Yes, that's correct."

"Then you must be Mr. Fujou. Aurora's father."

"Yes, that's right." Ryuji said with narrowed eyes. "How exactly do you know my daughter?"

"Ah, of course. Where are my manners?" he said. "I'm Mr. Kagaguchi. Aurora's homeroom teacher."

"Her homeroom teacher? Is Aurora in some type of trouble?"

"Oh no, nothing of the sort. She's a model student." Mr. Kagaguchi assured him. "You see I actually came here today to speak with you."

"With me?" Ryuji asked. "How is it I can help you?"

"Well you see... I have a little proposition I wanted to run by you."

* * *

 _ **-A few days later-**_

Aurora walked through the city streets, carrying bags in her arms. It was the weekend and her father had asked her to go buy a few groceries before her shift at the shop. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to be doing, since she would rather be using the day off from school to continue training, but it had to be done.

"Geez dad, can't you at least stay on top of groceries?" Aurora asked herself as she came up towards Card Galaxy.

As Aurora walked in through the front door, the first thing she noticed was the surprising number of people there. Even for the weekend,the shop was surprisingly busy.

"Ah you're finally back." Ryuji said. "Just in time."

"What exactly is going on, dad?" Aurora asked as she walked in and put the bags down.

"We're doing a special little event today." Ryuji said. "It's going to be a day to help people learn about Vanguard."

"A teaching day, huh?" Aurora said. It wasn't the first time the shop had done it. It was a good way to teach people who wanted to try out Vanguard how to play it.

"Aurora! Hey!"

"Hm?" Aurora glanced over at the person calling her name and widened her eyes in surprise at who she saw. A student from her class. "Madoka?"

"Yup!" Madoka said as she walked up to her friend.

"I'm surprised you came out to this." Aurora said.

"Well I thought I'd give it a shot." Madoka told her. "We all figured it seemed to be worth at least a try."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "We?" she looked at the other teens gathered around among the younger kids. It took her a moment, but she recognized several of them from Kousei High. "You all came out to this?"

"Well… Mr. Kagaguchi may have offered a little extra credit to us if we came." Madoka admitted. "But once we started trying it out, everyone saw how fun it was. We were really surprised."

"Mr. Kagaguchi did that?" Aurora asked.

"Indeed I did." the teacher said, revealing himself. "I came in the other day and spoke to your father about the idea. He was happy to agree."

"So Aurora…" Madoka said. "I was hoping you could give me a few tips about playing. I've been using this starter deck that was given out to us, but I figured you might be able to help me with some ideas for cool combos."

"Oh…" Aurora rubbed the back of her head. She had really been hoping for some training time. But with how busy and noisy it was, there was no chance of that happening as long as she stayed here. "Well actually I'm a bit busy. I was planning on heading home."

"Now hold on, young lady." her father called out. "You're still an employee here. That means you have to help out."

Aurora frowned as she looked over at her father. "But dad, I-"

"No buts young lady." Ryuji said.

"Come on Aurora! It's super fun!" Sophia said.

Aurora let out a sigh. "Alright. If I have no choice."

"Well in that case, I have a fun little idea." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Miss Fujou, would you do me the honor of a cardfight?"

"A cardfight between me and you?" Aurora questioned.

"Indeed. It may give the others here a better idea on how complex the game of Vanguard can truly be." he said. "And to add onto the excitement, if you lose then there will be extra homework for my students all next week."

"Wait, what?!" Aurora exclaimed. "Seriously?!"

"Come on, Aurora! You can do it!" Madoka told her. "After all, you won that World Tournament thing, right?!"

Several other students encouraged Aurora. The blonde teen groaned internally as she realized she had no way out of this. ' _How'd I get caught up in all this?'_

"Well Miss Fujou? What do you say?" Mr. Kagaguchi asked.

"Alright, you're on." Aurora said, bringing her deck out. "Let's cardfight."

"Hold on a second, Aurora." Ryuji said. He took a deck case and tossed it her way. "Use this for your fight."

Aurora caught the case and took a look at it. "Wait… isn't this?"

"You're Nova Grappler deck, yes." her father confirmed. "I think it's only fair to give your teacher at least a little handicap."

It had been awhile since Aurora had last fought using her old deck. But this was also the deck that she had started Vanguard with and fought with for years. Even if it wasn't Star Chaser, she was no pushover with this deck.

"Now then, let's get started." Mr. Kagaguchi said, walking over to a table and placing his deck down.

Aurora walked over and put her deck down as well. The two of them drew their opening hands. Together, they began the game with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Morgenrot!"

 **Morgenrot**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Stationery Hero!"

 **Stationery Hero**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _Great Nature.'_ Aurora noticed.

"You may have the first move, Miss Fujou." her teacher offered.

"Alright then. Draw." Aurora said. "I ride Venus Blaukluger."

 **Venus Blaukluger**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Morgenrot moves back. Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(5).]**

"My turn. Draw." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Let's begin with first period! Ride! Body Faction, Maox!"

 **Body Faction, Maox**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Stationery Hero moves back with forerunner. And now he'll lend his support for an attack from my Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Kagaguchi(0).]**

"That will end the first lesson." he said. "Now let us see how you respond, Miss Fujou."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride. Mars Blaukluger."

 **Mars Blaukluger**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Regia Blaulanze." Aurora said. "Blaulanze attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"Boosted by Morgenrot, my Vanguard attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Kagaguchi(2).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

"Alright! Aurora's in the lead!"

"You can do it!"

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(5).]**

"I wouldn't get too excited just yet." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "I ride! Problem Child, Graybelly!"

 **Problem Child, Graybelly**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Here's your lesson for second period! Dealing with a bear playing electric guitar!" he called out. "Greybelly attacks with a boost from Hero!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Draw trigger. Power to the vanguard and I draw one."

"Damage check. No trigger." Aurora said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kagaguchi(2).]**

"That will end the lesson for now." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _I don't get it? Why am I wasting my time with this?'_

Cheers were heard from the students watching as they encouraged Aurora. Sophia walked over to Ryuji at the counter. "Mr. Fujou?"

"Yes? What is it, Sophia?" he asked.

"It's just… something feels off about Aurora." Sophia said. "She doesn't seem to be enjoying the cardfight."

Ryuji nodded his head. "You're not imagining things, Sophia. It's clear that her heart's not in it."

"But why?"

Ryuji had a sneaking suspicion as to what the answer was. ' _Aurora. You've grown to become an amazing cardfighter. But right now, you're forgetting one of the most important things of Vanguard.'_

"Ride. Neumond Blaukluger."

 **Neumond Blaukluger**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Uranus Blaukluger and Venus Blaukluger." Aurora said. "I attack with Uranus boosted by Venus."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"That will be no guard from me." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kagaguchi(3).]**

"Neumond attacks with Morgenrot's boost."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Blaulanze and I draw." Aurora said. "Blaulanze attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard."

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(6), Kagaguchi(5).]**

"My turn. Stand and draw." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Well now Miss Fujou, it seems time for me to step it up a bit." The teacher took a card from his hand and held it up. "I hope you've studied. Because the consequence of failing this one's class is rather steep. Ride! Amazing Professor, Bigbelly!"

 **Amazing Professor, Bigbelly**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Mr. Kagaguchi called out. "Omniscience Dragon, Baraul!"

 **Omniscience Dragon, Baraul**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Crayon Tiger! It gains 4000 power! However, at the end of the turn, I retire it and draw! Next I call Artistic Oscelot and Body Faction, Max! Using Oscelot's skill, I counterblast and add 4000 power to Crayon Tiger! And now I use Baraul's skill! Soul blast!" He flipped a card in his G Zone face up and smirked. "My front row now gains the skill to let me draw whenever one of them lands a successful attack on the Vanguard. In addition, they each gain 4000 power for each face up card in my G Zone."

One of the student's widened their eyes. "Wait so he can draw whenever he hits the Vanguard?"

"But his rear guards get retired at the end of the turn. Isn't that bad?"

"I activate Stationery Hero's skill. I counterblast and rest him to add 4000 power to Body Faction Max. In return, he's retired at the end of the turn." he added. "Now then Miss Fujou, pop quiz time."

"Huh?"

"How much power does Crayon Tiger currently have?"

Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise to the sudden question. "Well… 21000."

"Correct! You get an A+ for that answer." he said. "And with a rear guard at a power of 20000 or greater, Max's Success is achieved."

"Success? What's he mean?" a student asked.

"A good question." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Miss Fujou, would you care to do the honors?"

"It's a skill unique to the Great Nature clan." Aurora answered. "When any rear guard reaches the number specified, the unit with the Success ability becomes successful until the end of the turn, allowing access to other skills."

"Bravo! Another correct response!" he said. "I activate Stationery Hero's skill. Since I have a successful unit, I can send him to the soul and draw. Then I call Honorary Assistant, Mikesaburo. I use his skill to give Max a skill."

"Wow! Mr. Kagaguchi's field is insane!"

"Yeah but he barely has any cards in hand."

"Mikesaburo lends his support to Artistic Oscelot!" he declared. "Activating Oscelot's skill to add 4000 power to Crayon Tiger!"

 **(9000+4000+7000=20000)**

"Guard." Aurora said, calling out a card from her hand.

"Crayon Tiger will attack next, with Max's boost! Activating Crayon tiger's skill! I counterblast to stand Oscelot and add 4000 power to it!"

 **(9000+4000+4000+4000+4000+7000+4000=36000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kagaguchi(3).]**

"With the skill of Baraul, I draw. And speaking of Baraul, he's coming for your Vanguard!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"Perfect guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Artistic Oscelot! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Crayon Tiger!" Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Now go Oscelot! Attack the Vanguard once again!"

 **(9000+4000+5000=18000)**

"Guard."

"Crayon Tiger will finish things!"

 **(9000+4000+4000+4000+4000+5000=30000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kagaguchi(3).]**

"Since the attack hit, I draw. That will end my turn." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Crayon Tiger, Artistic Oscelot, and Max retire. I then get to draw four cards. In addition, with the skills of Max and Mikesaburo, I add Amazing Professor, Bigbelly from my deck to my hand and send the retired Max to the bottom of the deck."

"Woah, look at Mr. Kagaguchi's hand! He's got so many cards in it!"

"He combined the use of his skills so easily! He must be really skilled!"

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(3), Kagaguchi(11).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She couldn't deny her teacher was strong. A lot stronger than she had been expecting.

' _Still… Is there really any point to this cardfight?'_

"Come on Aurora! We're counting on you!" Madoka called out.

' _Well, if nothing else, I suppose I should make sure to win to avoid the extra workload.'_ Aurora thought. "Stride Generation. Blazar Blaukluger."

 **Blazar Blaukluger**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I add 5000 power to Regia Blaulanze. Then I use Neptune Blaukluger's skill. Since I discarded him to stride, I can call him to rear guard. Also, since I strode, Uranus gains 5000 power and a skill."

"Woah! Aurora's got a full field!"

"You can do it!"

"Boosted by Neptune, Regia Blaulanze attacks."

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kagaguchi(4).]**

"Boosted by Venus, Uranus attacks."

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"I'll guard that!" the teacher said, holding up two cards from his hand.

"I attack with my Vanguard, boosted by Morgenrot."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard with Revision Scientist, Delibelly!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Regia. Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Activating the Limit Break of my Vanguard. I discard two cards and ride another copy of Neumond from my hand." Several students gasped in surprise at seeing Aurora ride a new Vanguard in the middle of the battle phase. "Skill of Neumond. I stand four of my rested rear guards and add 5000 power to each of them. Then, since Blaulanze stood, Venus stands and gets 3000 power."

"Mhm. Very impressive indeed, Miss Fujou." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "But you'll need more than that to defeat me. The skill of Delibelly. I soul blast to countercharge and draw."

"Uranus gains another 5000 power." Aurora said. "And now it attacks with Venus."

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+5000+7000+3000=39000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Kagaguchi(5).]**

"Alright! She's got him on the ropes!"

"Go Aurora!"

"Blaulanze and Neptune attack."

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+5000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Head of the Bastion, Ardillo!"

 **Head of the Bastion, Ardillo**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Ardillo. Since I have at least 3 open rear guard circles, 10000 is added to the shield."

"Neumon attacks. With Morgenrot's boost" Aurora said. "Activating Blaulanze's skill. When the Vanguard attacks, I can counterblast and soul blast to stand him. Add 2000 power."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Mr. Kagaguchi called out, holding up a draw and stand trigger in his hand.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. I don't heal since I have less damage but I give the power to Blaulanze. And now it attacks again."

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Immortality Professor, Kundalini!"

 **Immortality Professor, Kundalini**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Kundalini. I give a skill to my rear guard Mikesaburo."

"Turn end." Aurora said.

"Since the turn is over, the skill Mikesaburo gained forces him to retire. But in exchange, I get to countercharge."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(4).]**

"Stand and draw." the teacher said. "Now then, Miss Fujou, it is clear that something seems to be bothering you."

"Huh?" Aurora said as she blinked in surprise.

"I am not a teacher for nothing. I can see when one of my students is troubled." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Unfortunately, right now I am your opponent. So you will see no mercy from me."

' _Something troubling me…'_ Aurora thought. ' _Of course something's bothering me. An underground cult is planning to destroy the world. William's been captured. But worst of all… I can't shake this pain I'm feeling. I can't learn how to use Cross Stride, yet everything depends on it!'_

"Aurora! Snap out of it!"

Aurora widened her eyes at the sudden outburst. She turned around to see the one that had called out to her was Sophia.

"Sophia…"

"The Aurora I know loves Vanguard! But you aren't smiling at all!" Sophia called out to her. "Smile Aurora! You love Vanguard more than anyone in the world so show it!"

' _Vanguard…'_ Aurora thought. She looked at the card in her hand. The units on her field. ' _I always had so much fun playing this game. But with everything that's happened… I forgot the most important thing about Vanguard. To give it my all and have fun.'_

Aurora wiped a tear starting to form in her eye. "You're right, Sophia! Thanks for that!"

Sophia smiled at seeing Aurora back to the way she knew her. Ryuji also was happy to see the daughter he knew back. ' _That's the way, Aurora. Show everyone the fun you always have playing Vanguard.'_

Mr. Kagaguchi grinned. "It seems you've worked through your troubles."

"Do your worst." Aurora smirked. "It doesn't matter what you throw at me. I'm gonna win!"

"We'll see if that holds true." he said. "Generation Zone, release! No time for the final exam! Let's see you solve your way out of this predicament! Stride Generation! Sage-saint Professor, Bigbelly!"

 **Sage-saint Professor, Bigbelly**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Amazing Professor, Bigbelly and add 4000 power to it! Next from my hand, I call Crayon Tiger and Mikesaburo! I use Mikesaburo's skill and target my rear guard Bigbelly with its skill! Finally, I activate Sage-saint Professor, Bigbelly's skill! Counterblast! I target Crayon Tiger and increase its power by 4000 for each face up card in my G zone, for a total of 20000 extra power! In addition, if Crayon Tiger's attack hits, I can stand rear guards up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone!"

' _And Amazing Professor Bigbelly has a skill that will let him restand Crayon Tiger. Meaning he'll have at least 5 attacks this turn.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I have to be extremely careful how I guard.'_

"Boosted by Mikesaburo, my rear guard Bigbelly attacks!"

 **(11000+4000+7000=22000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(5).]**

"Sage-saint Professor attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out.

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Amazing Professor, Bigbelly. Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger. Power to Amazing Professor, Bigbelly and I draw." Mr. Kagaguchi said. "Now Crayon Tiger attacks! And using its counterblast, I stand Amazing Professor and add 4000 power!"

 **(9000+20000=29000)**

"Guard! Aurora called out, holding up a trigger from her hand. "I also intercept with Regia Blaulanze!"

"Not bad, Miss Fujou. But how about this? Amazing Professor's second attack! And like Crayon Tiger, I can counterblast with his skill to restand Crayon Tiger and add 4000 power!"

 **(11000+4000+4000+5000=24000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a trigger.

"Crayon Tiger will deal the finishing blow!"

 **(9000+20000+4000=33000)**

"Generation guard! Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison!"

 **Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Blue Prison! Since I have more or equal damage than the opponent, 5000 is added to the shield!"

Mr. Kagaguchi grinned. "Very nicely done, Miss Fujou." he said. "Turn end. I retire Bigbelly and draw 2 cards. Then, with Mikesaburo's skill, I add my grade 3 Talented Rhinos to my hand."

The students watching gasped in awe. Aurora had been pushed to the brink, but she was still hanging in there.

"Woah, she actually survived."

"But she only has one card in her hand. And she has an open card in her front row. Can she really do anything?"

"Of course I can!" Aurora grinned, surprising her classmates. "You never know what will happen in a cardfight. So you've got to trust that your deck will guide you to victory."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(1), Kagaguchi(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Here goes! Generation zone, release! Now appear before me! Hero who holds the cosmos in his hand! Stride Generation! Cosmic Blaukluger!"

 **Cosmic Blaukluger**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I add 5000 power to Neptune Blaukluger! In addition, 5000 power is added to Uranus with its own skill!" Aurora said. "Next, I move Neptune up to the front row!"

"So then, this is where you're going to make your stand?" Mr. Kagaguchi asked.

"It is." Aurora said. "Now watch the leader of the world championship team in action! Neptune Blaukluger, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"Intercept with Crayon Tiger."

"Uranus, you're up! And Venus, lend your support!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Morgenrot, Cosmic Blaukluger attacks!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Hey… doesn't it seem like Aurora's more excited all of a sudden?"

"Now that you mention it…"

"She's having fun." Madoka said. "Of course she's excited."

' _I lost sight of what was most important about Vanguard. Having fun.'_ Aurora thought. ' _I'm not making that mistake ever again.'_ "Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

Mr. Kagaguchi widened his eyes. "To the Vanguard? But the means…"

"That's right! I activate Cosmic Blaukluger's skill! I counterblast and discard three cards from my hand! I can then choose grade 1 or higher rear guards on my field whose total grades are equal to or less than the combined grades of the cards I discarded, and stand them! I discarded a grade 3 and two grade 1s, for a total of 5! So I stand, Uranus, Neptune, and Venus! In addition, since one of the cards discarded was a grade 3, Cosmic Blaukluger stands with drive minus 1!"

"Woah! Did you see that?!"

"Aurora's incredible! She turned the tables in an instant!"

"Uranus Blaukluger attacks with a boost from Venus!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

Mr. Kagaguchi showed a satisfied smile. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kagaguchi(6).]**

Cheers erupted for Aurora's victory from the other students. Aurora grinned as she rubbed the back of her head. "Aw stop it. It wasn't anything that special."

"Congratulations, Miss Fujou." Mr. Kagaguchi said, clapping his hands. "It seems I have a long way to go before I'm at your level."

"To be honest, I was surprised by how good you were." Aurora admitted.

"Yes well… I may have competed in the national tournament when I was younger. Back before becoming a teacher."

"Huh?!" Aurora gasped. "Wait, seriously?!"

"Well then…" Ryuji said. "That was a rather exciting cardfight. But how about we get back to helping the others with learning how to play?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Sure. Sounds good to me."

"I'll help too!" Sophia said.

"Aw, she is just so precious!" Madoka said with a girlish squeal. "You should have told me you were keeping such an adorable little girl here!"

Aurora let out a giggle. "Actually… Sophia's a world-class cardfighter as well. She placed rather high in the Vanguard World Tournament."

Madoka gasped at this information. "No way?!"

"Hehe, yup!" Sophia giggled. "I'm super strong!"

"Well then, how about we take a look at the deck you picked out. Maybe I can give you some pointers." Aurora told her friend.

"Oh right!" Madoka said. She brought out the deck she had picked out. "So I went with this clan. I just love how cute the cards all look."

"Bermuda Triangle, huh?" Aurora said. "Alright, I've got a few ideas. Listen closely."

As the day went on, Card Galaxy continued to stay busy as people learned more and more about Vanguard. Throughout it all, Aurora stayed smiling. This was what had first got her so hooked on the game. How much fun it was. And all the people it had helped her connect with.

' _I still need to learn Cross Stride. Purgatory's a threat, there's no denying that.'_ Aurora thought. ' _But I won't lose who I am trying to obtain it. I'm going to stay true to myself, and beat Purgatory.'_

 **Sophia: Today was super fun! I loved seeing so many people get into Vanguard!**

 **Aurora: It sure was. But are you sure you were able to help everyone properly?**

 **Sophia: What do you mean?"**

 **Aurora: An employee of Card Galaxy must always be knowledgeable about the game as a whole, including all of its clans. Do you know the best advice to give for each clan?**

 **Sophia: Yup!**

 **Aurora: Pop quiz! What is the skill of Perdition Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord The Great?**

 **Sophia: Um…**

 **Next Time: Winter Training Vacation**

 **Card Gallery:**

Cosmic Blaukluger  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & Choose 3 cards from your hand and discard them]. After the battle that this unit attacked, if you have a heart card with "Blau" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose grade 1 or higher rear guards you control whose combined grades are equal to or less than the combined grades of the cards you discarded and stand them. Then, if one of the cards you discarded was a grade 3, stand this unit with drive -1.


	88. Winter Training Vacation

**A/N: Hey readers. Sorry for the late update. Just got back from vacation a few hours ago so haven't had a chance to post this chapter until now. Hope you all enjoy it.**

The whistle of the train sounded loudly as it rode along the tracks. Anthony yawned as he leaned back in his seat. "How long is this ride supposed to take again?"

"A couple hours at least, I think." Aurora said.

"Geez, that's so long." Anthony sighed. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when we get there."

With that, Anthony closed his eyes and got comfortable. It didn't take long before he was sound asleep.

Aurora sighed. "Geez, it's like he thinks this is a boring field trip or something."

"Well it is a rather long ride." Dan admitted. "Best figure out some way to pass the time."

"Yeah but we're not going sightseeing." Sarah said as she peeked her head up from her seat. "We're going to visit that old man Yukari told us about."

Aurora nodded her head as she looked out the window. She still remembered what Yukari had told them a couple weeks ago.

* * *

" _You want advice for training?" Yukari asked._

 _Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. It's been two months and we haven't gotten any closer to unlocking Cross Stride. So with our winter break coming up for school we figured it would be a good time to really buckle down and train even harder."_

" _And you want me to help." Yukari said. "Hm…"_

" _Please, Yukari! If we wait too long, Ragnarok will arrive and destroy the world! We need to stop Purgatory before then!"_

" _It's not that I don't wish to help you. I'm just not sure if I can." Yukari said. "Cross Stride isn't something that can be taught."_

" _Then at least try and point us in the right direction!"_

" _If I may." Jasmine said, stepping forward. "What about the old sage Fulong? He may be able to help them?"_

 _Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Old sage?"_

" _No! Absolutely not! Out of the question!" Yukari said, sitting up from her seat at her desk. "I refuse to ask for help from him of all people!"_

" _Who are you talking about?" Aurora asked. "Who is this old sage?"_

 _Yukari let out a frustrated sigh as she sat back down. "Deep in the mountains, there's an old man named Fulong. He's extremely knowledgeable about Vanguard, and a skilled cardfighter. He's even aware of the existence of Planet Cray."_

" _And you're just mentioning him now?!" Anthony exclaimed. "This guy sounds pretty damn useful, don't you think?"_

" _He is knowledgeable, but he is far from what I would call helpful." Yukari said in an angry tone. "His attitude is extremely lacking."_

 _Aurora and the others looked at yukari with a confused expression. Jasmine looked at the group and explained. "There was a bit of a… falling out between Miss Tatsunagi and the sage. But there is no denying that he is wise. He may be able to help you learn more about Cross Stride."_

" _Sounds like it's worth a shot to me." Aurora said. "We'll go see him once winter vacation starts, and train hard."_

 _Yukari sighed. "Very well. I'll tell you where he lives. But you'll have to convince him to train you yourselves."_

" _Works for us."_

* * *

' _This sage. I really hope he can help us.'_ Aurora thought to herself.

"So what should we do while we wait to get there?" Sarah asked. "If only there was a table. We could have a cardfight or two."

"How about a game then?" Marcus asked.

"That sounds fun." Rose said from the seat over by the side. "What do you think, Elizabeth?"

"Not interested." Elizabeth said.

"Oh don't be like that." Rose said.

"Um… excuse me?" the group all turned to see Amy walk up to them. "It's not Vanguard, but I brought a deck of playing cards. Perhaps we could play something with these?"

"Sounds good to me." Dan nodded.

"Yeah. We should be able to play something with those." Daiki agreed.

Amy turned back to the furthest seat in the car where Allen was sitting. "Allen, why don't you come over and play too?"

"No thanks." he replied.

Amy frowned. "Come on, Allen. Don't be so distant."

"I said I'm not interested."

Amy could see what he was doing. Keeping his distance. She couldn't very well say he blamed him, considering there were some that still hadn't fully forgiven him for his actions in the Vanguard World Tournament. Allen was a stubborn one, she knew that better than anyone.

But so was she.

"You know what, forget the playing cards." Amy said as she took a seat with the others. "How about I tell you guys some of the things Allen did back when he was in grade school?"

This caught the interests of the others. Even Elizabeth raised a brow in interest. "Oh?"

"Amy…" Allen warned from his seat.

"So back in second grade, Allen was really into super heroes. So one day he ran around the school hallway yelling-"

"Alright! Alright! I'll come over and play! Just stop talking!" Allen said, getting up and walking over.

Amy let out a giggle, as did some of the others. "See? That wasn't so hard."

The train ride continued as the group sat together and passed the time. It was simple peace like this that a lot of them missed. The fate of the entire universe rested in their hands. It was a heavy responsibility. But even still, they needed to make sure they enjoyed life to the fullest.

* * *

"Brr…" Sophia said as they walked up the mountain. "It's so cold."

"Well it is winter time, and it is a mountain. We expected as much." Marcus said. "We'll just have to endure it as we make our way to this sage."

"Heh, no need to worry about me. A real man won't even be bothered by a little cold like this." Anthony grinned.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Is that why your legs are shaking?"

The group shared a laugh at Anthony's expense. Allen walked forward and turned to the others. "Come on. We should try and find this place before any big storms settle in."

"Well that was a real mood killer." Daiki commented under his breath as the rest of the group walked on with Allen.

The mountain scenery was rather nice for the winter. Recently fallen snow blanketed the ground with white. Everyone was wearing winter coats and such to protect them from the cold as much as possible. Even still, it was a long trek up the mountain path as they tried to find the sage's home. Time passed as they found no sign while the path continued.

Nearly an hour passed before Elizabeth finally spoke up and said what some of them were thinking. "Are we sure this sage guy actually lives here?"

"Yukari seemed pretty sure and I trust her word." Aurora said. "Let's at least continue on the path. Maybe he's a bit further up."

There weren't many other options. They had come too far to give up so easily. So they pressed on. Time passed as they kept walking. The higher up the mountain path they went however, the colder it became and the more tired they felt.

Another hour or so went by before they were roughly two thirds of the way to the top of the mountain. Sophia kneeled down. "My legs feel like jelly."

"This is rather tiring." Sarah admitted. "Maybe we should take a short rest."

"That may be best." Aurora agreed. Suddenly, she heard something in the distance. "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

The others quieted down and listened closely. It was faint but each of them heard the sound of running water.

"What do you suppose it could be?" Dan asked.

"Let's go find out." Amy suggested.

The group walked together through the trees towards the source of the sound. Before long they found out what it was. A large waterfall stood before them, with water pounding down from above.

"Well at least we can drink some fresh water to recharge ourselves." Rose said.

"Hang on." Elizabeth said. She pointed towards the waterfall. "Take a look."

The others did just that, and widened their eyes at what they saw. Sitting on a rockbed at the bottom of the waterfall with the water pounding down on him was a man.

"The hell is he doing? Forget the force of the waterfall, isn't that water freezing cold with it being winter?" Anthony asked.

"Maybe it's not that cold?" Marcus said. He walked over and dipped his hand into the water. An immediate chill went through his entire body. "Nope. Freezing cold."

"For him to handle all that and not even seem fazed… what amazing concentration." Allen said.

"Hm?" the man soon noticed the group's presence as he opened one of his eyes. "What are you all doing here?"

"Um… Excuse me sir, but we're looking for a rumored sage that lives up here named Fulong." Aurora said politely. "Would you happen to be him?"

"What if I am?"

Aurora bowed her head in front of him. "Please train us, wise sage! We're trying to become stronger cardfighters!"

"Hmph, and why should I waste my time training a bunch of brats like you?"

Anthony glared at the sage. "Hey listen pal, we climbed a long way to find you! Besides, we're not just regular cardfighters! All of us participated in the Vanguard World Tournament, and did pretty damn well!"

"Hmph, you place well in some simple tournament and think you're hot stuff? You kids have a long way to go." the sage said. "Now leave. Get out of my sight."

"Please sir!" Aurora begged. "We're trying to learn how to use a technique called Cross Stride!"

This got the sage's attention. ' _Cross Stride… How do these kids know about that power…?'_

"There's a threat approaching the world. A threat called Ragnarok." Aurora continued. "We need to learn Cross Stride so we can be ready to fight and protect Earth."

"... Did you say Ragnarok?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yes."

The sage stood up and walked out from the waterfall. Now that they had a better look at him, it was clear he was old, making his feat of enduring the waterfall even more impressive. He walked over to some clothes lying in a dry area and put on a white robe. ' _That rugrat guardian is doing a rather shoddy job if she needs to enlist the help of children.'_ he thought silently.

"Will you please train us?" Aurora asked again. "We don't know how much time is left before Ragnarok arrives."

The sage stayed silent as he thought. He looked at Aurora. "If you want me to train you, you'll have to prove yourselves."

"So you want to test us?"

"That is correct. But I'd rather not fight every single one of you one after another." he said. "So there will be one cardfight instead. I'll see just how determined you are through that."

"Very well then." Aurora said, stepping forward. "I'll fight you."

The sage turned and began walking away. "Follow me."

The group followed the sage, moving through the woods. After a short walk, they arrived at an open area. In the center there was a Vanguard fight table.

"A fight table out in the middle of here?" Rose questioned.

"I use this for the rare cases that I cardfight opponents that come here." the sage explained. "It's one of the original models of the Motion Figure System."

"One of the original models?! But that thing must be ancient then!" Dan exclaimed. "Does something like that even still work?!"

"It does. That much I can assure you." the sage said. He turned his glance to Aurora. "Now then, shall we begin?"

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. Let's fight."

Everyone stood by the side as Aurora and the sage stood across from each other by the table. Both of them placed their decks down and drew their opening hands.

"Now show me. Are you worthy of protecting the world?" the sage said.

"We are." Aurora answered firmly. "I'll show you everything I've got."

The two of them started the fight with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Scarlet Lion Cub, Caria!"

 **Scarlet Lion Cub, Caria**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

' _So he's a Gold Paladin user.'_ Aurora thought.

"Star Chaser. That's a rather interesting clan you're using." the sage noted. "I can also sense a strong connection between you and that deck."

"Well, one of the units of Star Chaser is my sister after all." Aurora said. "Actually, my mother's the leader of the clan too."

A brief expression of surprise was seen on the sage's face before he composed himself. "I see. That explains how you have so much knowledge about Cray and Vanguard. Well then, show me what you can do."

"Right." Aurora said. "I ride! Cosmic Brawler, Aires!"

 **Cosmic Brawler, Aires**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Fulong(5).]**

"Stand and draw." the sage said. "Ride! Proud Lion Knight, Gareth!"

 **Proud Lion Knight, Gareth**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"With forerunner, Caria moves back." the sage said. "Now with her boost, I attack the Vanguard with Gareth!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Fulong(0).]**

"That will end my turn."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Fulong(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Let's go! I ride Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Vivi lends support! Go get him Gemini!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I stand Caria."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Fulong(2).]**

"My turn's over." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Fulong(6).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." the sage said. "I ride! Flame Wind Lion, Wonder Ezel!"

 **Flame Wind Lion, Wonder Ezel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Lion Knight Captain, Beaumains!" the sage said, calling out the grade 2. "Beaumains skill. When he's placed, I can reveal a card from my hand. If both that card and my Vanguard do not have Ezel in the name, he loses 5000 power for the turn."

"But you don't have to reveal any cards since Wonder Ezel has Ezel in the name." Aurora realized.

"You catch on quick. Now go Beaumains! Attack!"

 **(10000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a card from her hand.

"Boosted by Caria, Wonder Ezel attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." Aurora said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Fulong(2).]**

"Skill of Caria. When she boosts a successful attack for my Vanguard with Ezel in the name, I send her to the soul. I then look at the top two cards of the deck and am able to call both of them at rest." the sage explained. "Call! Holy Mage, Pwyl! Flame of Victory!"

"Well that's just great." Anthony said. "He got 2 new rear guards just like that."

"Yeah but at least he had to call them at rest due to the skill." Rose commented. "Otherwise, Aurora would have another attack to deal with."

"Turn end." the sage said. "Go ahead. Make your move."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Fulong(6).]**

"Don't mind if I do. Stand and draw!" Aurora said. She took a card from her hand and held it up. "Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Cosmic Harp, Lyra." Aurora said. "Lyra attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard."

"Vivi. Hikari. You're up next."

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Fulong(3).]**

"Vivi's skill. Since the attack hit, I send her to the soul, then bind Aires from my soul." Aurora said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(7), Fulong(5).]**

"Stand and draw." the sage said. "Well little girl, it's clear you have a connection to Cray. You're no ordinary human."

"So… does that mean-"

"However." he added. "That does not mean you're worth training." The sage took a card from his hand and held it out. "Awake now, sleeping lion of the sanctuary! Let your courage bring light to this world! Ride! Blazing Lion, Adamantine Ezel!"

 **Blazing Lion, Adamantine Ezel**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"And now! Stride Generation! The sage called out. "Absolution Lion King, Mithril Ezel!"

 **Absolution Lion King, Mithril Ezel**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Counterblast. I look at the top 3 cards of the deck and call a card among them." the sage explained. "Calling Crimson Lion Beast, Howel. Both it and the Vanguard get 5000 power. Then, with Howel's skill, I countercharge and soul charge."

"He's got four rear guards out." Sophia noted. "The two rear guards he called out last turn really helped increase his field."

"Activating the skill of Mithril Ezel." the sage said. "I counterblast. Then I look at the top five cards of the deck and call a card among them to rear guard. I call Proud Lion Knight, Gareth. Then, both my Vanguard and Gareth gain power equal to the original power Gareth has, meaning 7000. In addition, with Gareth's skill, I can draw when he's called by my unit's effect and add 5000 to his power."

' _He managed to get a full field. And on top of that, he's really powered up some of his units.'_ Aurora thought.

"Boosted by Gareth, Beaumains attacks!"

 **(10000+7000+7000+5000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Star Cross Barrier, Crux!"

 **Star Cross Barrier, Crux**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Crux! I send Aires from the bind zone to the drop zone! Then, I bind her again. 5000 is added to the shield!"

"With Flame of Victory's boost, Pwyl attacks! Pwyl's skill! Counterblast! I look at the top three cards of my deck and call Wonder Ezel over Beaumains!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Lyra intercepts!"

"And now Mithril Ezel will attack with Howel's boost!"

 **(26000+5000+7000+7000+5000=50000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Wonder Ezel and critical to the Vanguard. Third check, stand trigger. I stand Gareth and add 5000 power."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Fulong(3).]**

"Wonder Ezel and Gareth will attack next!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+7000+5000+5000=38000)**

' _Damn. That stand trigger made guarding this one impossible.'_ Aurora thought. "No guard. Damage check, heal trigger." She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the card. "I recover one damage. Power to Hikari."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Fulong(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(6), Fulong(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Lyra from my deck! Then I call Aires from the bind zone! Since she has Warpdrive, I draw! Then, with the Aires's Warpdrive, I retire Pwyll and add 3000 power to Aires!" Aurora said. "Now I activate Lyra's soul blast to call her from the bind zone! With her Warpdrive, I bind Gemini! Since Gemini has Warpdrive, Lyra gains 2000 power! And then I call Sword of the Stars, Hikari from my hand, as well as Sun Smasher, Apollo!"

"Aurora's got four rear guards out." Allen noted. "But the old guy doesn't seem concerned."

"Lyra attacks, boosted by Aires!"

 **(9000+2000+7000+3000=21000)**

"Guard!" the sage called out, holding up a trigger with 10000 shield. "Wonder Ezel intercepts as well!"

"Hikari and Apollo, you're up next!"

 **(11000+4000=15000)**

"Guard!"

"Pleiades attacks!" Aurora declared. "Using Apollo's skill, I send him to the soul to add 5000 power and draw! Then I use Pleiades's skill to bind all my rear guards! I then call out cards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break number! So I call three cards! Gemini! Hikari! Lyra! With Gemini's Warpdrive, he gains 5000 power and boost! With Lyra's Warpdrive, I bind Aires from my deck and add 2000 power to her! Since I called 3 cards, 5000 is added to the front row!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! Power to Hikari and critical to Lyra! Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Lyra and Gemini, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000+10000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Sacred Heaven Prayer Master, Reia!"

 **Sacred Heaven Prayer Master, Reia**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Reia! Add 5000 to the shield since I have at least two rear guards!"

"Hikari's coming in!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Fulong(4).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "With Gemini's skill from Warpdrive, I bind him at the end of the turn. Then, with Hikari's skill, I bind the Aquarius in my drop zone to soul charge."

"Amazing." Anthony said in awe. "Five attacks, and he only took one damage."

"This guy's good. No denying that." Elizabeth noted. "But the question remains, can he beat Aurora?"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(8), Fulong(3).]**

"Stand and draw." the sage said. "Ezel's skill. I send the Beaumains in my drop zone and the Gareth on my field to the bottom of my deck. I then draw 1 card." He then took a card from his hand and discarded it. "Stride Generation! Golden Dragon, Glorious Reigning Dragon!"

 **Golden Dragon, Glorious Reigning Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I look at the top three cards of the deck! Calling Crimson Lion Beast, Howell! Both he and the Vanguard gain 5000 power! And then, I countercharge and soul charge with Howel's skill. With Flame of Victory's skill, I send it to the soul to add 3000 power to Howell."

' _Pwyll's his only other rear guard right now.'_ Aurora thought. ' _What's he planning?'_

"I call Dawning Knight, Gorboduc." the sage said. "With this, Unite has been achieved."

"Unite?" Sophia questioned. "What's that?"

"A skill unique to the Gold Paladin clan." Amy explained. "It's activated when a player has called two or more cards to rear guard or the guardian circle in one turn."

"His Glorious Reigning Dragon has a Unite ability. And it's a pretty damn scary one." Dan added.

"Pwyll attacks with Gorboduc's boost! Skill of Pwyll! I counterblast and look at the top three cards! Calling Salvation Lion, Grand Ezel Scissors!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a card from her hand.

"Grand Ezel Scissors! Attack with a boost from Howell!"

 **(11000+7000+5000+3000=26000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Fulong(4).]**

"My Vanguard attacks next!" the sage declared. "Unite of Glorious Reigning Dragon! Counterblast and soul blast! Send Pwyll and Howell to the bottom of the deck! Look at the top seven cards of the deck and call cards up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone! That's four cards so I call Beaumains, Gareth, Adamantine Ezel, and Liberator, Improve Falcon! Also, since three or more cards were called, countercharge and soul charge!"

"That's insane!" Sophia gasped. "He refreshed his two side columns for practically nothing!"

"There's more. Skill of Beaumains! Since he was called from the deck, by the skill of a unit with Ezel in its name, I counterblast and soul blast to add on 5000 power and plus one critical to him!" the sage declared.

' _Since Ezel is the heart card, Glorious Reigning Dragon's skill technically counts as a skill from a unit with Ezel in the name.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Clever move.'_

"Gareth's skill also increases his own power by 5000 and lets me draw a card." the sage said. "But first, you have my Vanguard's attack to deal with."

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. I don't heal, but the power goes to Baumains. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to my rear guard Ezel." the sage said. "Now Ezel, attack with support from Improve Falcon."

 **(11000+5000+6000=22000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a trigger. "I also intercept with Lyra!"

"Beaumains, attack with a boost from Gareth!"

 **(10000+5000+5000+7000+5000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Add 10000 to the shield!"

"Turn end." the sage said. "Not bad. You've got some skill."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(3), Fulong(7).]**

"My friends and I came here to learn about Cross Stride. And we're not going home so easily." Aurora said. "Stand and draw!"

"Aurora's at five damage. She needs to end it this turn." Allen said.

"The old guy's got seven cards in his hand. And four damage. Aurora needs to hit him hard." Anthony said.

"Generation Zone, release!" Aurora called out. "Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Libra from my deck! Then, I call Gemini from the bind zone!" Aurora declared. "Warpdrive! Gemini gets 5000 power and Boost until end of turn! Then, I use Constellation of Light, Hikari's skill! I counterblast and soul blast to call Libra from the bind zone! Add 5000 power! Then, with Libra's Warpdrive, I look at the top three cards of the deck! I bind Capricorn, add another card among them to my hand, and put the remaining card on the bottom of the deck! Next, I call Sagittarius from my hand!"

"A decent formation." the sage said. "But is this all you can do?"

"Guess again! I activate Hikari's other skill! Generation Break 3! Hikari gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill! When any of my units attack, I can send a card from my bind zone to the drop zone to prevent cards of that grade from being called from the hand to guard for that battle!"

"Oh? Interesting."

"I attack with my Vanguard!" Aurora declared. "I send Aires from the bind zone to the drop zone to prevent grade 1s!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Now he can't use a perfect guard!" Sophia said. "Go Aurora!"

To Aurora's surprise, the sage chuckled. "You shouldn't take me so lightly, little girl." he said. "Generation guard! Golden Beast, Sleimy Flare!"

 **Golden Beast, Sleimy Flare**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Sleimy Flare. I send Gareth to the bottom of the deck. I can then look at the top five cards of the deck and call two cards of different grades to the guardian circle." he explained. "Calling Player of the Holy Pipe, Gerrie and Gorboduc. I also guard with Dantegal from my hand."

"Darn. Now Aurora needs three triggers to break through." Rose said.

"Additionally, I use the skill of the Shaggy Rabbit I discarded for the G guardian." the sage said. "I bind it and another heal trigger from my drop zone to countercharge."

"Triple drive." Aurora said. "First check, critical trigger." Considering her chances of pulling another 2 triggers, she opted to go for the safer option. "All effects to my rear guard Hikari. Second check, no trigger. Third check, heal trigger. Power to Hikari and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Fulong(4).]**

Allen let out a sigh. "Well, so much for her winning this fight."

Dan looked over at Allen. "You're giving up on her already?"

"Yeah!" Anthony argued in agreement. "Aurora's still got two attacks left!"

Allen sighed. "Weren't you paying attention earlier? The old man has a perfect guard in his hand. And the only card Aurora has in her bind zone is Capricorn. A grade 0."

Both Dan and Anthony widened their eyes as they looked back to the fight. Aurora could use Capricorn to prevent grade 0s from being used to guard, but her opponent could still use a perfect guard to shut down her rear guard that had the critical. That left one other attack, that would put him at five damage, but not enough to end it. Aurora's expression showed she had reached the same conclusion.

"Hikari attacks with Gemini's boost. I send Capricorn to the drop zone to prevent grade 0s."

 **(11000+10000+10000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard."

"... Libra and Sagittarius attack."

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." the sage said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Fulong(5).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Using Hikari's skill to bind Aires and countercharge."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(6), Fulong(3).]**

"Stand and draw." the sage said. "Well little girl, you certainly put up a decent fight. But I'm afraid this is where it ends."

' _I can't give up.'_ Aurora told herself. "It doesn't matter what you throw at me. I'll endure it and survive to the next turn. Then I'll finish you."

The sage let out a small chuckle. "You've got spirit. Too bad that won't be enough." Suddenly, his G Zone began to glow. "Discarding a card with the same name as the Vanguard. Then, I exclude 4 copies of Absolution Lion King, Mithril Ezel from the game."

Everyone gasped as they saw a light shoot up from the sage's G Zone. "This is the same thing that happened with Yukari!" Marcus gasped.

"So he can use Cross Stride too…" Sarah said in disbelief.

"Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride!" the sage called out. "Glorious Lion King, Orichalcum Ezel!"

 **Glorious Lion King, Orichalcum Ezel**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

Aurora widened her eyes in amazement at the new Ezel. The long blonde hair of the warrior was shining, almost like it was as bright as the sun itself. Beautiful armor covered him, leaving his chest open. In each had was a golden curved sword.

"This is the power you've been seeking. But let's see if you can withstand it." he said. "Skill of Orichalcum Ezel! Counterblast! I look at the top five cards of the deck and call a card among them! I call Pwyll over Beaumains! Pwyll gains Resist, as well as a skill. As long as he's on my field, all of my units gain power equal to Pwyll's original power until end of turn."

Aurora gasped. ' _9000 power to every single one of his units?!'_

"Orichalcum Ezel also has another skill." the sage said. "As long as I have five or more rear guards, he gains a critical. So I think I'll fill out the last remaining spot with Gerrie from my hand. And now we can start things off with an attack from Adamantine Ezel, boosted by Howell!"

 **(11000+9000+7000+9000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! 10000 is added to the shield!" Aurora said. "I also intercept with Libra!"

"Orichalcum Ezel attack with Gerrie's boost! Gerrie's Unite gives him an additional 3000 power."

 **(26000+9000+4000+9000+3000=51000)**

Aurora looked at her hand. She lacked the perfect guard she needed to defend herself against this massive attack. "No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. Power to Pwyll and critical to Ezel."

"Damage check…" Aurora said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(6), Fulong(5).]**

Aurora lowered her head. She had given it everything she had in that fight. But just like when she had come up against Yukari's Cross Stride, she found herself completely overpowered.

"Aurora lost…" Sophia said.

"So does that mean we came here for nothing?" Daiki asked.

"Well, that was a good way to loosen the old joints." the sage said, moving his shoulders around. "Now then, let's get moving. It's a bit of a ways to the cabin I live in."

Aurora blinked in surprise as she heard this. She looked back up at the sage. "What? But… I thought you said you'd only train us if I won."

"I said no such thing. I swear, kids these days. Everything goes in one ear and out the other." the sage said with a shake of his head. "I simply said you had to prove yourselves, and I would see your determination through a cardfight. I never said you had to win." He let out a hearty laugh. "After all, none of you kids could beat me even if hell froze over."

"Geez. This old geezer really got cocky all of a sudden." Elizabeth grumbled.

"Well, at least he's willing to help us train." Dan said.

"Oh, before we get moving…" the sage. "Who told you kids about Cross Stride? And the threat of Ragnarok for that matter?"

"Yukari Tatsunagi. She's the head of the Tatsunagi family." Aurora explained. "She's also the one that told us about you. That's why we came here."

The sage let out a sigh as he shook his head. "That guardian needs to learn to take care of problems herself, rather than grabbing a bunch of kids."

"Hey, it's not like we're helpless or anything." Anthony argued. "We've been holding our own against Purgatory."

"Purgatory?"

"They're the group trying to bring Ragnarok here." Aurora explained. "We're trying to defeat them to put a stop to their plan. That's why we want to learn Cross Stride."

The sage considered these words. ' _So they're the ones that woke Ragnarok up.'_ he thought. "Very well. You can tell me in more detail on the way to the cabin."

"Excuse me. Mr. Fulong. I have a question." Sophia asked.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Well… Ms. Tatsunagi seemed to not like you very much." Sophia said. "So I was wondering what happened between you two."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind knowing that myself." Elizabeth added. "She said something about your attitude lacking."

The sage let out a hearty laugh. "So that little guardian is still upset about that, is she? Hahahaha!" He looked at the group with a grin. "Well when I first met her after she had recently become the guardian of Earth and Cray, I called her a rugrat. She happened to throw a bit of a temper tantrum when I said that."

The group all tried to picture Yukari getting angry as the sage had described. It was tough for them, considering the young Tatsunagi girl always seemed to be calm and collected. Then again, she was still a little girl at the end of the day so it was possible.

 **Jasmine: Aurora and the others should have reached the sage by now.**

 **Yukari: Hmph, if that old man is the same as always, I doubt he made things easy for them.**

 **Keiko: Don't you think you should bury the hatchet with him?**

 **Yukari: Absolutely not!**

 **Mai: What did this guy say anyway to-**

 **Yukari: I am the guardian of Earth and Cray! And he called me a** _ **rugrat**_ **of all things!**

 **Jasmine: Now Miss Tatsunagi…**

 **Yukari: I cannot tolerate such disrespect! If I ever see that geezer again, it'll be too soon!**

 **Next time: Flames of Resentment**

 **Card Gallery:**

Proud Lion Knight, Gareth  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO GB1:** When placed by your card's effect, if you have a Vanguard with "Ezel" in its name, draw 1 card and this unit gets +5000 power.

* * *

Lion Knight Captain, Beaumains  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **AUTO:** When placed on VC or RC, choose up to one card in your hand, reveal it, and if neither that card nor your Vanguard has "Ezel" in its name, this unit loses 5000 power until end of turn.  
 **AUTO GB2:** [CB1, SB1] When this unit is placed on RC by the effect of your card with "Ezel", you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets +5000 power and +1 critical until end of turn.

* * *

Blazing Lion, Adamantine Ezel  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [CB1]. When this unit is placed on VC or when your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top 3 cards of your deck, call up to one card among them to RC, and if you do, that unit and your Vanguard get +5000 power. Then, shuffle your deck.  
 **AUTO VC GB1:** [Choose a card on your RC and a card in your drop zone and return them to the bottom of your deck.] At the beginning of your ride phase, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card, and if the card on your RC you returned was a locked card, CC1/SC1.

* * *

Glorious Lion King, Oricalchum Ezel  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Absolution Lion King, Mithril Ezel):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose a card from your hand with the same name as your Vanguard and discard it & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB2.] Unlock all your locked rear guards. Then, look at the top five cards of your deck. Choose up to one card among them and call it to RC and it gets Resist and **(CONT RC: All of your units get Power equal to the original power of this unit)** until end of turn.  
 **CONT VC:** If you have 5 or more rear guards, this unit gets +1 critical.


	89. Flames of Resentment

**A/N: New chapter time readers. Hope you all enjoy it.**

The morning sun rose on the mountainside. There were usually birds chirping, but they had flown away for the season with winter arriving. But the sun still shined light on the trees and snow, with some of the wildlife peeking their heads out of their homes.

Light peered through the windows of the sage's cabin, hitting Aurora in her eyes. The blonde girl grumbled as she let out a yawn, waking up for the morning. She and her friends were all in sleeping bags, gathered around the floor of the sage's cabin.

Four days had passed since they had all started training with the old sage. They started training early every day, though it was unlike anything any of them had ever done. The old man had them doing what he called "image training". They were to picture their avatar in full detail. This ranged from deep meditation to actually carving it out from wood. Of course, things hadn't been that easy for them. None of them had done anything like this before.

"Ugh… is it time to get up already?" Elizabeth moaned as she groggily woke up.

"5 am. It certainly isn't what most of us are used to." Rose said, waking up as well.

Elizabeth looked at the others still in their sleeping bags. "Hey! Wake up!"

"Five more minutes…" Dan moaned.

"No. You're all waking up now." Elizabeth told them. "You know what the old man is like by now."

Slowly, the others managed to wake up. Each of them were clearly still tired. However, after day 1 of training where waking up late had caused them to have to do a half mile morning run, none of them were willing to risk incurring the sage's wrath.

As everyone was yawning and stretching their arms out, the sage walked inside. "Ah good. You're all up."

' _How does this old man wake up so early and be full of energy?'_ Anthony asked himself.

"Alright then. Once you all eat breakfast, we'll be continuing where we left off yesterday." the sage said.

"More wood carving then?" Sophia asked.

"That's correct. Most of the ones you kids made the other day were pretty shoddy. You need to have a clear image if you want to grow stronger."

"Well what do you expect? None of us are master wood carvers." Elizabeth argued.

The sage looked at the scarlet-haired girl. "Do you know what makes a good wood carving?"

"Skill and practice. Duh."

"Partially true." he said. "The thing that's most important though is a clear image of what you want to create."

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah."

"Now then, enough chit chat. Let's get to cooking."

The group all went to work on making breakfast. They split up the work from cooking to setting the table. Before long, they were all sitting together and eating eggs and fruit.

"Yum! This is so good!" Sophia said with a smile.

"Well meals always are best when eaten with others." Amy said.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Yeah…"

Allen noticed Marcus glancing at him and sighed. "If you want to say something, then just say it already."

"What?"

"You've been practically glaring at me ever since we first got on the train to come here." Allen said. "I know you've got something to say to me, so just get it out already."

Marcus clenched his fist. "You better believe I've got something to say." He pointed at the American teen. "How can you just sit there and act like you're suddenly a good person? After everything you did? It's like you don't even care about how you made everyone suffer at the World Tournament."

"Hold on." Amy said. "Allen is-"

"It's fine, Amy." Allen said, cutting his friend off. He looked at Marcus. "I don't recall ever claiming to be a good person. I'm here because I want to keep the universe from getting wiped out. And considering none of us have figured out Cross Stride, do you really think you can afford to turn away help? Especially from someone you lost to?"

"Why you-"

"Alright, that's enough." the sage said, stopping both of them. "Good grief, the universe is in danger from what you kids told me. Aren't all of you supposed to be friends?"

"Friends is… a bit of a strong word when it comes to some of us." Aurora admitted.

The sage let out a sigh. "Very well then." He looked at both Marcus and Allen. "Change of plans then. Before we start our normal training today, you two are going to fight each other."

Allen looked over at the sage. "A cardfight between me and Cersy?"

"That's right. The two of you are going to work out whatever bad blood is between you."

The American let out a sigh. "Fine then."

"I accept as well." Marcus agreed.

"Good. Now, let us at least try to salvage what was a peaceful meal."

As they ate, everyone was thinking about what was going on. Allen wasn't exactly on the best of terms with everyone, especially Marcus. They weren't sure a cardfight was going to suddenly make everything right between them. Especially since the last cardfight between the two had been filled with animosity.

* * *

Marcus and Allen stood across from each other at the Vanguard table the sage had in his house. Everyone else was standing to the side, wondering how this will play out.

"You may begin when ready." the sage said.

Neither Marcus nor Allen had to be told twice as they began the game with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Soldier, Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco!"

 **Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." Marcus said. "Ride! Wyvern of Rainbow Flames, Garan!"

 **Wyvern of Rainbow Flames, Garan**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conroe moves back with forerunner. That ends my turn."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Marcus(5), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Ride! Inspired Young Knight!"

 **Inspired Young Knight**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Marco moves back. Then I call Imperial Analyst." Allen said. "Analyst attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"Guard!" Marcus said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Boosted by Marco, my Vanguard swings in!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Allen said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Marcus said, letting two cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Allen(0).]**

"Turn end."

"Allen's off to a good lead." Rose noted. "That critical trigger came at a perfect time."

"Yeah, but by calling another rear guard out, he's opening Marcus to retire his cards." Anthony pointed out. "How and when he deploys his units will be crucial."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Marcus(4), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "I ride! Wyvern Bomber, Doha!"

 **Wyvern Bomber, Doha**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I also call Dragon Knight Mbudi." Marcus said. "Conroe boosts. Attack, Doha!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger." Marcus said.

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Allen(1).]**

"Mbudi, take out Imperial Analyst!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Allen said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Marcus(4), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Ride! Noble Swordsman, Roberto!"

 **Noble Swordsman, Roberto**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I move Analyst back." Allen said, keeping his rear guard safe from attacks. "My Vanguard attacks with a boost from Marco."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Marcus said, holding up a trigger from his hand.

"Drive check. No trigger." Allen said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Marcus(3), Allen(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. He looked at one of the cards in his hand, knowing what he had to do. "Dragon whose blade scorches the earth! Burn brighter than ever, acting like a light in the darkest hour! Ride! Dragonic Blademaster "Tenkai"!"

 **Dragonic Blademaster "Tenkai"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Allen raised a brow. "That's not the Blademaster you used last time we fought."

"I'm not the same cardfighter I was back then. I'm much stronger now." Marcus said. "Skill of Conroe. I counterblast and retire it. I then add a grade 1 or lower card from the deck to my hand. I choose Dragon Knight, Nadel."

"Since Allen moved Imperial Analyst to the back row, Marcus can't attack it." Aurora said.

"He realized that Marcus had no ways to retire it with effects last turn, so he deduced that it also probably wouldn't be the case this turn as well." Elizabeth realized. "Smart move, considering it wouldn't have been able to hit his units anyway unless he had drawn a trigger last turn."

"Dragonic Blademaster "Tenkai" attacks the Vanguard!" Marcus declared.

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Marcus said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Mbudi and critical to the Vanguard."

"Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(2), Allen(3).]**

"Mbudi attacks next!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!"

"Turn end." Marcus said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Marcus(6), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "You told me you're not the same cardfighter you were back at the World Tournament. Now let me show you that the same is also true for me."

"Here it comes. Allen's new Alexander." Aurora said.

"Warrior of the reborn empire! Appear now and lead your forces to victory! Crush all that stand in the way of your goal!" Allen shouted. "Ride! Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander!"

 **Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Marcus readied himself. "So this is the new form of Alexander I've heard about."

"Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Offensive Rush Marshal, Attila!"

 **Offensive Rush Marshal, Atilla**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Mbudi and call Duplication Mage Lisanna from my hand to Conquer that rear guard space. She gains 5000 power." Allen explained. "Then I use Lisanna's skill. I counterblast and call a copy of Lisanna from my deck. Both of them gain 3000 power."

"Marcus doesn't have another rear guard in his front row. Allen's free to Conquer it." Sarah realized.

"Skill of Imperial Analyst. I retire her and grant a skill to my Vanguard, allowing me to draw every time my rear guards Conquer this turn." Allen said. "So without further delay, I'll have my other Lisanna Conquer your other front row space, allowing me to draw!"

"Will he use his last counterblast to call another Lisanna?" Daiki asked.

Amy shook her head. "No. He needs to save one for Attila's skill. Calling another one right now would be wasting his resources."

"Using Marco's skill, I rest him to add 5000 power to both Lisanna's until the end of my opponent's next turn." Allen said. "Lisanna on the left, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"Guard." Marcus said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Lisanna on the left, you're next!"

 **(9000+3000+5000+5000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(3), Allen(3).]**

"Attila attacks!" Allen declared. "Atilla's skill! Counterblast! I move both Lisannas back to my front row and call Noble Swordsman, Roberto as well as Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army from my hand! These calls are treated as Conquering the rear guard once again, so I draw two cards thanks to Imperial Analyst! Additionally, Roberto's skill allows him to gain 5000 power!"

 **(26000)**

"Neat trick, but your Vanguard won't be getting through. Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Roberto and I draw. Third check, no trigger." Allen said. "Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard. Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Marcus(3), Allen(3).]**

"Roberto attacks next!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"No guard." Marcus said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Allen(3).]**

"Turn end." Allen said. "With Roberto's skill, I countercharge since he's Conquering."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Marcus(3), Allen(7).]**

"Hang on. Doesn't Alexander have a skill at the end of the turn to increase his Conquering units' power?" Anthony mentioned. "Why didn't he use it?"

"He must be afraid of Marcus's retire skills. No point in wasting resources if it won't matter." Daiki pointed out.

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. "Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Volcanic Flare Dragon!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Volcanic Flare Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! I retire Roberto, draw, and grant a skill to my Vanguard!" Marcus explained. "When it attacks, if my Vanguard is Blazing, I add 5000 power to it. Next, I call Dragon Knight, Nadel and a copy of Dragonic Blademaster "Tenkai". Finally, I use the skill of Volcanic Flare Dragon. I counterblast and choose your rear guard Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army. All of your rear guards in the same column as it are retired."

"That's two rear guards. Not to mention, one of them was Conquering." Sarah noted. "Now the only rear guards Allen has are Marco and Lisanna."

"There's more." Marcus added. "For each rear guard retired with this skill, 5000 power is added to a unit with Blaze until the end of the turn. I choose Nadel and Blademaster. Additionally, Tenkai's skill. When a rear guard is retired, I can retire another rear guard and add 5000 to Tenkai's power. I retire Lisanna. Also, Nadel gains 4000 power and a skill since a rear guard was reitred."

"He hasn't moved Tenkai from the back row. He's letting his front right rear guard circle stay Conquered so Allen can't activate as many skills next turn." Dan realized.

"I'll burn you to ash." Marcus said. "My rear guard Tenkai attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Allen(4).]**

"Volcanic Flare, you're up next!" Marcus declared. "With the stride skill, add 5000 power!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, critical trigger. All effects to Nadel. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Tenkai!" Marcus said. "Nadel, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(7000+4000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Commander of the Iron Fortress, Klaus!"

 **Commander of the Iron Fortress, Klaus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Klaus. He gains 10000 shield for each Conquered rear guard circle." Allen explained. "You may have retired my Conquering unit, but you left one of the circles open, meaning it's still Conquered."

"Tenkai attacks once more!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(4), Allen(5).]**

"Turn end." Marcus said.

"Marcus really did a number on Allen's field." Elizabeth noted. "He's only got one rear guard left."

"Yeah, but Marcus couldn't call much this turn with Allen's barrage of attacks last turn." Aurora pointed out. "If Marcus had more to work with this turn, Allen would have been in trouble."

"They're both rather skilled with their clans." the sage said. "And they're both giving it everything they've got."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Marcus(5), Allen(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "You know, hating me won't get you anywhere."

"What?"

"I should know. Hatred was what made me who I was at the World Tournament. I hated being weak, so I sought power at any cost." Allen explained. "However, I pushed away someone who cared about me. On top of that I hurt a lot of people. People that never did anything to me." He looked Marcus in the eyes. "People like your sister."

"Are you trying to make me feel sorry for you?" Marcus asked.

"No. What I did was my decision in the end. I shouldn't be forgiven for it." Allen said. "However, holding onto your hatred for me won't do you any good."

"Is Allen… trying to help Marcus move past what happened?" Aurora asked.

"To be honest, I think Marcus knows deep down that Allen's changed." Sarah asked. "But it still doesn't make it any easier, with such a sudden change. That's why these two need this cardfight. So they can both put the past behind them."

"If someone like me was able to let go of his hatred, then I know you can too." Allen said. "Generation Zone, release! A hero rises to take the mantle of leadership! The infinite futures line up for him! Stride Generation! Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander!"

 **Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire Nadel! Then I call Inspired Young Knight to conquer the spot Nadel was on!" Allen explained. "I then call another Inspired Young Knight, as well as Duplication Mage Lisanna and Imperial Knight, Lucas! My second Inspired young Knight will move up to your open Conquered circle! Then I use the skills of both Inspired Young Knights! Since they're Conquering, I can soul blast for each of them to add 10000 to their power! Then I rest Marco to add 5000 power to those two as well!"

"He's got a really large field out now." Daiki noticed. "But he used up almost all of his hand."

"Activating the skill of Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander!" Allen said. "Counterblast two cards! My Vanguard gains 2 skills! First, all of my rear guards will gain 5000 power! Then, Alexander gains 5000 power for each of my rear guards!"

Marcus widened his eyes. "What?!"

"I'm not done yet." Allen said. "If I have less than five cards in hand, I get to draw until I have five in hand."

"So that's why he called such a huge field!" Sarah realized.

The sage cracked a grin at the fight. "Not bad at all."

"I call Piercing Bullet Sniper and Death-scope Sharpshooter." Allen said, calling out two more rear guards to give him a full field. "Now go Lisanna! Attack with a boost from Lucas!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard!" Marcus called out. "Divine Dragon Knight, Masamune!"

 **Divine Dragon Knight, Masamune**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Masamune! Counterblast!" Marcus called out. "Since I have less rear guards than the opponent, I can select the attacking rear guard and retire it! However, if the opponent has four or more rear guards, I can instead retire all opponent rear guards in the column of the chosen rear guard instead!"

Allen gasped, watching three of his rear guards get retired in the blink of an eye. "What?!"

"Amazing! He managed to not only deal with the attacking rear guard, but another potential attack later down the line!" Dan gasped.

"Piercing Bullet Sniper and Death-scope Sharpshooter will both take aim at your Vanguard next then!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000=24000)**

"No guard." Marcus said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Allen(5).]**

"Alexander attacks the Vanguard!" Allen declared. "Skill activated! When he attacks, two of my rear guards on the opponent's field gain 5000 power until the end of my opponent's next turn!"

 **(26000+20000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Both effects to Inspired Young Knight. Third check, no trigger." Allen said. "My Inspired Young Knight will finish this!"

 **(7000+10000+5000=22000)**

"Guard!" Marcus called out, holding up a trigger, and another card from his hand.

Allen raised a brow in surprise. "Turn end."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought Marcus was finished for a second."

"He's still in a bad spot. He's got one rear guard and only 1 card in his hand." Rose said.

"Yeah, and Allen has six cards in his hand." Sophia added.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Marcus(1), Allen(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Marcus said. ' _I've got no choice. I need to end this cardfight here. It's all or nothing.'_

"You know, this isn't easy to admit Allen, but you were right before." Marcus said. "So I'm going to burn away all my leftover hatred with this next move. Try not to get caught up in my flames."

"That'll depend on how hot they are." Allen smirked.

"Generation Zone, release! Now burn! The bright flames of destiny! Set ablaze a path to my future! Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire Inspired Young Knight and draw! Then, with my rear guard Tenkai's skill, I retire Marco and add 5000 power to it!" Marcus explained. "Then I call! Dragon Knight, Ysaar! Wyvern of the Rainbow Flames, Garan!"

' _He's got three rear guards now, beating my two. Blaze can be used now.'_ Allen thought to himself.

"Ysaar attacks the Vanguard!" Marcus declared. "Ysaar's Blaze! Soul blast and add 5000 power! You also can't intercept!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Allen called out, holding up a card from his hand.

"With the second part of Ysaar's skill, all rear guards in the same column as him are retired." Marcus said. He had lost a rear guard, but it was more than worth it to clear out Allens remaining rear guards. "Dragonic Blademaster Riden, attack the Vanguard! Blaze! My Vanguard gains 5000 power for each of my opponent's open rear guard circles! Then, with his Generation Break 3, my Vanguard gains plus one drive and plus one critical!"

 **(26000+25000=51000)**

"Perfect guard!" Allen called out.

"Triple drive." Marcus said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Both effects to Tenkai Third check, heal trigger. Once again, all effects to Tenkai. And now with a boost from Garan, Tenkai attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000+10000+7000+1000=34000)**

Allen looked at his hand, seeing he didn't have enough to protect himself. "No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Marcus(5), Allen(6).]**

"Looks like I lose." Allen said. "You've certainly gotten better."

"As have you." Marcus said. "So you'd better not slack off with this training. We'll need your help to fight Purgatory."

Allen showed a small smirk. "You got it."

Everyone watching showed a glimpse of a smile. "Well it seems those two have made up." Rose said.

"Marcus was right though with what he said. We're going to need everyone's help to win this fight." Aurora said.

"Good. At least you kids understand that much." the sage said. "Now then, let's get to daily training. You've all got a lot of time to make up."

"Yes sir." they all said, ready to continue their training.

 **Allen: Hey… Marcus…?**

 **Marcus: What is it?**

 **Allen: I want you to know… I really am sorry for what happened.**

 **Marcus: I know. Now enough of that sad face. We need to get back to carving.**

 **Allen: Ugh, this is such a hassle. I've never had to do anything like this.**

 **Sage: Did I hear complaining?**

 **Allen & Marcus: N-No sir!**

 **Next time: Tainted Knight**

 **Card Gallery:**

Dragonic Blademaster "Tenkai"  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC/RC: Blaze  
** **AUTO VC:** [CB1]. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it. Then, draw one card and choose your Vanguard and it gets **(AUTO VC: When this unit attacks, if this unit is Blazing, it gets +5000 power)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO RC 1/Turn GB1:** When your opponent's rear guard is retired by your card's effect during your turn, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it, and this unit gets +5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Wyvern Bomber, Doha  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **AUTO VC/RC: Blaze  
** **CONT RC:** This unit cannot attack unless you have a Vanguard with the Blaze ability or has "Blademaster" in its name.  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with Blaze or has "Blademaster" in its name, this unit gets Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards. All of your opponent's rear guards in the same column as the chosen unit are retired. Then, this unit gains +5000 power for each rear guard retired until the end of the battle.

* * *

Wyvern of Rainbow Flames, Garan  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO VC/RC: Blaze  
** **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with Blaze or has "Blademaster" in its name, this unit gets +1000 power and Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** CB1 When this unit attacks or boosts, if your Vanguard is blazing, you may pay the cost. If you do, until end of turn, this unit and your Vanguard get **(CONT VC/RC: This unit gets +1000 power for every open RC on your opponent's field.)** and this unit gets **(CONT RC: When an attack that this unit attacked or boosted hits, CC1/SC1.)**

* * *

Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Volcanic Flare Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC/RC: Blaze  
** **ACT VC:** [CB1 & Take a facedown card from your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up]. Choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire all of your opponent's rear guards in the same column as that unit. Then, for each unit retired, choose one of your units with the Blaze ability and it gets +5000 power.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** All of your front row units get **(CONT VC/RC: When this unit attacks, if your Vanguard is blazing, this unit gets +5000 power.)**.

* * *

Divine Dragon Knight, Masamune  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** [CB1] When placed on GC, if the number of rear guards you have is less than your opponent, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's attacking rear guards and retire it. If the number of rear guards your opponent has is 4 or more, retire all of your opponent's rear guards in the same column as the attacking rear guard instead.


	90. Tainted Knight

**A/N: Hey readers. Sorry for the late update, but here's the latest chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.**

In a dimly lit room, Roman sat in solitude. Things had been going well so far. Purgatory's goal of spreading negativity was slowly working its way across the world. Every day, there were small unfortunate incidents occurring all over, each of which was orchestrated by Purgatory in the shadows. On top of that, he had been able to begin his own revenge. The heir to the Lewis empire was now a mindless slave for him to control. Elizabeth was likely still trapped in despair. Things were going perfectly.

"Who would have thought a card game like Vanguard would hold so much power." Roman chuckled to himself, holding his deck in his hand and staring at it. "With this, I will be a king once more."

"What are you talking about, Roman?"

Roman groaned at the sound of the new arrival. "What do you want Isabelle?"

"I was simply walking around." the little girl said. "I'm bored."

"Not my problem. Now get lost."

Isabelle pouted at the red-haired male. "You're a big meanie, you know that?"

"And you're an annoying brat." Roman retorted.

"I'll never get why Master Ryo let someone like you into Purgatory." Isabelle said.

"I doubt you could ever understand something like that. It's a grown up thing."

Isabelle sighed. "I wish Master Ryo would at least let me go after Sophia again. We know where she and the others are after all."

"Well duh. The majority of them are in Japan. But an attack in a public city that large would be far too risky."

Isabelle had a sudden grin come to her face. "Oh? You mean you didn't hear?"

Roman raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

Isabelle let out a giggle. "I know something you don't. Na na na na na."

"Start talking or get out of my sight." Roman said with a glare, showing his irritation at the girl.

"You're no fun." Isabelle said. "Whatever. Apparently, they're all up in the mountains training. I don't really get why though. It's not like their location is going to change anything."

"The mountains, huh?" Roman said with piqued interest.

Isabelle glared at him. "You better not be thinking of going. You know Master Ryo told you to stay put for now. You can't go against his orders."

"No need to worry. I won't disobey you're precious Master Ryo." Roman said, waving the young girl away. "Now shoo. Go play with your dolls or something."

Isabelle left with a huff, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Alone once again, Roman's lips curved up into a smirk. A chuckle escaped him. ' _I may not be allowed to leave and go after Elizabeth and her friends. But I don't have to leave to make Elizabeth suffer. After all, HE doesn't have any orders to stay.'_

* * *

"How are you doing over there Rose?"

"Just fine. There's a surprising amount of fruit growing on the trees here despite it being winter."

The trio of Rose, Sophia, and Elizabeth were out in the woods, gathering food and fresh water for everyone back at the cabin. With so many of them staying there, the sage didn't have enough food for everyone all the time. So it was agreed that they would each take turns every day gathering food for meals. To their fortune, the mountain trees provided a fair amount of fruit for them.

"I wonder how the others are doing with training." Sophia said.

"I'm just glad we're done with that wood carving stuff." Elizabeth said. "We're finally cardfighting instead of that mental image training."

"It had its perks though, I suppose." Rose said. "He wasn't wrong about it giving us a clearer image of the units we're connected to."

"Mhm." Sophia nodded in agreement. "I hope this helps us learn Cross Stride though."

"We can only hope." Elizabeth said. "Alright, I think that's enough fruit. Let's head down to the river and get the water."

Rose and Sophia both nodded in agreement as the three of them made their way to the river, connecting to the waterfall they had first met the sage at. The mountains were rather quiet with most of its wildlife hibernating. Sophia had been somewhat disappointed at that fact since she was hoping to see some deer or rabbits, but there was nothing they could do about it.

The three girls soon reached the river and began collecting water, filling up the cantines. The task of gathering food and water was rather time consuming so the three of them passed the time with small talk.

"So what do you all think about the sage?" Rose asked.

"I think he's super nice." Sophia said with a smile. "He's letting us stay with him and training us after all."

"In my opinion, he's an old geezer. Stereotypical old fart acting like these weird activities are going to help us." Elizabeth said. "Though at least he's not a disgusting pervert like some stereotypes."

Sophia tilted her head. "What do you mean by pervert?"

Rose and Elizabeth both blushed, remembering how young Sophia still was and unaccustomed to such things. "It's nothing. Forget it." Elizabeth told her.

"Let's just focus on getting the water right now." Rose said, equally eager to distract Sophia with another topic.

Fortunately, their plan seemed to work as Sophia nodded her head. "Ok then. I hope everyone likes the fruit. We got lots and lots of it."

"Oh really? Mind if I have some then?"

The sudden voice caught the three girls off guard as they all turned around to see a new arrival emerging through the woods. All three of them slowly widened their eyes as they recognized who it was.

"Long time no see." William smirked.

"William!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She was about to run at him, but was stopped as Rose blocked her path with her arm. "What are you doing?!"

"Something's not right." Rose said. "Take a look at William's eyes."

"His eyes?" Elizabeth said. She looked closely, and realized Rose was right. The look in his eyes wasn't like the William she knew. They were cold and distant.

"You always were sharper than you looked, Rose." William chuckled.

"Talk. Who are you?" Rose said.

"Who am I? Why, I'm William of course."

"You're lying."

"Not in the slightest. The one standing before you right now is none other than William Lewis." William said. "But I do admit I am a bit different than the last time we met. I serve a new master now."

"A new master?" Elizabeth questioned.

"That's right. The great Lord Roman." William said.

Elizabeth gasped as she heard this. "Roman?! But… that's insane! Why would you be helping Roman?! Helping Purgatory?!" She clenched her fists tightly. "What happened to you, William?!"

"It could be Roman's power." Rose said. "The member of Purgatory I fought had a strange power to hypnotize people."

"Isabelle also had a weird power. She was able to turn people into living dolls." Sophia added. "Maybe Roman has some power too. And that could be making William act like this."

"So… William's been brainwashed?" Elizabeth questioned. Knowing Roman, she knew making people submit to him and obey his rule sounded exactly like something he would do.

"Brainwashed is such a nasty term. Lord Roman has granted me the honor of serving him." William said. "And now I will crush you all in his place."

Rose tensed up. "Sophia. Run back to the cabin. Let everyone know what's going on."

"What? But what about you?" Sophia asked.

The french girl stepped forward. "I'll fight William and bring him back to his senses."

"Oh?" William said. "But we shouldn't leave anyone out of the fun."

As if on cue, two others stepped out from the woods, cutting off their escape routes. From the look in their eyes, they were brainwashed like William.

Elizabeth and Rose both gasped as they saw the two other newcomers. Elizabeth couldn't help but recognize them. "Those two look familiar… Don't tell me…"

"They're fighters in the Euro League." Rose confirmed. "So Purgatory's gotten to them too."

"Lord Roman has been very busy gathering up skilled cardfighters for his cause." William said. "But don't worry. There's no others besides us here right now. But the three of us will be all that's needed."

Rose glanced down at Elizabeth. Seeing William like this was too much of an emotional burden on her, not that Rose could blame her. "Sophia, can you deal with those two? I'll take care of William."

"Got it." Sophia nodded.

"Hold on." Elizabeth said, getting to her feet. "I'll fight William."

"But Elizabeth-"

"He's like this because of me." Elizabeth told her. "I won't lie. Seeing William like this hurts me more than anything. But right now, there's something I feel that's even stronger." She clenched her fists as a fierce look of determination burned in her eyes. "My desire to save him. And then make Roman pay with a thousand times interest for what he's done."

Rose could clearly sense the determination behind Elizabeth's words. There was no stopping her now. "Alright. Just be careful. This is still William we're talking about."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Elizabeth said, stepping forward. "You and Sophia work on dealing with his two lackeys."

"So you're up first, eh Elizabeth?" William smirked. "Fine then. It doesn't really matter which one I crush."

Just like that, two sheets of light appeared before Elizabeth and William. The same happened for rose and Sophia as they faced their opponents. But right now, all of Elizabeth's focus was on William.

' _William… I promise I'll save you.'_

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla!"

 **Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Wingal Brave!"

 **Wingal Brave**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

* * *

Roman sat comfortably as he enjoyed a sip of wine. He closed his eyes, able to sense that the fight between William and Elizabeth had began through his link over those under the influence of his power. He had a front row seat to this cardfight. The one that would destroy Elizabeth completely. Not to mention he would impress Ryo even more by wiping out the main group of resistance Purgatory faced. Not a bad chance to earn some trust from the leader of Purgatory.

"I've done my homework on your career in the Euro League, dear Elizabeth." Roman chuckled to himself. "You've never once beaten William. And now you'll be forced into utter despair by him. You have no chance at victory."

Another sip of wine passed his lips as he kept his eyes closed and his mind focused on William. He didn't want to miss a second of this.

* * *

"I ride!" Elizabeth called out. "Knight of Black Sun, Gavain!"

 **Knight of Black Sun, Gavain**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carmilla moves back." Elizabeth said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Elizabeth(5), William(5).]**

"My turn then." William said. "Ride! Little Tactician, Marron!"

 **Little Tactician, Marron**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Wingal Brave moves back." William said. "Go Marron! Attack with a boost from Wingal!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

She watched as a blast of magic came from Marron's hand, striking her Vanguard. She felt the same pain her unit did, taking a moment to recover from hit. "Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), William(0).]**

"Turn end." William said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Elizabeth(5), William(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Ride! Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious!"

 **Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Carmilla boosts! Attack, Argragious!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), William(2).]**

"That ends my turn." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Elizabeth(6), William(7).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Ride! Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura!"

 **Awakened Blaster Rapier, Laura**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl." William said. "Attack, Grawl! Cut Argragious down to size!"

 **(9000+1000=10000)**

"Guard!"

"Wingal Brave lends its support to Laura! Attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), William(2).]**

"Skill of Wingal Brave. I send him to the soul and add Awakened Blaster Javelin, Larousse to my hand from the deck." William explained. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Elizabeth(5), William(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "William… It's my fault you ended up like this. So you better believe I'm going to be the one to bring you back."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"You taught me that Vanguard makes anything possible. Time for me to put that into practice." Elizabeth said. She took a card from her hand and held it up. "Dragon that stands at the summit of strength! Draw your blade and banish all who oppose you into an eternal hell! Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Call! Exceptional Knight, Gwawl! Spear of Darkness, Mazorlf!" Elizabeth called out, deploying her formation. "The two of them will do an attack together on Gwawl!"

 **(10000+7000+1000=18000)**

"Don't make me laugh. Guard!" William called out, holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

"Claret Sword attacks your Vanguard with a boost from Carmilla!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!" Elizabeth said.

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), William(3).]**

"My turn's over." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Elizabeth(5), William(6).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "Both light and darkness are meaningless before the power of royalty! Bow before his presence! Ride! Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew!"

 **Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

Elizabeth watched as Llew appeared. Seeing it in person like this instead of as a simple card, she could sense the immense power the unit had. But the bond William had with that unit seemed to be completely nonexistent now.

' _You want William to go back to how he was too, don't you?'_ Elizabeth realized. ' _Don't worry. I'll do whatever it takes to save him.'_

"Skill of Llew! I counterblast and retire Carmilla!" William said. He then discarded a card from his hand as he strode. "Stride Generation! Holy Dragon, Shine Saver Dragon!"

 **Holy Dragon, Shine Saver Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul blast! I search my deck for a Blaster and call it to rear guard! Superior call Laura! Grawl's skill increases his power by 5000 since a Blaster was called from the deck!" William explained. "Next I call Javelin! Lastly, I activate the skill of Shine Saver Dragon! Counterblast! I call another Blaster from the deck! Come forth Guardian Blaster, Iseult! Her skill adds 3000 power, while Grawl's gives himself another 5000! On top of that, Shine Saver gives all five of my units 3000 power for every face up card in my G Zone!"

' _Four rear guards so quickly. I should have expected as much.'_ Elizabeth thought.

"Grawl attacks the Vanguard with a boost from Laurosse!"

 **(9000+1000+10000+3000+7000+1000+3000=34000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. Grawl slashed his axe through Claret Sword Dragon, sending a rush of pain through Elizabeth once again.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(2), William(3).]**

"Shine Saver go! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to the Laura and critical to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger." Elizabeth breathed heavily, her entire body writhing in pain from taking two attacks one after another. But she stood her ground.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), William(3).]**

"Let's make my attacks three for three, shall we?! Laura attacks with help from Iseult!"

 **(9000+1000+3000+6000+1000+3000+3000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Dragwiser, Bronach!"

 **Dragwiser, Bronach**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Bronach!" Elizabeth said, looking at the top five cards of her deck and calling out a pair of grade 1s to guard with.

"Oh well. That will do for this turn." William said. "Iseult's skill returns her to my hand. Now let's see what you can do, Scarlet failure."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Elizabeth(4), William(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "William… Do you recall the first time we met?"

"Hm?"

"It was my first time competing in the Vanguard Euro League." Elizabeth said, recalling the old memory. "I arrogantly said that I would take you down in our cardfight, whether you were a champion or not." A chuckle escaped her. "I was floored. You completely defeated me. I could barely believe it. Afterwards, you came up to me. I thought you were going to gloat, mocking me for acting so cocky. But you didn't. Instead you told me that you were amazed how strong I was for being a first timer in the Euro League. And you said… that you were looking forward to fighting me again."

"What of it?"

"That's the William I know. The true you." Elizabeth said. "Not this insult to the friend and rival I made. You always treated your opponents with respect and didn't care one bit about a person's background or financial status. You cared about the type of person they were. You helped me grow as both a cardfighter and a person." She clenched her fist tightly. "Wake up already! You know this isn't you! The William I know would never submit to someone else's control so easily!"

"Heh, well get used to it. This is who I am now." William said with a smirk. "If you hate the new me so much, then try and beat me. Not that you ever could."

"I will. Just watch and see." Elizabeth said. "Stride Generation! Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed!"

 **Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Doomed**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Mazorlf! I then get to search my deck for a grade 1 card to call to rear guard! I call Darkquartz Dragon! This unit gets to be treated as two retires when paying the cost of a skill. Next, Mazorlf's soul blast allows me to call a copy of him with an extra 5000 power since he was retired for the cost of a skill! On top of that, Darkqartz adds 3000 power to himself and the Vanguard! Lastly, I call Darkpride Dragon from my hand." Elizabeth declared. "And now the skill of Aurageyser Doomed! I counterblast and retire three rear guards! I choose Darkpride and my Darkquartz that counts as two! I then get to reveal the top two cards of my deck and add them to my hand. For each one that's grade 1 or lower, I retire an opponent rear guard." Elizabeth revealed the first card, getting a grade 2. But her second one was a grade 0, exactly what she needed. "Retire Grawl. Next, since Darkpride was retired for the cost of a skill, I can call another Darkquartz and countercharge. Darkquartz's skill adds 3000 to himself and the Vanguard. And to finish things up, I call Morion Spear Dragon from my hand."

"Not bad." William said. "But still far too weak."

"Let's see if you're still saying that after this! Morion Spear attacks with a boost from Mazorlf! Morion Spear gets 5000 power when boosted by a grade 1!"

 **(9000+5000+7000+1000+5000=27000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), William(4).]**

"Aurageyser Doomed, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! Both effects to Gwawl! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Morion Spear!" Elizabeth said. "Morion Spear, time for another attack on the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Tch. Guard!" William said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Gwawl attacks next with a boost from Darkquartz! Activating skill! I counterblast and retire Mazorlf to add 10000 power to Gwawl! And since the card I retired was a grade 1, I can retire a rear guard too! Larousse, get lost! On top of that, Mazorl's skill allows me to soul blast and call another over Morion Spear with an extra 5000 power!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000+3000=25000)**

"Generation guard! Vivid Sacred Staff, Andragius!"

 **Vivid Sacred Staff, Andragius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Mazorlf, go get him!"

 **(7000+1000+5000=13000)**

"No guard." William said. "Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), William(5).]**

"Turn end." Elizabeth said. ' _I wasn't able to finish him but I did get him to use up a perfect guard and G Guardian. If I can just survive this turn, I can win.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(7), William(5).]**

"Stand and draw." William said. "You put up a decent fight, Elizabeth. But you're still no match for me. Llew's counterblast. I retire Darkquartz Dragon."

"Elizabeth!" the sudden shout from Rose caused Elizabeth to turn and see Rose and Sophia come near her, done with their two opponents.

"Don't worry." Elizabeth said. "I've got this."

"It seems those two weren't enough to keep you occupied." William said. "But no matter. I'll finish you off once I finish with this one. Stride Generation! Blaster Infinity, Llew!"

 **Blaster Infinity, Llew**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I superior call Grawl from the deck! Then I call Larousse, Elisse, and Arongal!" William said. "Next, I activate Blaster Infinity, Llew's skill! I send Laura from my hand to the soul and all of my Blaster rear guards get 5000 power! And since I have at least three blaster rear guards, my Vanguard gains a skill! Plus, with Blaster Infinity's Generation Break 4, he gains 10000 power, an extra critical, and an extra drive check!"

Elizabeth tensed up. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. But she had no choice but to endure this. She couldn't afford to lose.

"Grawl attacks with a boost from Larousse!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+7000+1000+5000=28000)**

"No guard." Elizabeth said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), William(5).]**

Being put to five damage made Elizabeth fall to one knee. She gasped for breath, her body feeling weaker than it had ever felt in her life.

"Elisse attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+1000+5000=15000)**

"Intercept with Gwawl!"

"Boosted by Arongal, Laura attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+1000+5000+4000=19000)**

"Guard!" Elizabeth called out, holding up a card from her hand.

"Destroy her, Llew!" William called out. "Activating skill! I counterblast and call 2 Blasters from my deck! I call two copies of Blaster of Light and Dark, Llew!"

Rose and Sophia both gasped as William's Vanguard swung his sword down at Claret Sword Dragon. "Elizabeth!"

Just as it seemed the sword was about to cut down Elizabeth's Vanguard, a sudden unit appeared and blocked the attack.

"Perfect guard!" Elizabeth called out, looking at William with a fierce glare.

William growled in annoyance. "Why won't you just give up? You can't win."

"That's what you think." Elizabeth said. "I doubt you remember with how you are right now… but you were the one that always seemed to never give up. No matter how bad things seemed, you always stayed strong."

"Stop bringing up the past! That's no longer me!"

"You're right! You're not the William I know!" Elizabeth shouted. "The real William is much stronger than you! That's why… I refuse to lose to you the way you are now!"

"Shut up!" William yelled. "Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Llew on the right! Third check, draw trigger! Power to the Llew on the right and I draw! Final check, heal trigger! Power to the Llew on the right and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), William(4).]**

"Go Llew! Finish her!"

Elizabeth saw the two Llews on William's right and left lunge towards her. She blocked the one on the left with a trigger from her hand. As the right Llew was about to connect, a pillar of light shot up as a unit appeared and blocked the attack.

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

William clenched his fist in frustration. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Elizabeth(2), William(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Here goes! Time for me to bring you back to reality! Generation Zone, release! Bathe those who underestimate your power in eternal hellfire! Unleash your true power here and now! Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Elizabeth took the two remaining cards in her hand and called them out to the field. "Call! Knight of Black Sun, Gavain and Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious!"

"That's three rear guards! And two of them are grade 1s!" Rose said with a grin, knowing what was coming.

"Argragious attacks with a boost from Gavain!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" William declared, holding up his draw trigger and a grade 2 from his hand.

"Claret Blood Dragon attacks!" Elizabeth "Skill activated! I retire all three of my rear guards! The opponent cannot guard now with grade 1 or greater cards from the hand! In addition, since at least two of the cards retired were grade 1, add 10000 power and plus one critical!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Holy Beast, Divine Maskgal!"

 **Holy Beast, Divine Maskgal**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000**

"Skill activated! Add 10000 to the shield since I have a rear guard in the front row!" William explained. "Then I add on Flogal from my hand!"

"That brings him up to 46000." Sophia realized.

"Elizabeth needs two triggers if she wants to break through." Rose said.

"Only two triggers?" Elizabeth said. "Don't mock me."

"What?" William said.

"I'll make my deck respond to me." Elizabeth said. "Triple drive! First check, stand trigger! Power to the Vanguard! Second check, no trigger."

Everyone stood in silence, waiting to see what Elizabeth's third drive check would bring. It all came down to one card.

' _Answer my call…'_ Elizabeth prayed. "Third check… critical trigger!" A smirk came to her face as William gasped in shock. "All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Impossible…" William gapsed.

"Time for you to wake up!" Elizabeth said. "Come back to us! William!"

Elizabeth's Vanguard smashed through William's defenses and struck down his Vanguard. A sixth damage fell into William's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), William(6).]**

The units around them vanished as the fight ended. William fell to his knees as he held his head in pain. "Ngh… What's going on…?" He let out a loud cry. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

"William!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she ran over. She kneeled down next to him. "Are you alright?!"

"Ugh…" William groaned as he slowly looked up at the girl. "Elizabeth…? What was I doing? Where are we?"

Tears formed in Elizabeth's eyes as she threw herself at her friend and hugged him. "You're back! William!"

"W-Woah!" William gasped as he was knocked over. "E-Elizabeth? Why are you crying?"

"Just stay quiet for now, William." Rose said. "She was rather worried about you."

"Rose?" William questioned, just now realizing she and Sophia were present as well.

"Welcome back." Sophia said.

William didn't have the foggiest idea what was going on. But he decided to follow Rose's advice and let Elizabeth have this moment. From the state she was in, it seemed to him like she needed it.

* * *

"Damnit!" Roman cursed as he slammed his fist on the table. "I can't believe that Lewis ended up losing! Not to mention those two other pawns I had! What useless idiots!"

"A puppet is only as useless as the puppetmaster." a new voice said.

Roman gasped as he turned and saw Ryo standing at the doorway to the room. "R-Ryo! I was-"

"Looking for a way to focus on your own agenda instead of following my directions." Ryo said. "Judging by your attitude, I take it the three pawns you sent after Aurora Fujou and the others failed."

"I-It's not my fault!" Roman argued. "Those three were just too weak! They wouldn't have been of any use to us!"

"Making excuses now, are you?" Ryo said. "You likely weren't able to realize it but the fighters you force to submit to you become weaker than they were. They're not able to show their true power once they're enslaved puppets."

"Then why did you have me go around and getting the Euro League's best fighters to submit to us?"

"Though they may be weaker, there is strength in numbers." Ryo explained. "You got hasty and failed to utilize the pawns to their fullest potential. That is why you failed."

"But-"

"Thankfully, we still have several other Euro League fighters under your control." Ryo said. "We can salvage things with them. However, I do not want any more stunts with you sending soldiers out to fight without my permission. Is that clear?"

Roman held his head low. "Yes."

"Good. Now then, I have business to attend to." Ryo said. "I will keep my promise to you, Roman. But you had best keep your promise first and help me with my goal."

Roman sat alone as Ryo walked away. He clenched his fists in anger. ' _Damn him. How dare he lecture me like that.'_ he thought. ' _Just you wait Ryo… when this is all over, I will stand on top of you. And as for you Elizabeth, I swear I will make you suffer beyond belief when I'm through with you.'_

 **William: So I was being mind controlled?**

 **Anthony: Pretty much**

 **William: That's rather embarrassing. Seems I'll have to make up for my mistake.**

 **Rose: We're just glad you're back.**

 **Sophia: That's right! Elizabeth was super sad with you gone.**

 **Elizabeth: I wasn't** _ **that**_ **sad.**

 **Aurora: Sure you weren't.**

 **Elizabeth: Ugh… Just no one tell William.**

 **Next time: Proof of Courage**

 **Card** **Gallery:**

Knight of the Black Sun, Gavain  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this card gets grade +2.  
 **AUTO GB1:** [SB1] When this unit is retired for the cost of one of your skills you may pay the cost, if you do reveal the top card of your deck and add it to your hand. If the card added was grade 1 or less, choose one of your units and it gets +5000 until the end of the turn.

* * *

Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC/[Deck] GB1:** If you have a Grade 4 or greater "Claret Sword Dragon" vanguard, this unit gets grade -1  
 **AUTO:** [Choose one of your rear guards and retire it] If this unit is called to RC from the deck you may pay the cost. If you do this unit gains +3000 power and Boost until the end of the turn.


	91. Proof of Courage

**A/N: Hi readers. Hope you're all doing well. Time to brighten up your day/night with a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. By the way, the cards I forgot to add to the card gallery last chapter are now on it. Also, there is going to be some stuff going on this upcoming week for me so that may delay the next chapter a bit. Just giving you all a heads up.**

 **Note: For this chapter, I used a Vanguard format that hasn't been given an exact official ruleset. I went with what the anime has shown and some small online notes for it, so the "rulings" may be a bit here and there for certain things.**

When Elizabeth, Rose, and Sophia had brought William and two Euro League fighters back to the cabin with them, everyone had been surprised to say the least. They had managed to tell the two Euro League fighters that they had simply found them unconscious in the woods. Both of their memories of how they had ended up there were hazy. They helped the two of them back to the base of the mountain to help them return back to the city via train. After seeing them off at the train station, they returned to the log cabin to get some more information from William.

The Lewis heir was sitting at the table, trying to recall as much as he could. Everyone was gathered as they explained what had occurred since he had disappeared.

"So all of that happened while I was under Roman's control, huh?" William said.

"Do you remember anything William? Anything at all?" Rose asked.

William held a hand against his head as he tried to think. "The last thing I remember… I think I was cardfighting Roman. He defeated me and then… everything else is foggy. The next thing I remember was being on the mountain with Elizabeth right next to me."

"So this guy's power lets him enslave anyone he defeats then?" Amy deduced.

"Most likely." Sarah said. "Each of the Seven Lords of Purgatory seem to have some kind of power unique to them."

"If they're aiding Ragnarok, it's not surprising that they've been granted power." Fulong said with a sigh.

"Could it be that each of their powers reflect themselves?" Sophia suggested. "With Isabelle, she could turn people she defeated into living dolls." The young girl frowned. "I think it's because she was always so lonely and miserable. The thing she wants most of all is a friend that won't betray or hurt her."

"Well controlling others to do his bidding definitely sounds like Roman." Elizabeth admitted. "It fits perfectly with his ideal of being a ruler."

"Laura's power allowed her to hypnotize others around her. They would be completely entranced, only paying attention to her." Rose said. She let out a sigh. "I wouldn't have thought she'd be like that before, but now… it fits her current personality."

"That leaves the doctor from that hospital, and those two ninja guys, plus one person we don't know about." Dan said. "We didn't really see anything regarding special powers with the ninja duo. What about the doctor?"

All eyes fell on Sarah, with her being the only one to actually speak with the member of Purgatory. She stared at the ground. "Yuri's power allowed her to create a gas in the air. It put people into a coma-like state. I can't say anything about how it relates to her personality though. I didn't talk with her long enough to get enough information from her."

"In each case though, things seemed to change once they lost." Aurora pointed out. "Sarah, you said those infected from the gas woke up after you beat her. And according to Sophia, Maria was perfectly fine once Isabelle gave up on the cardfight and ran."

"In William's case though, he went back to normal once we beat him. Not Roman." Elizabeth said. "But if we were to defeat Roman… would that free everyone under his control?"

"I would hope so." William said. "There's no telling who else he's managed to brainwash."

"In the end, our goal remains the same. Defeating Purgatory." Allen said. "This just gives us another reason to do so."

"So…" William said. "If it's alright with you, do you mind if I stay here for now? I still need to learn Cross Stride like the rest of you."

"Is that alright, sage?" Aurora asked as she and everyone looked at the old man.

Fulong sighed. "Another one of you brats eh? Well I suppose. This one seems to have good manners after all."

William bowed his head. "Thank you."

Anthony stretched out his arms. "Alright then. Since that's all done with, let's get back to training."

"Sounds good to me." Daiki said.

* * *

"Take this!" Kimiko said. "I attack the Vanguard!"

"No guard." Emma said. "Damage check… no trigger." The young girl put the sixth card in her damage zone and let out a frustrated sigh. "Darn it, I nearly had you that time!"

"Hehe." Kimiko giggled. "Want to go again?"

"Bring it." Emm said. Looking around the card shop, she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't as crowded as usual. "It certainly seems a lot more empty with Marcus, Sarah, and Daiki gone."

Kimiko nodded. "Yeah. I wish we could have gone on that trip they went on with Aurora and the others."

"Well while they're off having fun, we're gonna get way stronger." Emma told her. "That'll teach them to leave us behind again."

"Yeah." Kimiko said with a grin. Not having their older siblings around had made things a little lonely for them, both at the shop and at home. But they still had each other to spend time with for winter vacation.

As the two girls were about to start another game, the sound of the door to the card shop opening caught their attention. At first it simply seemed like another customer walking in. But Emma's eyes widened when she recognized who it was.

Kenta Iragaki of Team Genius Prodigy.

Another one of the customers also noticed who it was and gasped, causing a chain reaction among some of the other cardfighters there. Whispers quickly flew around the store.

"Holy cow. That's Kenta Iragaki, isn't it?"

"From Team Genius Prodigy?"

"What's he doing in a place like this?"

"You think I could ask him for his autograph?"

Kenta glanced around the store, as if he was looking for someone. He then went up to the counter. "Excuse me. Is this the store that Team Sightless Vision from the Vanguard World tournament goes to?"

Emma raised a brow at this. ' _He's looking for Marcus, Sarah, and Daiki? Why?'_

"Did you say Sightless Vision?" Kimiko asked.

Kenta turned his head to the young Radcliffe girl. "I did. Do you know where they are?"

"They're not here I'm afraid." Kimiko explained. "They're on a trip and won't be back for another week or so."

"Is that so?" Kenta asked. "That's unfortunate. Thank you for your help though."

As Kenta turned to walk out of the shop, Emma stood up from her seat. "Hold it!"

Kenta turned his head towards Emma. "What? You need something, kid?"

"Why are you looking for Marcus, Sarah, and Daiki?" Emma asked.

"What business is it of yours?"

"Because Marcus is my brother. That makes it my business." Emma said.

"Hm? I heard Cersy had a little sister. So you're her, huh?" Kenta said. "Regardless, Cersy and his team are the ones I want to talk to. You go back to playing your kid games."

"What was that?" Emma said with a glare. "I won't stand for you insulting my skill level, even if you are a national champion team member."

"If you had the skills to fight at the World Tournament, your brother would have added you to the team. You weren't on it, so that says all I need to know."

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Emma asked. "Let's cardfight. If I win, you tell me why you're looking for my brother and his friends."

Normally Kenta found it beneath him to accept a challenge from someone so young. But he had learned recently that looks and even statistics could be deceiving.

"Fine." Kenta said. "But what do I get if I win?"

"If you win, you'll be the first person to know when my brother gets back from his trip."

It wasn't a bad deal in all honesty. Kenta nodded his head. "Very well then." he said. "But I still doubt you'll be enough to make this a fair fight. So I'll let you pick one other person to fight with you. It'll be 2 against one."

"You're certainly cocky." Emma said. She looked at her friend. "How about it, Kimiko? You up for putting this guy in his place?"

Kimiko nodded her head. "Yeah. Let's do it."

The three of them all sat down at a table and drew their opening hands. They all called out together to start the fight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Dimensional Robo, Goyusha!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Goyusha**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Steam Maiden, Lele!"

 **Steam Maiden, Lele**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Outstanding Mutant, Promularva!"

 **Outstanding Mutant, Promularva**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Since I'm at a numbers disadvantage, I'll take the first move." Kenta said. "I ride. Vulcan Lafertei."

 **Vulcan Lafertei**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Promularva moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Emma(5), Kimiko(5), Kenta(5).]**

"I'm up next." Kimiko said. "Ride! Steam Maiden, Melem!"

 **Steam Maiden, Melem**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Lele moves back." Kimiko said. ' _In a 2v1 cardfight, the order will go Kenta, me, back to Kenta, Emma, then back to Kenta. Rinse and repeat. However, he can only attack the person who went immediately before him that turn. Skills like retiring and locking can be used on any player. First side to 9 damage loses.'_ Knowing they had to play smart, given their opponent's skill level, Kimiko opted to keep her hand big for now. "Lele gives her boost! Melem attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Kenta said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(0), Kenta(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Kimiko said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Emma(5), Kimiko(6), Kenta(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "Ride! Black Spear Mutant, Bolg Wasp!"

 **Black Spear Mutant, Bolg Wasp**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _I saw that Kimiko girl play Aurora a few months back. She was pretty good.'_ Kenta recalled. ' _But she's still not on the level of someone from the Tokyo Institute's level. Neither of them are.'_

"Bolg Wasp attacks with a boost from Promularva!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Kimiko said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(1), Kenta(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Emma(5), Kimiko(6), Kenta(6).]**

"Stand and draw!" Emma said. "Here we go! Ride! Dimensional Robo, Daicutter!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Daicutter**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"With Goyusha's boost Daicutter attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Kenta said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(1), Kenta(3).]**

"Turn end." Emma said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Emma(6), Kimiko(6), Kenta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "Beloved queen of Megacolony, the time for your presence to be known is now! Ensnare those that trespass upon your kingdom! Ride! Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora!"

 **Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _Gredora. That's his main grade 3.'_ Emma thought. ' _I saw how he messed with Daiki in the Wild Card Round using that card. We'll need to be careful.'_

"I call Light Horn Mutant, Dangerous Horn." Kenta said. "Dangerous Horn attacks!"

 **(10000)**

"I guard!" Kimiko said, holding up a grade 1 from her hand to protect her teammate."

Emma grinned at her friend. "Thanks Kimiko. I owe you one."

"What are friends for?" Kimiko said, returning the grin with one of her own.

"Let's see you protect yourselves against this one then. Gredora attacks with Promularva's boost!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Emma said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Darkface Gredora."

"Damage check." Emma said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(3), Kenta(3).]**

"That will be all for my turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Emma(6), Kimiko(5), Kenta(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Kimiko said. "I ride! Gear Whip Steam Maiden, Ishin!"

 **Gear Whip Steam Maiden, Ishin**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Go Ishin! Attack with a boost from Lele!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard." Kenta said, holding up a critical trigger.

"Drive check, no trigger." Kimiko said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Emma(6), Kimiko(6), Kenta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "You know, one would think that in two against one, the person that's alone is at a severe disadvantage. However, that's not completely the case."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kimiko asked.

"For each of your turns, I get 2. Therefore, I get to grade 3 much quicker than either of you." Kenta explained. "And since I've been on grade 3 for a full turn, I can now stride."

Emma and Kimiko both widened their eyes, realizing he was right.

"Stride Generation!" Kenta called out. "Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm!"

 **Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

Kenta looked at Emma's field. Both of her side columns were completely empty. She would have to expend a lot of her hand to utilize both columns while only at grade 2. That meant he would be better saving his resources and not using the stride skill. "I call Punish Stag. Using its skill, I gigaparalyze Goyusha. And add 2000 to Punish Stag. And now I use Overhwlem's skill. Counterblast. I draw for each of my opponent's rested rear guards. Currently, that means you Gear Chronicle girl. So I draw 1 card, then gain a crit and a drive since your rested rear guards amount to one or less."

' _If he does that every turn, both Kimiko and I will be giving him a ton of draws just for having units out.'_ Emma thought. ' _Ugh, I knew I hated bugs for a good reason.'_

"Punish Stag will attack!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard!" Kimiko said.

"Overwhlem attacks with a boost from Promularva!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Punish Stag! Final check, no trigger." Kenta's Vanguard hadn't gotten through but he was far from done. "Punish Stag attacks once again!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Kimiko said. "Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(3), Kenta(3).]**

"Dangerous Horn is next! With dark device, add 6000 power!"

 **(10000+6000=16000)**

"Guard!" Kimiko called out.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Emma(6), Kimiko(3), Kenta(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Emma said. "Ride! Dimensional Robo, Daiball!"

 **Dimensional Robo, Daiball**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I'll admit, you definitely surprised us for a moment there." Emma said. "But we're not pushovers either! Call! Dimensional Robo Equip, Daisword! Dimensional Robo, Daicutter! Dimensional Robo, Daicrusher!"

"Expending so much of your hand? Are you really so foolish?" Kenta asked. "Especially with that weak formation."

' _You're wrong. The formation isn't what's important.'_ Kimiko thought. ' _What's important is the fact that she managed to get out 4 Dimensional Robo units.'_

"Activating Goyusha's skill! I send all four of my Dimensional Robo rear guards to the soul! In exchange, I can ride a grade 3 Dimensional Robo from my deck! Superior ride! Glorious Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha!"

 **Glorious Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Go Daiyusha! Attack the Vanguard!" Emma declared. "Since Daisword is in the soul, add 5000 power!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Daiyusha and I draw!"

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(3), Kenta(4).]**

"Turn end." Emma said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Emma(6), Kimiko(4), Kenta(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "You got rid of your rear guards and got to grade 3, all to limit my options. Not bad. Unfortunately, not good enough either. Gredora's skill. Soul blast. A card in your damage zone is turned face down while one of mine is turned face up."

"What?!"

"Stride Generation!" Kenta called out. "Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm!"

 **Poison Sickle Mutant Deity, Overwhelm**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _No point in using the stride skill. It's only in effect next turn and the Dimension Police user won't be calling then anyway.'_ Kenta thought. "I call! Flowing Mutant, Twilight Madder! Vulcan Lafertei!"

' _He's got a full field.'_ Kimiko thought. ' _He's really using that large hand of his to his advantage.'_

"Skill of Overwhelm. You don't have any rear guards at rest, but I will gain a critical and a drive. In addition, her dark device lets my units gain 2000 power for each of your face down damage." Kenta said. "Let's start things off with an attack from Punish Stag, boosted by Twilight Madder! Twilight's skill adds 3000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+7000+3000+2000=23000)**

"No guard." Emma said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(4), Kenta(4).]**

"Twilight goes to the soul at the end of the battle and I draw. Now, with Promularva's boost, Overwhelm attacks!"

 **(26000+2000+5000+2000=35000)**

"Perfect guard!" Emma called out.

"Quadruple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Dangerous Horn and I recover one. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Dangerous Horn. Final check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(4), Kenta(3).]**

"Dangerous Horn attacks with Lafertei's boost!"

 **(10000+6000+2000++10000+7000+2000=37000)**

"Generation guard! Gallant Incarnation, G-O-Five!"

 **Gallant Incarnation, G-O-Five**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Soul blast! Add 10000 to the shield! And another 5000 since I took a damage this turn!"

"Not bad." Kenta admitted. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Emma(3), Kimiko(4), Kenta(13).]**

"Stand and draw." Kimiko said. This wasn't good. Kenta had been keeping the advantage for the majority of the game. If they wanted to win, she needed to do something. "Show me the path that has, is, and will always be my own! Ride! Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru!"

 **Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Not done yet! Stride Generation!" Kimiko called out. "Interdimensional Beast, Time Storm Pegasus!"

 **Interdimensional Beast, Time Storm Pegasus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I give my Vanguard a skill that lets it get 3000 power each time an enemy rear guard is sent to the bottom of the deck! Then, I select Dangerous Horn and sent it to the bottom of the deck! That means 3000 power is added to my Vanguard! Next up, I use the skill of Temporal Blade Steam Maiden, Elul that I discarded to stride! I call her to rear guard!"

' _So that's her goal. Mess with my field to force me to use up my large hand.'_ Kenta realized. ' _Not bad for a kid.'_

"Lele's skill! I counterblast and send her to the bottom of the deck! In return, I send Promularva to the bottom of the deck! This lets me call out a card from my deck with the same grade as the sent card! So I call Vainglory-dream Gear Cat from the deck! Another 3000 power added to the Vanguard! On top of that, Elul gains 10000 power and can to return her to my hand at the end of the turn thanks to her skill! Next, I call Steam Maiden, Ophelia! Using her soul blast, I send Punish Stag to the bottom of the deck and she gains 5000 power for every grade of the sent unit, for a total of 10000! I also get to draw!"

' _Nice. Now his only rear guard is Vulcan Lafertei.'_ Emma thought with a grin. ' _Calling out that big field came back to hurt him in the end.'_

"Skill of Time Storm Pegasus! I send all of your rear guards to the bottom of the deck! Then, you reveal the same number of cards as the number of rear guards sent! I then get to choose where those units are called!"

Kenta returned Vulcan Lafertei to the deck and showed the top card of his deck. Kimiko grinned when she saw it was a sentinel. "Call Black Weevil behind the Vanguard." With that, everything was set up. "Ophelia attacks with a boost from Gear Cat!"

 **(9000+10000+4000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(4), Kenta(4).]**

"Time Storm Pegasus, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Elul! Third check, no trigger." Kimiko said. "Elul, go get him!"

 **(11000+10000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Dream Mutant Deity, Scarabgas!"

 **Dream Mutant Deity, Scarabgas**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Scarabgas! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Turn end." Kimiko said. "Elul returns to my hand."

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Emma(3), Kimiko(7), Kenta(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "Now for the real fun. I soul blast for Gredora's skill to countercharge while you turn one of your damage face down. Stride Generation! Guilty Empress, Darkface Gredora!"

 **Guilty Empress, Darkface Gredora**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"I call! Black Spear Mutant, Bolg Wasp! Makeup Widow! Intimidating Mutant King, Darkface Alicides! With Bolg Wasp's skill, add 7000 power in total." Kenta said, setting up his formation. "Activating Gredora's skill! Counterblast!" He pointed over at Kimiko. "Until the end of your next turn, you can't call cards, except from your hand."

Kimiko widened her eyes. ' _He sealed off my combo to call Elul!'_

"In addition, none of your units can stand during your next stand phase."

"What?!" Emma and Kimiko both gasped.

Kenta glanced at Emma. Even though she could stand her units next turn, clinching the game in that one turn was far from likely. Kimiko however would be in a bind, not being able to stand any of her units. With the two girls ensnared and him free to move, the outcome of this game was nearly set in stone.

"Alicides attacks! With dark device, add 10000 power! In addition, you can't intercept!"

 **(11000+10000=21000)**

"No guard." Kimiko said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(5), Kenta(4).]**

"Gredora attacks with a boost from Black Weevil! Activating skill! I soul blast and call a grade 3 from the deck! I call Darkface Alicides over my current one! Add 10000 power!"

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"Perfect guard!" Kimiko said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Darkface Alicides. Third check, heal trigger. I don't heal but I'll give the power to Alicides." Kenta said. "Now Bolg Wasp attack! Makeup Widow, lend your support!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+4000=20000)**

"Guard!" Kimiko said, holding up a grade 1 from her hand. "Ophelia also intercepts!"

"Alicides attacks! Dark device! Add 10000 power and prevent intercepts!"

 **(11000+10000+10000+5000=36000)**

' _Darn. I could guard with a G Guardian normally but I can't call cards except from my hand. G Guards are off limits until the end of my next turn.'_ Kimiko didn't like taking so much damage, but they didn't have much choice. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(7), Kenta(4).]**

"Turn end." Kenta said. "With Makeup Widow's dark device, I send her to the soul and countercharge."

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Emma(3), Kimiko(4), Kenta(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Emma said. ' _Kimiko's gonna be in a bind with her entire field stunned. That means I need to do something to help turn the tides in our favor.'_

"Skill of Daiyusha! I send Daimariner in my hand to the soul! Then, I get to draw and call a card from my hand! I call Dimensional Robo, Daireson! It gets a skill that increases both the power of it and my Vanguard by 5000 during this turn!" Emma said. "Stride Generation! Strongest Command Chief, Final Daimax DX!"

 **Strongest Command Chief, Final Daimax DX**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Soul blast! I choose the Daimariner in my soul! Daimax gains power equal to Daimariner's 7000 power!" Emma said. "And now call! Dimensional Robo, Daiball! Dimensional Robo, Daicutter! Dimensional Robo, Daicrusher!"

"You're calling your entire hand?!" Kenta said in surprise. "Do you honestly think you can finish me this turn when I only have 4 damage?!"

"Whether I can win this turn or not doesn't matter." Emma said. "I'm placing my trust in my deck and my friend that we can get through this."

Kimiko looked over at her friend. "Emma…"

"I told you didn't I? I would always be your hero, Kimiko." Emma said. "So I'll carve a path out for you!" Daireson, attack! His skill adds 2000 power since I have a Vanguard with Daiyusha in the name!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Intercept with Bolg Wasp. I also guard with Vulcan Lafertei in my hand."

"Daiball is up next with a boost from Daicutter! Daiball's skill adds 5000 to his power!"

 **(10000+5000+7000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(7), Kenta(5).]**

"My Vanguard attacks!" Emma declared. "Skill activated! I flip a card face up in my G Zone and send all of my rear guards to soul! Then, I look at the top seven cards of my deck! For every face up card in my G zone, a total of 2, I call cards among these cards in descending order of power! And the highest 2 powers belong to Glorious Daiyusha and Daicrusher! So I call both of them! And since four rear guards were sent to the soul with this skill, all of my units get 10000 power and an extra critical! On top of that, Daicrusher's skill lets me soul charge! Since the card added is a Dimensional Robo, add 2000 power!"

"What?!"

 **(26000+7000+5000+10000=48000)**

' _So that's why she called her hand out. She wanted to have four rear guards to make these last 3 attacks as powerful as possible.'_ Kenta thought. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive!" Emma called out. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Daiyusha! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Daicrusher and I heal!"

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(6), Kenta(5).]**

"Daiyusha attacks!"

 **(11000+10000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Feather Wall Mutant Deity, Morphosian!"

 **Feather Wall Mutant Deity, Morphosian**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Morphosian's skill! Since the number of opponent standing rear guards is two or less, add 10000 to the shield!"

"Daicrusher attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+10000+5000=26000)**

"No guard." Kenta said, letting two cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(6), Kenta(7).]**

"Turn end." Emma said. ' _Finally. We're in the lead again. Just 2 more damage.'_

 **[Turn 12. Hand: Emma(3), Kimiko(4), Kenta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kenta said. "I'll admit, that wasn't half bad. You two are better than I gave you credit for. But you still aren't winning this fight!"

"We'll see about that."

"Indeed we shall. Stride Generation! Guilty Empress, Darkface Gredora!"

 **Guilty Empress, Darkface Gredora**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Gredora's skill. None of your units can stand during your next stand phase. In addition, you can't call except from your hand until the end of next turn." Kenta said. "Next, I call Dangerous Horn and New Face Mutant, Little Dorcas. Now with Dorcas's boost, Alicides attacks! Add 10000 power with dark device!"

 **(11000+10000+7000=28000)**

"No guard." Emma said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(7), Kenta(7).]**

"Gredora attacks with Black Weevil's boost! With her skill, I soul blast and call Evil Governor, Darkface Gredora from the deck! Add 10000 power!"

 **(26000+6000=32000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger. I stand Dorcas and give the power to Dangerous Horn." Kenta said. "And now, Dangerous Horn attacks! Add 6000 power with its skill!"

 **(10000+6000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!" Emma said, holding up the heal trigger she had gotten last turn. She wasn't able to call G Guardians, but that didn't stop her from using the heal triggers in her hand to guard normally. "I also intercept with Daicrusher!"

Kenta clicked his tongue. He had been hoping to finish the two girls off this turn, but with only one attack left, that wasn't possible now. "Gredora attacks with a boost from Dorcas."

 **(11000+10000+7000=28000)**

"No guard." Emma said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(8), Kenta(7).]**

"Turn end." Kenta said. "Not bad. Even if you are desperately struggling to hang in, you still survived. But what can you do now? Your entire field is stunned. In addition, you can only call from your hand, which is barely there. You won't win this turn."

To Kenta's surprise, Kimiko showed a small smirk. "Are you sure?"

"What?"

 **[Turn 13. Hand: Emma(0), Kimiko(4), Kenta(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Kimiko said. ' _Emma cleared the way by depleting his hand and pushing him to 7 damage. Now it's all up to me to finish this. I have to win it this turn.'_

Kenta narrowed his eyes. ' _What's she planning?'_

"I ride! Rebirth Stream Maiden, Uluru!"

 **Rebirth Steam Maiden, Uluru**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Here goes! Generation Zone, release! Infinite futures lining up before me! Let the future I envision shine! Stride Generation! Sands of Time, Uluru!"

 **Sands of Time, Uluru**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I grant a skill to my Vanguard! Then, I send Dangerous Horn to the bottom of the deck!" Kimiko said. "Now call! Steam Maiden, Elsa! Steam Maiden, Crona!" Just like that, one of Kimiko's columns were refreshed with two standing units.

"Is that it? You'll need more than two half decent attacks to finish me off." Kenta said.

"We'll see about that." Kimiko said. "Sands of Time, Uluru's skill! Generation Break 3! The opponent searches their deck for a card with a grade lower than their current Vanguard and rides it! Then, the card you rode over goes to the bottom of the deck!"

"What?!" Kenta gasped.

"Now rewind! Let time twist and turn in my favor!"

Kenta had little choice. Searching through his deck, he grabbed a card and rode it. "Riding Bolg Wasp. Gredora goes to the bottom of the deck."

"With your Vanguard at grade 2, you can't call G Guardians now." Kimiko smirked. "Here goes! Sands of Time Uluru attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+3000=29000)**

"You may have prevented G Guardians, but I can still use sentinels!" Kenta said with a grin, preparing to use the one he had in his hand.

"Not so fast." Kimiko said. "Uluru has another skill. If the opponent's Vanguard is less than grade 3, her attack cannot be guarded by a sentinel."

"No way!" Kenta gasped. He quickly looked at his hand. No G Guardians or sentinels severely limited his options. He took two triggers, a grade 1, and a grade 2 and called them out, totalling 30000 shield. "Guard!"

' _We need 2 triggers to break through.'_ Emma calculated. ' _Come on Kimiko. You can do it.'_

"Triple drive. First check. Critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard! Second check. No trigger."

Everyone watched the fight with bated breath. It would all come down to a single trigger. One card would decide everything.

"Third check…" Kimiko said as she turned the card over. "Stand trigger! Power to the Vanguard! Stand Ophelia!"

Kenta couldn't believe it. With a critical trigger already on the Vanguard, he would be taking two damage with this hit. "First check, no trigger. Second check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Emma & Kimiko(8), Kenta(9).]**

Cheers were heard around the shop at the surprising victory Emma and Kimiko had just obtained against a member of Genius Prodigy. The two victors were also quite excited by their achievement.

"Man, that was close." Emma said with an exhausted sigh.

"But we did it. We won, Emma." Kimiko said with a smile.

"It would seem I lost." Kenta said with a sigh. "Well done. It seems I may have been wrong about you."

"Told ya so." Emma grinned. "Though I have to admit, if it had been either me or Kimiko on our own, I don't think we could have won."

"Perhaps. But the fact remains that you two won together, through your teamwork." Kenta said.

"Thanks." Emma said. "But seriously, what is it you wanted with my brother and the others?"

Kenta couldn't very well refuse the two girls now that he had lost. "Yuma wanted me to pass a message onto them."

"What kind of message?"

"That, I cannot tell you." Kenta said. "It's a private matter."

Now Emma was really curious. But she could tell by Kenta's expression and tone that it was serious to some degree at least. "Fine then. I'll let Marcus know Yuma wanted to talk with him when he gets back."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Kenta said as he got up from his seat. "If you'll excuse me."

With that, Kenta left the card shop and walked down the city streets. If only he could actually tell them what he knew. Ever since the surprise attack on the Tokyo Institute of Technology a few months ago, Yuma had been doing some investigating on this supposed group calling themselves Purgatory. It was unclear what their goal was, but odd attacks on skilled cardfighters from the World Tournament had been occurring recently. And with the standing Team Sightless Vision had in it, they were likely targets. But they couldn't let others find out and get caught up in this.

' _I don't know who this Purgatory group is. But one thing is very clear. They're dangerous.'_ Kenta thought. ' _And when it comes time for them to really make their move… we'll need all the help we can get. Even from those two girls, quite possibly.'_

* * *

Sarah stepped outside from the cabin. It had been a long day of constant cardfights. So with it getting close to dinner time, she opted for a chance to get some fresh air.

It was still a little hard for her to believe honestly. Cray being real. Ragnarok. The fact that their world and the universe for that matter were both in danger. And it was up to all of them to save it. But this was the situation they had found themselves in. And she wouldn't run from this. If she could do something to help protect those she cared about, then she would do it.

"Ah. Getting some air I see."

Sarah turned her head and saw the sage walking out from the cabin. Sarah nodded her head. "Yes sir. I thought it would be a nice way to clear my head."

"Yes, the mountain serenity is quite relaxing." the sage agreed with a nod. A long moment of peaceful silence passed before the old man sighed. "Actually… I have been meaning to speak with you in private."

"Me?" Sarah asked. "Why? Is something wrong?"

The sage seemed hesitant to speak, but he finally managed to bring himself to do so. "Tell me, what do you know about Cross Stride?"

"Huh? Well… from what Ms. Tatsunagi and you have told me, I know it's a way to grasp a future even further than the ones we currently can obtain through striding. It's like a stronger form of striding that can only be done with a unit you hold a strong connection to, correct?"

"That's mostly true." the sage nodded. "You and the unit don't need to have actually met for it to work either. Feeling a special bond or admiration to that unit can also suffice. And the unit in your case is Messiah, yes?"

Sarah nodded her head. "Yes. It's been there for me through some of my toughest cardfights, and especially during hard times for me."

"Are you aware of where Messiah currently is?"

Sarah frowned as she held her head low. "It's gone. After the battle against Gyze, it died. That's what I was told."

"That is correct. And that is where your predicament comes into play."

"What do you mean?"

"Regardless of what kind of connection you feel with your avatar, that unit you are connected to still must play a part in the ability to Cross Stride. It will be able to sense your strong will and transform it into power. But Messiah is gone, meaning that part can't be done."

The message the sage was trying to tell her and not tell her at the same time slowly sank into Sarah. "You mean…"

"The being known as Messiah is no longer in this world. Creating a future for something that no longer exists isn't possible." he said. "As it stands… I'm not sure it will even be possible for you to Cross Stride."

 **Sarah: I can't… use Cross Stride?**

 **Marcus: Sarah? Everything alright?**

 **Sarah: Huh? O-Oh yeah. Everything's fine.**

 **Marcus: Alright then. Let's get back to training.**

 **Sarah: Right…**

 **Aurora: Time to kick things up a notch for us. I can't help but wonder what's going on with Purgatory though while we're here.**

 **Next time: Clashing Rulers**

 **Card Gallery:**

Sands of Time, Uluru  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT GB3 1/Turn:** [CB2 & Choose a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up.] If you have a heart card with "Steam Maiden" in its name, choose your opponent's Vanguard. Your opponent chooses a card from their deck with a grade less than that of the chosen Vanguard, and rides it. Then, the unit that was ridden over goes to the bottom of the opponent's deck, and your opponent shuffles their deck.  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, if your opponent's Vanguard is less than grade 3, your opponent cannot guard with sentinels until the end of the battle.


	92. Clashing Rulers

**A/N: Hey readers. Luckily I was able to fix my internet issue quickly so here's the latest chapter. Enjoy.**

Another day of training went on as usual for the group of teens in the mountain cabin. While none of them could honestly say they had any strong grasp on Cross Stride, they each knew their skills were being sharpened at the very least.

"Here goes! I attack the Vanguard with Awakened Blaster Axe, Grawl!" William called out.

"I guard!" Daiki said.

William showed an entertained grin. "Turn end."

"That was close. Daiki was almost a goner there." Aurora commented as she watched.

"He's just getting started." Marcus said with a grin.

"Stride Generation!" Daiki called out. "Arboros Dragon, Babylon!"

William raised a brow. "A new G Unit?"

"I'm not about to let everyone get ahead of me." Daiki said with a grin. "Now let's go! Babylon attacks the Vanguard! Activating skill! I look at the top 10 cards of the deck and call up to 3 Arboros cards among them to rear guard!"

William gasped as Daiki's field quickly became replenished. "Darn. And I thought I had managed to deal with your field and hand last turn."

"Go for it Daiki!" Marcus cheered. "He might even beat William, huh Sar-" Marcus's voice trailed off as he noticed the distant look in Sarah's eyes. "Sarah?"

"Huh?" Sarah said as she stopped her daydreaming. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Are you doing alright?" Marcus asked. "You've been out of it all day. You're not coming down with something, are you?"

Sarah shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

"If you say so." Marcus said, turning his attention back to the fight.

In truth, Sarah wished she was as fine as she claimed to be. What she had been told by the sage was still gnawing at her mind.

" _The being known as Messiah is no longer in this world. Creating a future for something that no longer exists isn't possible."_

' _Messiah is gone. I already knew that much.'_ Sarah thought to herself. ' _But I didn't realize the full truth of those words. If Messiah is gone… then how can I obtain Cross Stride?'_

* * *

Ryo sat alone, enjoying a cup of tea. Things were going smoothly. Purgatory's influence had spread further and further across the world. Panic and fear were becoming more commonplace. And all of it was luring Ragnarok to Earth. Like a moth to a flame.

"Soon, everything will be complete. My ideal new world will come to fruition." Ryo said to himself. As he continued to sip his tea, he heard a knock at the door to the room. "Come in."

Opening the door and walking in was Roman. It was clear from his expression that he was still in a foul mood with the loss of three of his servants, on top of being forced to wait around idly.

"Ah, Roman. To what do I owe this visit?" Ryo asked.

Roman stepped forward and eyed the leader of Purgatory. "I've sat around and done as you told for long enough Ryo. I want to know your full goal."

"My goal?" Ryo asked. "Isn't that obvious? It's for Lord Ragnarok to destroy the universe and restart it from scratch. So we may live in a world without such horrors and pain."

"Don't give me that crap. We both know you have a different agenda." Roman told him. "You've fed that story to most of Purgatory. But when you recruited me and Laura, you said you had different goals in mind. Ones that would coincide with ours."

Ryo let out a chuckle. "Come now, Roman. You could at least play along with the joke a little more."

"I want a full explanation. You said you planned to use Ragnarok to create this ideal world for us. And that the rest of Purgatory was simply being lied to. But you still haven't told me what you get out of all this." Roman said with a glare. "If you've been lying to me, you'll pay dearly."

"Patience Roman. I have not lied to you." Ryo said. "You and Laura are the only ones that know of my true agenda. You wouldn't have joined me otherwise."

"I am not some pawn of yours that believes in destroying the world. I wish to rule it." Roman said. "Now talk."

"There is no need for you to know my personal goals. Don't you trust me?" Ryo asked.

"Not for a second."

Ryo let out an amused chuckle. "Very well then. If you are so determined to know, then why don't you show me exactly how determined." He got up from his seat and held out his deck. "Show me your resolve in a cardfight."

"Fine then." Roman said. "If that's what it takes, then so be it."

Ryo and Roman stood across from each other. Ryo's eyes flashed and suddenly the scenery around them changed. Soon the room they were in was gone and they were in the streets of a city. But it wasn't a peaceful setting. Collapsed buildings were all around. Fire and smoke spread around them. It was a setting of an utterly ruined world.

"So this is your image field?" Roman said, glancing around him. "How dystopian."

"For the ideal world that I envision, the current one must crumble and be destroyed." Ryo smirked. "And I will use the power of Ragnarok to do just that."

"Interesting." Roman said. "I wonder how that will change once I defeat you. Perhaps I will be the one to control Ragnarok."

Ryo let out a small laugh. "So you wish to overthrow me? I figured you would attempt something like this eventually. Let's see if you're actually capable of such a thing however."

A sheet of light appeared in front of both of them. They each placed their decks down and began the cardfight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Shadow Revenger, Conrad!"

 **Shadow Revenger, Conrad**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Amon's Root, Seed Murmur!"

 **Amon's Root, Seed Murmur**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'll start." Ryo said. "Ride! Amon's Follower, Vile Asmodai!"

 **Amon's Follower, Vile Asmodai**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Seed Murmur moves back with forerunner." Ryo said. "That will be all for my turn."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Roman(5), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Ride! Revenger, Weitgore Dragon!"

 **Revenger, Weitgore Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conrad moves back. Next I call Detecting Revenger, Aife." Roman explained. "Aife's skill. I rest her and look at the top five cards of my deck." roman looked at the cards a grinned. "I add Raging Form Dragon to my hand. And now Conrad will lend his support for an attack from Weitgore Dragon!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(0), Ryo(1).]**

"Turn end." Roman said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Roman(6), Ryo(5).]**

"It's my turn then." Ryo said. "Now ride! Amon's Follower, Guile Valefor!"

 **Amon's Follower, Guile Valefor**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Next I call. Hell's Deal and Hell's Draw." Ryo said, calling the grade 1 and 2 to his front row. "Both of them have a skill that allows me to soul charge 2 cards when they're called. So I soul charge 4 cards in total."

"Am I supposed to be scared simply because your soul is increasing?"

"Now, now, it is impossible to succeed without the power of others." Ryo said. "The more followers I have, the stronger Purgatory becomes. And as a result, the stronger I become. Observe. I use the skill of Seed Murmur. When a card with Amon in its name is added to the soul, I can rest it to soul charge another two cards. On top of that, I give a skill to Hell's Draw. Until the end of the turn, it gains 1000 power for every card in my soul. I have seven in there, so that's an extra 7000 power."

Roman widened his eyes. ' _So that's what he was aiming for!'_

"Hell's Deal attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Roman said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(1), Ryo(1).]**

"Guile Valefor, you're up next!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Roman said, holding up a critical trigger from his hand. He showed a smirk. "You won't be able to break through now, even with a trigger."

"So it seems." Ryo said. "Drive check. Critical trigger." He showed a smirk as he glanced over to his standing rear guard. "I'll give both effects to Hell's Draw. And now it'll attack your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+7000+5000=19000)**

"Tch. No guard." Roman said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, draw trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I draw!"

 **[Damage: Roman(3), Ryo(1).]**

"Turn end." Ryo said. He saw the pain in Roman's expression and grinned. "Do you need to take a short break? It's fine if you can't handle the pain."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Roman(6), Ryo(4).]**

"Don't go looking down on me!" Roman shouted. "Stand and draw! Ride! Revenger, Detonate Heat Dragon!"

 **Revenger, Detonate Heat Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Revenger, Darkbless Angel!" Roman said. "Aife's skill! I rest her to search the top five cards for Raging Form Dragon!" Looking at the cards that came to him, he didn't see the card he wanted. "Since one was not added to my hand, add 2000 power to Darkbless! Now my Vanguard attacks with a boost from Conrad!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. Critical trigger!" Roman grinned at seeing the trigger come to him. "Power to Darkbless! Critical to the Vanguard!"

Two cards fell into Ryo's damage zone, neither of them being triggers. He flinched from the pain that followed.

 **[Damage: Roman(3), Ryo(3).]**

"We can take a break if you can't handle the pain." Roman remarked mockingly, throwing Ryo's words earlier right back at him. "Darkbless, attack his Vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"I guard." Ryo said, holding up a grade 1 from his hand. "Hell's Deal will also intercept."

"I end my turn." Roman said. "Well Ryo? You say you can use the power of your followers, but look at your situation. What good is the power of a bunch of weaklings if this is all they amount to?"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Roman(6), Ryo(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. "True. When it's simply a mass of followers, they cannot amount to much. However, when a strong leader appears to guide them, that is when their true power will reveal itself." He held up a card in his hand. "Now come forth! King of the demonic cult that spreads terror throughout the world! Ride! Demon Deity Marquis, Amon Pillar!"

 **Demon Deity Marquis, Amon Pillar**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Root Murmur lends support! Amon Pillar attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Roman said.

"Drive check. First check, heal trigger! Power to Hell's Draw and I recover one! Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Roman said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(4), Ryo(2).]**

"Hell's Draw attacks your rear guard Darkbless Angel."

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"Guard!" Roman said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Turn end." Ryo said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Roman(5), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Despair! Fall on your knees and cry out in fear in the presence of the destructive dragon of revenge! Ride! Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon!"

 **Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation! True Revenger, Raging Rapt Dragon!"

 **True Revenger, Raging Rapt Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! My Vanguard gains a skill to make all cards in my hand be treated as grade 3 Abyss Dragons!" Roman said. "Now call! Wily Revenger, Mana! With her skill, I superior call Weitgore Dragon from the deck behind her! With Aife's skill, I rest her and check the top five cards! I add Raging Form Dragon to my hand!"

"I see you've managed to get a full field out." Ryo said with an entertained grin.

"Let's see if you're still composed after I'm done with you! Darkbless, attack Hell's Draw!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard." Ryo said, letting his rear guard be destroyed.

"Raging Rapt Dragon, attack with a boost from Conrad!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Mana and critical to the Vanguard! Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(4), Ryo(4).]**

"Now feel the fury of my Raging Rapt Dragon! Limit break!" Roman called out. "I counterblast, soul blast, discard 2 grade 3 Abyss Dragons from my hand, and retire Darkbless and Aife! Raging Rapt goes to the G Zone face up! And now superior persona stride! Raging Rapt Dragon!"

"Destroying your own allies in order for you to be stronger. Shadow Paladin seems to truly suit you." Ryo said.

"I'm getting rather tired of that nonchalant attitude of yours!" Roman said. "Darkbless Angel's skill! Counterblast! I call Revenger of Vigor, Maur from the deck! And now my Vanguard will go in for another attack!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Ryo called out.

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, heal trigger! Power to Mana and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Roman(3), Ryo(4).]**

"Get ready! Cause it's time for my Vanguard's Limit Break once more!" Roman called out.

Ryo let out a chuckle. "I don't think so."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Take a look at your damage zone, Roman."

"My damage zone? What's that got to do with-" Roman cut himself off as he looked and realized what Ryo was referring to. "No way…"

"Because of that heal trigger, you only have three damage. You need at least four damage to perform a Limit Break." Ryo said. "In other words, your Vanguard's skill is useless for the rest of this turn."

"Damnit…" Roman growled as he clenched his fist. "Fine! It doesn't matter! You still have Mana's attack to deal with! And the Weitgore boosting her has an extra 6000 power since 2 of my rear guards were retired this turn!"

 **(8000+10000+7000+6000=31000)**

"Generation guard! Accumulated Attachment, Druj Nasu!"

 **Accumulated Attachment, Druj Nasu**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Druj Nasu! Since I have 8 or more cards in my soul, add 10000 to the shield!"

"Turn end." Roman said bitterly.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Roman(7), Ryo(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. "I believe it's time for me to start taking this seriously."

"What?"

"Stride Generation!" Ryo called out. "Evil God Pontiff, Gastille Daimonas!"

 **Evil God Pontiff, Gastille Daimonas**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I soul charge 3 cards. Then I choose Seed Murmur. Since one of the three cards added to my soul had Amon in its name, both Murmur and my Vanguard gain a skill to continuously have an extra 1000 power for every card in my soul! At current, they each gain 11000 power, with 11 cards resting in my soul."

' _Tch. That's 22000 to his Vanguard column alone.'_

"Oh another thing. With Gastille Daimonas's continuous skill, my front row gets 3000 power every time a card is added to my soul."

"What?!"

"There's more. I counterblast for the skill of Amon's Advisor, Barbatos which I discarded to stride." Ryo explained. "I add Barbatos to the soul and add a different card with "Amon" in its name from the soul to my hand. I choose Amon's Follower, Vile Asmodai." He revealed the grade 1 card as he added it to his hand. "Now call. Asmodai and Amon's Follower, Grim Bael."

Roman watched as the grade 1 and 2 appeared in Ryo's front row. No doubt he would be powering them up with his Vanguard.

"I activate Gastille Daimonas's other skill! I counterblast and flip a card face up in my G zone! I then search my deck for 2 cards and add them to my soul! I choose Amon's Leader, Astaroth and Demon World Marquis, Amon! Gastille gains all of the abilities of those two units!"

"He gains their abilities?!"

"That's right! And with Amon's skill, that means another 1000 power for every card in my soul, which is currently at 13! On top of that, since 2 more cards were added to the soul, that's another 6000 to the front row! Next I use Seed Murmur's skill! I rest it to soul charge another 2 cards and give a skill to Asmodai, allowing it to gain 1000 power for every card in my soul! Another 6000 to the front row!"

' _Damn him. How much is he going to increase his soul?'_

"Now Gastille, time to activate another one of your new abilities." Ryo said. "Seek mate!" With that, four cards went from Ryo's drop zone to his deck. Then, a card in his deck flew out into his hand. "Legion with Demon World Marquis, Amon!"

"A stride that can legion?!" Roman exclaimed.

"I told you, didn't I? Gastille gains ALL of the added cards' abilities. That includes Astaroth's skill to legion." Ryo let out a laugh. "And now my Vanguard gains even more power. On top of that, I'll use Amon's skill. I counterblast and send Seed Murmur to the soul. The opponent now must choose one of their rear guards to retire."

"Grr… retire Maur." Roman said.

"The skill gained from Astaroth. Since an opponent rear guard was retired, soul charge 3. That brings my soul count to nineteen."

"Nineteen?!"

"I think that's enough for now." Ryo said. "Let's start with an attack from Grim Bael! And with Grim Bael's skill, I counterblast! It now gains 1000 power for every card in my soul! And if it's attack hit, I can soul charge another 3 cards!"

 **(9000+19000+24000=52000)**

"Tch. No guard." Roman said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(4), Ryo(4).]**

"Since the attack hit, another 3 cards are added to soul." Ryo said, bringing his soul count to 22. "Now Gastille Daimonas, attack the Vanguard! And with the skill it gained from Astaroth, it gains an extra critical for every ten cards in the soul!"

 **(36000+22000+22000+42000=122000)**

The unbelievable amount of power Ryo's Vanguard had put Roman on edge. But he wasn't planning on faltering so easily. "Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Ryo said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Asmodai and I draw. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Asmodai. And now, Asmodai will attack! With Asmodai's skill, it gains 5000 power since I have seven or more cards in my soul! Then, since I have thirteen or more cards in my soul, I retire Conrad."

 **(7000+22000+33000+5000=67000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Sad to say, but one G Guardian won't be enough to protect you."

"That's fine with me." Roman said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(5), Ryo(4).]**

"My turn ends." Ryo said. "Amon Pillar's skill. At the end of my turn, I send Asmodai to the soul. I can then retire an opponent's rear guard and draw. I'll retire Aife."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Roman(3), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and… draw!" Roman said, exhausted from the damage his body had taken so far from this fight. Despite his tough situation, he chuckled. "Hehehehe… You're finished."

"Oh really?" Ryo said.

"With this, I'll end you! I'll have you bowing before me like a worm!" Roman yelled with a malicious grin. "I bind three face up cards in my G Zone face down! By doing this, I open the path to a dark future!"

Ryo watched as a pillar of darkness shot up from Roman's G Zone. "So you're bringing out that card."

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Roman called out. "Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago!"

 **Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"So you used the G Guardian last turn to get a third face up card in your G Zone." Ryo deduced. "Not bad."

"Hahahaha! Now that my Purgatorial Stride is here, you're finished!" Roman laughed. "I call! Revenger, Raging Form Dragon! Revenger of Vigour, Maur! Next I counterblast and activate Vassago's skill! He gains 10000 power and plus one critical, as well as a skill! With Maur's boost, Mana attacks!"

 **(8000+6000=14000)**

"Intercept with Bael."

"Raging Form Dragon, destroy him!"

 **(11000)**

"Guard." Ryo said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Prepare yourself! Cause now it's my Vanguard's turn to attack!" Roman declared. "Skill of Vassago! I retire all three of my rear guards! I then get to call two cards from my deck to rear guard! They each gain 5000 power for every rear guard retired for the cost of this skill! I call Revenger, Detonate Heat Dragon and Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon! Three rear guards were retired so that's 15000 to both of them!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Raging Terror Dragon! Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger! Power to Raging Terror once again, and I draw!"

Ryo showed a confident smirk. "So this is all you're capable of, is it? How sad for a wannabe king."

"Damn you…" Roman growled. "I AM THE SCARLET FAMILY HEIR! DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!" He took his grade 3 rear guard and prepared to finish his opponent. "Raging Terror Dragon, destroy him!"

 **(11000+15000+10000=36000)**

Roman grinned madly as he watched his unit close in. But just before it was about to make contact, it bounced back as a sudden new unit appeared.

"Generation guard! Medical Studies of Extinction, Vincent!"

 **Medical Studies of Extinction, Vincent**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Vincent. I flip a G Guardian face up. Then, I soul charge one card and add 5000 to the shield for every five cards in my soul."

"I-Impossible… There's no way…" Roman gasped. He clenched his fists in anger. "Detonate Heat attacks! Add 2000 power with its skill!"

 **(9000+15000+2000=26000)**

"No guard." Ryo said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Roman(5), Ryo(5).]**

"Turn end…" Roman said in disbelief.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Roman(5), Ryo(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. "Allow me to explain the mistake you made, Roman."

"What?"

"You were impatient." Ryo explained. "You were so caught up in trying to get to your finisher, that you gave up precious resources. Just like your impatience led you to send those pawns of yours before the time was right. And in the end, you lost them. You were overconfident, both then and in this fight. And that will lead to your downfall." Holding his hand over his G Zone, Ryo grinned as a dark aura covered his cards. "Let me show you how to really use a Purgatorial Stride. I bind five face up cards in my G Zone face down and open up the path to a dark future."

Roman watched as Ryo began to summon forth a Purgatorial Stride, just as he had done moments ago. The air around him grew cold, as if all the remaining traces of life in this dystopian image were being collected into his unit.

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Ryo called out. "Purgatory Demon, Solomon!"

 **Purgatory Demon, Solomon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

A large demonic creature rose up, casting a shadow over the battlefield. Roman's eyes widened in fear as he stared at it. Pitch black skin, with piercing red eyes and claws. A pair of devilish wings sprouted out from its back. It was as if Roman was face to face with a creature from hell itself.

"I call Amon's Follower, Hell's Deal. With its skill, I soul charge two cards. And now, Solomon's skill. Counterblast." Ryo said. "All of my units gain 5000 power for every five cards in my soul. At current, there are twenty-six cards there. That means 25000 power will be added to Solomon and Hell's Deal."

Roman looked at his hand. ' _I still have a sentinel I can use. His Vanguard can't touch me. But I won't have enough to stop his rear guard.'_

"Solomon attacks." Ryo said. "Solomon's skill. If I have twenty or more cards in the soul, you cannot guard Solomon's attack with a sentinel from your hand."

Roman gasped in shock. "What did you say?!"

 **(36000+25000=61000)**

Roman was completely helpless against the massive Vanguard. It roared as it swung its fist down at him, finishing him off.

 **[Damage: Roman(6), Ryo(5).]**

The image field vanished as the two members of Purgatory found themselves back inside the headquarters of the cult. Roman fell to his knees, his entire body shaking in fear.

"It would seem I win." Ryo said.

' _Ridiculous… I couldn't do anything to stop him…'_ Roman thought to himself.

"Your wish is to become a king, right? Someone who rules over others? Someone who stands on top?" Ryo asked. He let out a chuckle. "How foolish."

"What?"

"It is true that throughout history, kings have been remembered and adored." Ryo said. "But it has also made each of them targets in their own times. When one wishes to bring forth revolution and change, the king is the first figure targeted to get rid of. Slain so that his rule may end."

"How dare you… You have the gal to mock my dream?"

"Only the greedy and foolish aim to be a king." Ryo explained. "But I am different. I will be the one that controls the king from the shadows. A puppet master that's in full control, but unseen."

"So you wanted to control me then? Is that it?" Roman asked. "You were going to make me a king then force me to do as you wanted."

"You? King of my new world?" Ryo questioned. He let out a laugh. "You must be joking."

"What?"

"I was going to give you some small corner of the world to play with. Like a child in a sandbox." Ryo said with a malevolent grin. "I have someone else in mind to be the true king of the new world."

"You honestly think you can get away with this?" Roman glared. "I'll tell everyone in Purgatory about how you've been lying to them. You think you're grand ambition will come true then?"

Ryo shook his head. "Roman, as you know, each of the Seven Lords of Purgatory holds a special power granted to them by Ragnarok. Did you ever bother to wonder what mine was?" He glanced over at Roman, who looked at him with narrowed eyes. "My power… allows me to hold the life of those I defeat in the palm of my hand."

Roman widened his eyes. "You mean…"

"That's correct." Ryo said. "At any time. At any place. Whenever and wherever I wish. I can end your life with a simple thought."

Roman felt his body grow cold. This couldn't possibly be true. His life was now literally in the hands of the leader of Purgatory. He was no king. He was little more than cattle. Doing as he was told for fear of death if he disobeyed.

"I'll make this simple. You will not go disobeying any of my orders. And if you tell anyone of what I have told you, I will make it the last thing you ever do." Ryo said. The fear in Roman's eyes made him grin. "Is that understood?"

Roman shook with frustration. "Y-Yes… Ryo."

" _Master_ Ryo."

Roman grit his teeth. Being humiliated like this infuriated him to no end. But he had no choice. "Master Ryo."

"Good. You are dismissed." Ryo said.

Roman got up and begrudgingly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He was powerful, but he was also a fool. That was what made Ryo want him in the first place. He walked over to the other end of the room and opened a door. Walking inside, Ryo closed the door behind him.

' _The world will be mine. The entire universe will be under my control. All I need to do now is make Ragnarok bow to my will.'_ Ryo thought to himself. Inside the new room was a transparent wall. On the other side of the wall was a young boy with azure blue hair, sleeping in a bed.

"Kouta… you will be the king that rules the world I create." Ryo spoke to himself as he chuckled. "And I will be the one that controls things from the shadows while you act as my scapegoat."

 **Anthony: Damnit. Our vacation is almost over and we haven't learned Cross Stride yet.**

 **Dan: We're running out of time.**

 **Rose: You know what they say. Desperate times call for desperate measures.**

 **Sophia: What do you mean by desperate measures?**

 **Aurora: I think we're about to find out.**

 **Next Time: Facing Oneself**

 **Card Gallery:**

Amon's Root, Seed Murmur  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO RC 1/TURN:** [Rest this unit] When an "Amon" card is put into your soul due to your card's effect, you may pay the cost. If you do SC2 and choose one of your rear guards and it gets **(CONT: This unit gains +1000 power for every card in your soul)** until end of turn.  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Send this unit into soul]: When your unit with "Amon" in its name attack hits the opponent's vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do draw a card. Then, if the unit that attacked was a rear guard, you may choose any "Amon" unit in that unit's column and send it to your soul.

* * *

Amon's Follower, Vile Asmodai  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** If you have an "Amon" vanguard when this unit attacks or boosts, if your soul is 7 or more, this unit gains +5000 power until the end of the battle. If your soul is 13 or more, choose one of your opponent's units and retire it.

* * *

Amon's Advisor, Barbatos  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT (Hand):** When paying the cost to STRIDE, if you have an "Amon" vanguard, this unit gains grade +2  
 **AUTO 1/TURN:** [CB1] When this unit is discarded for the cost of STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, send this unit into soul and search your soul for one card not named "Amon's Advisor, Barbatos" and add it to your hand.

* * *

Amon's Follower, Guile Valefor  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [Send this unit to your soul]. If you have a Vanguard with "Amon" in its name, SC2. Then, if one of the cards added to soul had "Amon" in its name, CC1.

* * *

Amon's Follower, Grim Bael  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [CB1]. When this unit attacks, if you have a Vanguard with "Amon" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, until the end of the battle this unit gets +1000 power for each card in your soul and **(AUTO RC: If this unit's attack hits, SC3.)**.

* * *

Demon Deity Marquis, Amon Pillar  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** [CB1] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, SC3. Then, if one of the cards added to soul had "Amon" in its name, choose one of your rear guards. That unit and your Vanguard get **(CONT VC/RC: This unit gets +1000 power for every card in your soul.)** until end of turn.  
 **AUTO VC:** [Choose one of your rear guards with "Amon" in its name and send it to soul.] At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards and retire it. If you retired a card, draw a card.

* * *

Purgatory Demon, Solomon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** -Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1. When this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, until end of turn this unit gets **(CONT VC: All of your units get +5000 power for every five cards in your soul.)**.  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, if the number of cards in your soul is 20 or more, your opponent cannot call sentinels from their hand to the GC until the end of the battle.

* * *

Arbors Dragon, Babylon  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** [CB1 & Take a facedown card from your G Zone and flip it face up.] At the end of the battle that this unit attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top 10 cards of your deck. Choose up to 3 cards with "Arboros" in their name among them and call them to separate RCs.  
 **CONT VC:** All of the units in your front row get +5000 power for each of your rear guards with the same name as this unit.


	93. Facing Oneself

**A/N: Hello readers. Sorry for the late update. But for your wait, this chapter will show off a deck that's a bit of a blast from the past.**

The crisp morning air flooded Aurora's senses as she stood outside the cabin she and her friends had been staying at. They had all been training with all their heart and soul. Despite that however, none of them had mastered Cross Stride.

"Getting some fresh air?"

Aurora turned and saw Dan and Anthony walking up next to her. She looked back at the sky as they stood at her side. "Winter break is almost over. We've only got a couple of days left before we have to head back."

"It almost seems like we've been here forever." Anthony said.

"And we still haven't learned Cross Stride." Dan added with a sigh.

Aurora's body felt tense as she continued to stare at the seemingly endless sky above her. "Is there something we're missing? I feel so frustrated spending all this time with nothing to show for it."

"Aurora…"

"I just wish we had a hint." Aurora said. "Something. Anything."

"I'm surprised to see you complaining." All three heads turned to see Allen and Amy coming outside as well. "You're going to give up that easily?"

"Allen…" Aurora said in surprise.

"When I was drunk on the power of Conquest Empire, you were the one that stopped me." Allen told her. "You were the one that gathered the strength to beat me, no matter how bad the odds seemed. So hearing you talk like this is inexcusable."

"But I-"

"You're strong, Aurora. Quite possibly the strongest cardfighter among us." Allen said. "So you need to get your act together. Believe in yourself."

' _Believe in myself…'_ Aurora thought, letting Allen's words sink in. A small smile appeared on her face. "Heh, you're right. I can't go start losing faith now."

"That's the Aurora we know." Anthony said as he and Dan grinned along with her. "But don't worry. I'll be sure to be the first to master Cross Stride. So you can sit easy and let me take down Purgatory."

"As if, you dolt." Aurora told him with a playful nudge.

"Well you kids are certainly full of pep this morning." the sage said as he walked out. "Now if only you could all get a grip on Cross Stride, this old man could rest a little easier."

"It's not easy. That's for sure." Dan admitted. "I would have thought we'd have gotten it by now. At least one of us."

The sage sighed. "Well… there may be another way."

The teens all looked at the old man. "What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"Come inside. It'll be easier telling all of you at once." he said.

Aurora and the others followed the sage inside the cabin. They gathered everyone up and convened together to hear what the sage had to say.

"So what're we doing for training today?" Elizabeth asked. "We're kinda short on time."

The sage looked at the group in silence for a few moments before sighing. "To be honest, I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this. But it can't be helped. Obtaining Cross Stride for all of you in the course of a few weeks is a tall task under normal means."

"We've been doing nothing but training for the past few weeks though. Why hasn't even a hint of it shown up?" William said.

Fulong looked at the teens. "I'm sure you all remember this but there are two things that are key to unlocking Cross Stride. The first is a deep connection with a particular unit. Thankfully, for most of you that isn't an issue. However the second requirement is the main issue. A strong image of the future of both yourself and that unit."

"Well duh. That's why we did all that image training. We already have a strong image."

"Wrong. You _think_ you have a strong image of it." Fulong corrected. "You need to take it to the next level. But doing so normally would take months, if not years, of training. Unfortunately we don't have that kind of time. So, we'll have to go to a slightly more extreme method."

"Extreme?" Marcus questioned. "Extreme how?"

"It'll be easier to show you." the sage said. "We're going to head to a special place on this mountain."

The group all looked at each other in curiosity as to what the sage was talking about. What was this method he was talking about? And why did he seem so reluctant to try it?

* * *

The sage led Aurora and the others down the mountain a bit. He had not said anything to them, other than that he would explain once they arrived. After a short walk, they all arrived at a waterfall. The group recognized it as the same one that they had first met the sage at.

"What are we doing here?" Anthony asked.

"You'll soon see." the sage said. He continued to walk as the others followed him. They took a path coming up next to the waterfall that led behind it.

As they went behind the waterfall. The group soon found a deep cavern. But it wasn't just some simple cavern. It almost seemed, temple-like. There were odd runes along the walls. Small statues could be seen at certain parts. Most notably, there was a slab of stone that was slightly risen up from the rest of the ground.

"What is this place?" Rose asked in amazement.

"As you all know, Cray and Earth are both linked together through a bond of destiny." the sage explained. "On both planets, there are specific hidden locations where the link between the planets can be felt. This is one of them."

"So this is to help us deepen our connection with the units then?" Sophia realized.

"Yes. Meditating here can have that effect." he confirmed. "However, it is not as simple as you might think."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"You all likely don't realize it, but there is something holding each of you back deep inside. That subconscious fear or issue will manifest itself before you. You will quite literally be facing yourself."

"Big deal." Elizabeth said. "It's just another simple challenge."

"Do not take this lightly." the sage warned. "If you can conquer yourself, then you will be closer to grasping the futures you wish for. Some of you may even likely unlock Cross Stride for yourselves. However, should you be unable to move past what holds you back, the consequences can be severe."

"How so?" Rose questioned, worried about where this was going.

"You could end up being put even further back, discouraged or scarred from what you face. Worst case scenario, you might never wake up."

"What?!" Aurora gasped. That information put her and the others on edge.

"The choice is up to each of you whether to do this or not." the sage told them. "If you decide to go through with this however, be ready. You may face things about yourself you aren't even aware of."

The group all looked at each other. It was risky, there was no denying that. But at the same time, they didn't have a lot of options. If they wanted to stop Purgatory and Ragnarok, they needed to do this. They all gave a collective nod, knowing what they had to do.

"We'll do it." Aurora said firmly.

The sage could see the determination in each of their eyes. He nodded understandingly. "Very well. Each of you, sit on the altar. I'll guide you through the process."

The teens all did as they were told. Each of them sat on the outer perimeter of the altar, giving them all enough space.

"Close your eyes and concentrate." the sage directed. "Focus on yourself. Block out all your surroundings."

Each of them relaxed and breathed slowly. For a few moments, it seemed like nothing was happening. Then suddenly, each of their minds began to grow hazy. Their consciousness faded as if their minds were separated from their bodies. With how still they were, it was hard to tell the change. But the sage could notice it right away.

' _Seems they each made it to the other end.'_ he thought silently. ' _However… this is where the real challenge begins.'_ He couldn't help but wonder if he had made the right choice bringing them all here. ' _You kids… You better make it back.'_

* * *

Allen widened his eyes in shock, as if being woken up from a dream. The last thing he recalled, he was meditating on the altar like the sage had instructed. The next thing he knew, he was somewhere completely different. It was an empty space, with nothingness stretching out in every direction as far as the eye could see. He was standing on some transparent surface that had a grid shape. Like the blank scenery, it too seemed to go on forever.

"Where is this?" Allen asked himself.

"It should be obvious, shouldn't it?"

Allen gasped as he saw a figure begin to form across from him. At first he couldn't make out who it was. But the figure gradually became clearer and clearer. When Allen realized who it was, he couldn't believe his eyes.

He was looking at himself.

"What the hell is this?" he asked. "Who are you?"

"I am you." the other Allen said. "The real you."

"That doesn't make any sense! What are you talking about!"

"Look at my eyes. You should know." the copy said.

Allen looked closely at the other him. Slowly, he realized the look in those eyes. Those were eyes that hungered for power. Ones that would do anything to become strong.

"You finally get it." the other Allen chuckled. "I am the you that let himself be consumed by Conquest Empire for power."

"No!" Allen shouted. "That's not me! Not anymore!"

"You're right. You're not like me anymore." the other Allen told him. "You've become weaker! You gave up on power and let yourself fall!"

Allen grit his teeth. This copycat was starting to get on his nerves. "You're wrong."

"Oh I'm right. And you know it." The copy held out a deck in front of him. "The Conquest Empire you wield now is inferior. I will not allow myself to become weak like I was before. So I will crush you."

"Bring it on." Allen said, pulling out his own deck. "I'll show you the strength I've obtained."

* * *

"Where am I?" Sophia said as she looked around at the blank landscape around her. "Aurora?! Rose?! Anyone?!"

No answer came from the little girl's calls. Just as she thought she was all alone, a figure slowly began to take shape near Sophia. Before long, their appearance cleared and Sophia gasped as she looked at an exact lookalike of herself.

"Who are you?" Sophia asked.

"That's simple. I'm you." the other one said. "The real you."

"The real… me?" Sophia asked. "But I'm me. How could you be me too?"

The other Sophia giggled. "Why are you so determined to save Isabelle? What's the point?"

"What are you talking about? She's my sister. Of course I want to save her." Sophia said.

"You may be related by blood, but that doesn't matter." she said. "You didn't even know she existed until recently. And nothing good has come from it since you've found out."

"You're wrong!" Sophia shouted. "I finally… I finally found out about my family!"

"Family?" the other Sophia asked as she let out a laugh. "Oh yes, that "happy family" you come from. Parents that abused their daughter. A sister that killed them." She pointed a finger at Sophia. "Face it. You come from a nuthouse. And you wanting to "save" Isabelle is just some naive wish. She can't be saved. Especially from someone that barely knows her. You would have been better off never knowing who your family was."

"That's not true!" Sophia told her. "I'm going to save Isabelle! I'll prove it!"

"Oh? Then why don't you show me this determination of yours?" the other Sophia said as she pulled out a deck.

Sophia brought out her own deck, ready to fight. "Fine. Let's fight!"

* * *

Aurora looked around at the empty space stretching out before her. She was all alone. With no one else. She could only assume this had to do with what the sage was talking about.

"So what now?" Aurora asked herself. Suddenly, she felt the air change slightly. She looked over and noticed a figure beginning to form near her. Aurora wondered who this was. But when she finally found out, she was shocked by the answer. She was staring down an exact look alike of herself.

"Surprised?" the other Aurora asked. "You shouldn't be. I am a part of you after all."

"And what part of me exactly are you?" Aurora questioned.

"The true you." she said. "I know everything about you. Even things you don't realize. Like what a coward you are."

"I'm not a coward." Aurora glared. "I don't know what kind of trick this is, but I'll send you packing."

"So you deny it? Not surprising." the other Aurora said. "But I'll remind you of your fear. I'll liberate you from this pointless quest of saving the world."

A sheet of light appeared before each of the Auroras. Aurora could see now that her only way through this was a cardfight.

"Fine then. Let's do this." Aurora said as she placed her deck down. The two Auroras began their fight with a shout.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Star Explorer, Vivi!"

 **Star Explorer, Vivi**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Emperor's Aide, Brutus!"

 **Emperor's Aide, Brutus**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Aurora gasped in shock as she saw the unit her other self was using manifest. "But that's-"

"Conquest Empire. You remember back when you used this clan, don't you?" the other Aurora said with a dark smirk. "You were so scared back then. A frightened little girl trying to act tough. Just like you are right now."

"Shut up! You're wrong!" Aurora said. "I'm up first! I ride Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius!"

 **Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Vivi moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Dark Aurora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." the copy said. "Ride. Enslaved Princess, Mira."

 **Enslaved Princess, Mira**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Brutus moves back. And now he'll boost my Vanguard's attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Dark Aurora(0).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Dark Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Gemini, get in there! And Vivi, lend him your support!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger." Aurora said.

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Dark Aurora(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Dark Aurora(6).]**

"My turn then. Stand and draw." the copy of Aurora said. "Ride. Sage of Excellence, Peter."

 **Sage of Excellence, Peter**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Hiding behind a 10000 power grade 2 Vanguard? Seems you really are scared." the copy said with a dark giggle. "Brutus and Peter attack!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Aurora called out, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Drive check, no trigger. Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Dark Aurora(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. ' _I once gave into despair and became a pawn of Conquest Empire. But I'm different now. I'm stronger.'_ She held up a card in her hand. "Brilliant star, shining in the cosmos! Appear now and light my path! Ride! Sword of the Stars, Hikari!"

 **Sword of the Stars, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Maiden of Balance, Libra!" Aurora said. "Libra attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Not happening. I guard."

"Vivi boosts. Go for it Hikari!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Hikari!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. All effect to my Vanguard as well."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Dark Aurora(3).]**

"With Vivi's skill, I send her to soul and bind her. Draw 1 card. Turn end. At the end of my turn, hikari's skill lets me bind the Taurus in my drop zone and soul charge." Aurora said. ' _The damage is 3 to 1. I've got a decent lead for now. I just need to keep it up.'_

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(7), Dark Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." the other Aurora said. "You go around acting tough, playing make believe. But we both know the truth you're running from so desperately."

"And what truth is that?"

"That on your own, you're powerless." she said. "Let me remind you of that feeling. Swordswoman enslaved to a life of misery and betrayal! Remind her of our sin! Ride! Star of Ruin, Hikari!"

 **Star of Ruin, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" the copy called out. "Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius!"

 **Overwhelming Conquest Marshal, Darius**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire Libra! Next I use Brutus's skill to soul blast and rest him to add a grade 3 with General in its name to my hand! I add Alexander! Next I call Wise Mage, Tibarn and General of the Conquest Sword, Alexander! Both of them Conquer! With Alexander's skill, I draw and add 5000 power to him until the end of next turn! Then I use Tibarn's skill to draw 2 cards and discard one! Lastly, I call Devoted Swordswoman, Rachel and Imperial Maid, Ursula! Using Ursula's skill to rest her to countercharge and soul charge since I have a Conquering unit in the same column!"

Aurora glanced at the board state. She had no rear guards out, and her front row was completely Conquered. On top of that, her opponent had two rear guards on her own field. It was far from an ideal situation.

"Rachel and Tibarn will swap places. And now Alexander will attack!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Dark Aurora(3).]**

"Just because you got one simple trigger, don't think it will save you! Rachel swings and misses for her attack, but now I attack with Darius! And with his skill, I stand my 2 Conquering units when he attacks! On top of that, they both get an extra 5000 power!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Rachel and I recover one damage. And finally third check, critical trigger. All effects to Rachel as well!"

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Dark Aurora(2).]**

"Alexander, get in there!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Dark Aurora(2).]**

"Rachel will wrap things up! And for each attack this turn by a Conquering unit, she gets 3000 power! That's a total of four attacks, so 12000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+12000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion!"

 **Nebula Beast, Warphole Papillion**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Warphole Papillion's soul blast! I bind the attacking rear guard! Say goodbye to Rachel!"

"I'll end my turn with that." the other Aurora said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(4), Dark Aurora(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades!"

 **Sorceress That Connects the Stars, Pleiades**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Cosmic Brawler, Aries from my deck and superior call her from the bind zone! Then I draw since she has Warpdrive!" Aurora said. "Warpdrive of Aries! I soul blast and retire Alexander! Aries gets 3000 power!" With that, Aurora had freed up her field from her counterpart. She wasted no time in calling out a field. "Call! Cosmic Harp, Lyra and Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius! Lyra will start things off with an attack on Tibarn!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Tibarn is retired."

"Sagittarius, attack the Vanguard! And Aries, lend your support!"

 **(7000+7000+3000=17000)**

"Generation guard! Rallying Commander, Ikuga!"

 **Rallying Commander, Ikuga**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Ikuga! Counterblast and flip a G Guardian face up! I take General of the Conquest Hex, Lilith in my hand and have her Conquer over your Sagittarius!"

' _Damn.'_ Aurora thought as she watched her rear guard get retired as Lilith appeared on her field. But she couldn't let this stop her. "Pleiades attacks the Vanguard! Skill of Pleiades! I bind Aries and Lyra! Then I can call cards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break number, which is a total of 3 so I call Lyra, Aries, and Vivi! Add 5000 to my front row units since 3 or more were called! Warpdrives activate! Lyra's lets me bind Gemini from my deck and add 2000 power, and Vivi's gives her an extra 5000 power!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive!" Aurora called out. "First check, critical trigger! Power to Lyra and critical to the Vanguard! Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! Critical to the Vanguard once again and power to Aries!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard." the other Aurora said.

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Dark Aurora(5).]**

"Go Aries! Attack with a boost from Vivi!"

 **(7000+5000+5000+5000=22000)**

To Aurora's dismay, her opponent held up a trigger with 10000 shield. "Guard."

"Lyra, attack!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard."

"Turn end. With Hikari's skill, bind Libra and soul charge." Aurora said. ' _I didn't finish her off, but I got her to 5 damage. All I have to do is survive through her next turn.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Dark Aurora(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora's counterpart said. "Do you honestly think your situation is so simple that surviving this next turn is all you have to do?"

' _What?! How could she-'_

"Remember. I'm you. I can always tell how you're feeling." she said. "Just like I know with this next card, you will give into complete and total despair." She discarded a card from her hand and smirked. "Generation Zone, release! Now tremble in fear before the most powerful being in the universe!"

' _No…'_ Aurora realized, her body shaking slightly. ' _It can't be…'_

"Stride Generation! Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros!"

 **Grand Conquest Emperor, Caezaros**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"No… You can't be here…" Aurora said as she trembled. "You died back on Cray!"

"Oh? And here I thought you were saying that you weren't a coward." the other Aurora said with a smirk. "But now that you're face to face with this, you know the truth. You're weak. Pathetic. You can't do a single thing on your own."

Aurora wanted to run. She didn't want to be here. Anywhere but here. She still remembered how powerful Caezaros was and how much that power frightened her.

"Brutus's skill. I rest him and add Nalwa to my hand. And now I call! General of the Conquest Strategy, Napoleon! General of the Conquest Fist, Nalwa! I move all four of my Generals to invade your field!"

Just like that, Aurora found her entire field Conquered. The rear guards she had out before were gone, anihilated by the four powerful units.

"Alexander's skill. I draw and add 5000 power to him until the end of the next turn. Next I activate the skill of Caezaros! I counterblast and turn 3 cards in my G Zone face down! All of my rear guards get 5000 power and cannot be called over until the end of the next turn!In addition, Caezaros gains 10000 power for each of my Conquering units!" she said. "Now it's time to end you! Realize that you have no right to call yourself a hero that can save others! Nalwa attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"N-No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Dark Aurora(5).]**

"Napoleon!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. Once again, a card went into her damage zone, not being a trigger that she could have used.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dark Aurora(5).]**

"Caezaros, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+40000=66000)**

"P-Perfect guard!" Aurora said as she desperately threw out her sentinel to protect herself.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Lilith. Third check, critical trigger once again! All effects to Alexander!" the other Aurora said. "Don't worry. Your suffering will soon be at an end. When this is over, you won't have to worry about saving the world. Because you can't do a single thing on your own."

' _On my own…'_ Aurora thought. Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization. ' _Of course. Why didn't I realize it sooner?'_

"This will end it! Alexander attacks!"

 **(11000+5000+5000+5000=26000)**

"Generation guard! Star Cross, Barrier, Crux!"

"What?!"

 **Star Cross Barrier, Crux**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Crux! I send Taurus from the bind zone to the drop zone and bind Aries from my drop zone! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Grr… Lilith! Finish her off!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up 2 cards in her hand.

"Turn end…" she said in disbelief. "Impossible… How did you survive?"

"Simple. Because I'm not alone." Aurora said.

"What?"

"You're right about me. I'm weak on my own. If it was just me, I wouldn't have been able to do half of the things I've accomplished." Aurora said. "But that's normal for everyone. Nobody's strong on their own. That's why we all form bonds. Close ties with people we care about and trust." She showed a smile. "So even if I'm scared, I know I can still prevail! Cause my friends will be by my side, pushing me forward!"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(0), Dark Aurora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She saw Hikari come into her hand and smiled. ' _We also share a bond. A special one that can never be severed, no matter how far apart we are.'_

"What do you think you can do in this situation?! You have no chance at victory!"

"Of course I do. There's always a chance at victory, no matter how bad things look. That's what makes Vanguard fun. I nearly forgot about that and lost my way like I did back when I submitted to Conquest Empire. But I'm free from that now." Aurora said. "Generation Zone, release! Clustering stars, join together! Become the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon!"

 **Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Aquarius from my deck and call Aries! Since she has Warpdrive, draw 1 card! And with her Warpdrive, I soul blast and retire Nalwa!"

The other Aurora gasped as her Conquering General vanished. Aurora didn't waste the opportunity to get a second unit into play. "Calling Capricorn from my hand! And now my Vanguard will attack!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard. Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "I'm not done yet though! Star Shimmer's skill! I bind my two rear guards and discard 2 cards from my hand! Stand up once again Star Shimmer with drive minus 2!"

Aurora's dragon roared as it got ready to attack. Now it was the other Aurora that was afraid. "No… stay away…"

"Attack, Star Shimmer!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard. Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Dark Aurora(6).]**

With the fight over, the units around them disappeared. Aurora and her other self were left alone. The blonde girl walked up to the lookalike, who had fallen to her knees.

"How… How did you find the strength to keep fighting?" she asked.

Aurora kneeled down and looked at her. "Simple. Because I wasn't alone." she said. "I think I get what was holding me back now. It was just like with the war against Conquest Empire. I only thought about how my own strength compared to the enemy in front of me. But I wasn't alone. I had friends willing to help and fight with me. I forgot that and gave into despair. But I'm not alone. Just like back then, I have people that will fight with me. Friends that I can share all my joys and sorrows with. That's why even if I can't protect the world on my own, they'll make up the difference."

"That's just empty words!" the other Aurora shouted. "In the end, nothing will-"

Her words were cut short as Aurora leaned in and wrapped her arms around the lookalike of herself. She embraced her in a warm hug.

"I know you've been scared all this time. We both have." Aurora said. "But it's fine now. You can rest easy. We'll be fine. Because we have our friends standing at our side."

Silence passed for a few moments before the other Aurora dissolved into nothingness. Aurora stood back up, feeling much more at ease with herself. She looked at her deck, namely Hikari sitting at the bottom of it.

' _Thank you Hikari. I promise, I'll do everything I can to keep our universe safe. Cray will have you, and Earth will have me.'_

Suddenly, Aurora noticed the scenery around her change. Out of nowhere, she found herself floating in the middle of space with twinkling stars all around her.

"What is this?" Aurora gasped.

Soon a figure appear and rush towards Aurora. She recognized it as Hikari. She passed through her and Aurora widened her eyes. An image appeared in her mind. A hazy silhouette that was just barely clear enough for Aurora to make out as Hikari, but she looked different. Somewhere in the corner of her mind, a set of words came to her. She subconsciously spoke them.

"Divine... Starblade… Hikari…"

As the words escaped her mouth, Aurora's vision went white. Seconds passed before her vision slowly came back. Aurora found herself back on Earth, standing on the altar she and the others had been on before their consciousnesses drifted off. The change was so sudden, Aurora nearly lost her balance. She just barely managed to keep herself from falling over.

"Welcome back." the sage said. "It seems you were successful."

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. Or at least… I think so." she said. "It was like an image of Hikari just popped into my head out of nowhere. But she looked differently than before."

"That's exactly what should have happened." he said. "Congratulations. You have unlocked Cross Stride."

Aurora slowly widened her eyes. "R-Really?!" she said. "Wait, but then where is it?" She grabbed her deck case from her pocket and took out her cards. There wasn't any new unit among them.

"Your Cross Stride won't be with you physically. It will only appear before you when you use it." he explained.

Now that Aurora thought about it, in both her fights against Yukari and the sage where Cross Stride had been used, the Cross Stride had seemed to appear out of thin air. Did that mean the same would happen for her and the others?

Gradually, each of the others came back one by one. Each of them seemed to have had a similar experience to Aurora. And to their fortune, each one of them confirmed to have obtained Cross Stride.

"This certainly was a unique experience." William said. "I wasn't expecting to be fighting myself."

"But it was worth it in the end." Sophia said. "We all can use Cross Stride now!"

"Purgatory had better watch out." Marcus grinned. "Right Sarah?"

The girl blinked her eyes, as if snapping out of a daydream. "O-Oh yeah… Totally."

Marcus narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Sarah? You ok?"

Sarah quickly nodded her head. "Yeah. I'm fine. It was just a rather intense experience is all."

Marus nodded understandingly. "Yeah, it certainly was. But at least we now have a new weapon we can use against Purgatory."

Sarah watched as all of the others talked about their success at achieving Cross Stride. She was happy. Purgatory had been one step ahead of them all this time. And now they had a new weapon. One that could very well turn the tide in this fight. But there was one thing that tugged at her heart. The part that differentiated her from the others.

Her getting Cross Stride had been a lie.

It wasn't that she had lost. She had won her fight against her other self. But there had been nothing special afterwards. Nothing that was like what the others had described happening to them. As much as she hated to admit the truth to herself, she would likely never be able to obtain Cross Stride. Because Messiah was gone. But if she had told that to the others, then she knew what they would say. They would try and dissuade her from fighting Yuri again. But she needed to fight her again. She needed that rematch. Yuri, for reasons she didn't know, seemed to hate humanity. For someone whose job it was to help others, she held a darkness somewhere within her. Sarah wanted to know what had caused her to turn out that way.

' _I'm sorry Marcus. You're the last person I want to lie to._ Sarah thought silently. ' _But I won't let you worry about me. Not when we all already have enough to worry about.'_

* * *

The train station was just like Aurora and the others remembered as they prepared to set off. It had only been a couple weeks, but to all of them it had felt like a lifetime. But in the end, the training camp had been worth it. There was no denying it.

"Thank you for everything, sir." Aurora said with a bow. "We really appreciate everything you did for us."

"Well, in the end you kids weren't all that bad I guess." The sage sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ah geez. You lot are gonna make me get all sentimental."

"Training was lots of fun." Sophia said with a smile. "Can we come visit again sometime?"

"Heh, sure why not? Just don't plan on staying for long. You kids really raided my food supply." the old man said with a laugh. He looked at the group. "You kids really are prepared to fight Ragnarok, aren't you?"

Aurora nodded her head. "It has to be us. There's no other option."

"I suppose there isn't." he said with a sigh. "Still, you kids be careful. I won't accept anything happening to you all."

"Well, well, the old geezer has a heart after all." Elizabeth grinned. "Don't you worry. We'll all be sure to be in one piece next time we meet."

"You better." he said. The sound of the train whistle caught their attention. "Alright, you kids better get on. Otherwise, the train will leave without you."

The group did as he said and boarded the train. The doors soon closed as the train prepared to take off. Aurora and the others waved out the window to the old man as the train began to move.

Bit by bit, the group became further and further away from the sage. He showed a small smile as he watched them go off. They had been an annoying bunch at first, but to think they had all managed to obtain Cross Stride. Most of them at least. He looked up at the sky.

' _War is coming.'_ the sage thought. ' _And when the time comes, those kids will likely be the one line of defense between the Earth and total destruction.'_

 **Sophia: That training camp was so much fun!**

 **Anthony: I'm just glad we don't have to do anymore of that wood carving stuff.**

 **Rose: Really? I found it rather relaxing.**

 **Elizabeth: Wait, did you bring yours with you?**

 **Rose: Oh I kept yours too. You just seemed to leave it after you were done.**

 **Elizabeth: You what?! Give it here! I don't want you doing anything weird with it!**

 **Aurora: Some things never change. Sadly, I don't think we'll be getting much of a breather.**

 **Next time: Prelude to the World's End**


	94. Prelude to the World's End

**A/N: Hello readers. Hope your ready cause now it's time for things to heat up again. Also, on a side note, as many of you saw last chapter there are a lot of characters with Cross Stride now. Sadly, they won't all be seen in fights for this arc due to length, but they will be shown off one way or another and their skills will be revealed in the Card Galleries of those chapters.**

 **With that out of the way, please enjoy the chapter.**

The final school bell rang, signaling the end to the school day at Kousei High. Aurora got up from her seat as she got ready to head home for the day. The cold air of winter could still be felt outside. It would be awhile before anyone could enjoy the warm feeling of spring. But that wasn't what was on Aurora's mind.

It had been a few weeks since Aurora and her friends had come back from their winter training camp with the old sage. Each of them had managed to unlock Cross Stride. For the first time in a long time, they felt ready to take on Purgatory. But the cult hadn't made any major moves since that time. On one hand, it was nice to not see any major issues on the news. However, Aurora and her friends couldn't help but feel a sense of danger. As if this was the calm before the storm.

"Hey Aurora." Madoka said, walking up to her friend.

"Hey Madoka." Aurora said. "You need something?"

"I was thinking perhaps I could go to your family's shop with you today. I wanted your advice on some changes to my deck."

"Sure. No problem." Aurora said. "Just let me get all my stuff in order and we can head out."

Madoka nodded her head. "Ok then."

* * *

Ryo sat alone at the headquarters for Purgatory. Things were proceeding smoothly. The world was in a panic. Ragnarok was close at hand. And the little rebel known as Roman Scarlet was nothing more than a dog on a leash now. There was only one thing left to do. Wait for Ragnarok's arrival.

It seemed like yesterday to Ryo. Leading Purgatory which was little more than a simple cult at the time. He cared little for the "end of the world" that so many of his followers seemed to cling to like a dream. He simply needed manpower. People that he could control and guide how he wanted in order for him to control the world. Overthrow governments. Tear down the common notions held by society. Given enough time and enough followers, it would have been easily possible. But he still needed to hold a control over them. And those that found their lives filled with despair were the easiest to control with false hope.

Purgatory and everything it stood for was nothing but a simple lie. And Ryo was one of the only ones who knew that fact.

However, all that changed one day. It was another ceremony he used to keep the members of Purgatory satisfied and blinded. A ritual to summon a demon. Quite the laughable notion. As if something like that was actually possible. But not even Ryo could have predicted that it would actually work.

* * *

 _The underground church dimly lit with candles was filled with people. Each was dressed in a black cloak. Standing at the front on a slightly raised altar was Ryo._

" _Brothers. Sisters. Thank you all for gathering here." Ryo spoke out. "Now then, let the ritual commence. So society can bathe in our retribution against them."_

 _People made way to open up the center of the crowd. To other robed figures walked down the aisle. In between them was a young boy with azure blue hair and hazel eyes. The two walking with him stopped just before the altar as he walked up to be with Ryo._

" _Now, let Kouta be the one to awaken the one that will save us all." Ryo said. He guided Kouta to the center of the altar._

 _One by one, candles were lit around the circle. Several members of Purgatory began chanting words that didn't make sense to many._

 _It was a silly and foolish farce these rituals. But they made the members of Purgatory believe in the lies Ryo fed them. In the man's mind, things would be the same as always. The ritual would go through, nothing of note would happen, and everyone would leave for the night. Simple as always._

 _But that was when it happened._

 _Out of nowhere, the flames from the candles around Kouta turned to a blue color and burst out. Gasps filled the crowd as everyone stepped back while a vortex of blue flames encircled Kouta and engulfed him._

 _Ryo couldn't believe his eyes. This was nothing like he had planned. It couldn't be real could it? Had they actually managed to summon a demon? Such things existed?_

 _Not long after, the flames died down. Kouta was still there, exactly as he had been before the inexplicable phenomenon. But something seemed different about him. He had a distant look to his eyes, but that was normal for the boy. This was different however. It was almost as if he was… gone. Like his consciousness was replaced by another._

 _Kouta looked at himself, as if his body seemed unfamiliar to him. He then looked over at Ryo. "This planet is Earth correct?"_

" _Y-Yes…" Ryo spoke. Whispers amongst the crowd began to spread. He needed to figure out what was going on. "Kouta… are you alright?"_

" _The psyche of the boy known as Kouta is not present right now." Kouta said. "I am a different being. One awakened by the negative feelings throughout the universe. Ragnarok."_

 _Many of the Purgatory members were shocked by this sudden development. They got to their knees and bowed before the being known as Ragnarok, as if worshiping a god._

" _It actually worked."_

" _Finally our salvation has come."_

" _He will destroy the world and change everything."_

" _Destroy the world…" Ragnarok spoke. "Yes… Yes, that is my purpose. Destruction. Complete and total destruction."_

 _Ryo couldn't believe this was happening. They had managed to summon a demon, or whatever this was, and have it possess Kouta. While this was unexpected, he couldn't afford to lose appearances with the rest of the cult. He got on one knee and held his head low. For now, he would have to play along._

" _Oh benevolent Ragnarok. Tell us what you wish for us to do." Ryo said._

" _I have not fully awakened. As such, my power is weak." Ragnarok spoke. "You must spread negativity. Panic. Fear. Despair. Fuel me with it. That shall lead me to this planet. And that shall lead to its destruction."_

 _Ryo felt nervous. This was a being that actually wished to destroy the world. Not the way in which he wanted where he could rebuild it in his image but instead complete and total destruction. That would include him as well. He couldn't allow this to happen. But how could he do that without losing the trust of the entire organization he had built._

 _As thoughts flowed through his mind, he noticed the look in Kouta's eyes change. The boy became weak as he collapsed. Ryo rushed to his side as gasps filled the crowd of followers._

" _Ugh…" Kouta moaned as he blinked open his eyes. "What… happened?"_

" _Kouta…?" Ryo asked. "Is it you?"_

" _Yes… I think so." Kouta confirmed. "What happened to me?"_

 _It seemed that Kouta was back and the being known as Ragnarok was gone. Ryo tried to make sense of what had just happened. Was Kouta actually possessed? Although he hadn't believed in such nonsense, Ryo couldn't deny that it would actually explain what they had all witnessed. But if that was true, then he would be leading actual world destruction right to Earth. If he did that, his dreams would never come true. However, that was when a thought crossed his mind._

 _Ragnarok hadn't fully taken over Kouta. That meant Kouta had some control, and he and this Ragnarok were linked._

 _Ryo just barely managed to contain his urge to laugh. This could be the chance he needed. If Kouta held some control over Ragnarok, then it could be possible for Kouta to control Ragnarok. To take over that being. And with such a powerful force at his side, Ryo could do whatever he wished. Anything would be possible with something that equaled the power of a god on his side._

 _Ryo stepped towards the crowd of Purgatory followers and spoke out to them. "Brother and sisters, it has finally happened. Our prayers have been answered. The benevolent god Ragnarok will come here. It will destroy this rotten world that has mistreated us for so long. It will burn it to the very ground. Sinners will be purged while we shall be brought salvation. So please, lend me your power my followers. Let us set sail to a new future."_

 _Cheers erupted through the crowd. Ryo grinned. He could pull this off. With Kouta at his side, he could control even a god. And then everything would be his._

* * *

Much time had passed since then. Ever since that night, Kouta had gotten brief moments where Ragnarok took control of his consciousness. In those times he explained things to Ryo. How he came to being. The planet Cray's existence. The connection this planet held with Earth known as Vanguard. Ryo had relayed this information to his followers, carefully coordinated so that he could control their actions how he needed. There were other times, where Ragnarok had instead gifted Ryo and others with power. Ryo had gathered loyal followers he knew from the organization, allowing Ragnarok to grant them power near equal to what Ryo had been granted. Ryo had also enlisted the help of two others. Roman Scarlet and Laura Bareau. After a brief demonstration of the power he and Purgatory possessed, he explained the smaller details of his plan to the two in order to gain their support as well. Both held fame and knowledge worldwide, something Ryo could use. He would also require assistance if his plan was to succeed. Laura was satisfied with the fact that she would gain fame and recognition, becoming worshiped like a goddess. Roman had been mostly in it for power, but his rebellious streak was now over. All was going according to plan.

Ryo got up from his seat and walked into the room where Kouta was kept in isolation. With Ragnarok taking over his body, Kouta spent nearly all of his time sleeping. It seemed Ragnarok drained a lot of his stamina. But he had controlled Kouta in the past. He could do it now. And by controlling Kouta, he could in turn control Ragnarok.

' _The time is nigh. We are in the endgame.'_ Ryo thought. A smirk came to his lips. ' _And as with any endgame, it is always best to go out in a dramatic fashion.'_

Ryo heard his phone go off and he answered. On the other end was Sora and Kage. "Master Ryo, everything is ready. All members are in position."

"Excellent." Ryo said. "Give the signal to begin. It is time for the final act of this play."

* * *

"I see. So if I do that, then I can unleash a bunch of other skills too." Madoka said.

"Yeah. The best way to create a formation is always to try and use your units' skills to assist each other and bring out their full potential." Aurora explained.

"I see. Do you have any ideas on what cards I could use to do that?"

"I have a few in mind." Aurora said. "We can go into more detail once we reach the shop."

The two girls walked together towards the school gate. Aurora was happy to see more of her friends getting into Vanguard. It gave them more to talk about. She would also be lying if she said she didn't like being looked up to so much by them due to her skill and experience with the game.

As Aurora and Madoka neared the school gate, a sudden explosion a few blocks away came out of nowhere. Both girls gasped in shock at the unexpected blast.

"What was that?!" Madoka exclaimed.

"I don't know." Aurora said.

As the two girls hurried to the gate, they saw people screaming and running away from the site of the explosion. The city seemed to be in a complete panic.

"It's the end of the world!"

"Run for your lives!"

' _What the hell is going on?'_ Aurora wondered. She looked towards the direction people were running away from and gasped at several figures emerging from the cloud of debris. Aurora gasped when she recognized the hoods they were wearing.

They were members of Purgatory.

' _I was wondering when they'd make their next big move.'_ Aurora thought. ' _They're not even trying to be subtle anymore, are they?'_

As Aurora readied herself to fight, a sudden blur rushed out of the debris and sped at Aurora. The blonde teen gasped in shock when she recognized it as a unit from Cray. Dark Elemental, Doxic. But something seemed different about it compared to the image she recognized of it from its card. It was like it was… possessed.

The more pressing concern though was that it was coming straight for her.

"Aurora, look out!" Madoka exclaimed.

Aurora widened her eyes in fear. There was nothing she could do. However, she soon noticed a light emanating from her deck case. It was as if the units of Star Chaser were calling out to her. She wasn't exactly sure what it all meant but she had an idea.

' _Let's hope this works.'_ Aurora thought. She held out her hand. "Call! Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

In that instant, Gemini appeared right before her. The swordsman intercepted Doxic with his blades and knocked it back, sending it flying into a building. Doxic soon dissolved away. Almost immediately after, Aurora noticed a Purgatory member collapse.

' _Are they… controlling the units?'_ Aurora thought. She looked at Gemini, who gave her a brief nod before disappearing like a flash of light, just as he had come.

"It's the Star Chaser girl. Aurora Fujou." one of the Purgatory members said.

"This is our best chance. Let's take her down here." another suggested.

"Aurora… who are these guys?" Madoka asked, trembling in fear. "And why do they seem to know you?"

"Madoka, get back inside. Hurry." Aurora told her friend.

"But what about-"

"Just do it! Go!" Aurora shouted. "Get as many people in the school as possible! I'll hold these guys off!"

Madoka had no idea what was going on, but she did as Aurora said. She hurried back to the school gate, calling to as many people as possible to tell them to get into the school.

"Heh, this is perfect. Once we deal with her, we can go after everyone there too." one of the Purgatory members chuckled.

"Just try it." Aurora glared. Once everyone nearby was gone or heading in the school, she placed herself in front of the gate. "You're not getting past me." She brought out her deck, ready to fight. "So which of you losers is first?"

The group all chuckled as units appeared near them. Just like the last one, they were Cray Elemental units. But they all looked different. As if they weren't in their right state of mind.

' _That's a lot of units to take down.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _Oh well. I've got no choice.'_ She called out to the one unit she trusted to take care of a crowd this big. "Come forth! Hika-"

"Strike them down! Blade bathed with the blood of your enemies!" a new voice called out. "Claret Sword Dragon, Tyranny!"

The Purgatory members were caught off guard as a sudden attack from behind came out of nowhere, blowing them all away. The units that had been present vanished in an instant. At the same time, the Purgatory members seemed to lose consciousness. As Aurora wondered what had just happened, a motorcycle zoomed up and stopped right near Aurora. As the rider took off their helmet, Aurora recognized a familiar face.

"Elizabeth!" Aurora exclaimed. "Man am I glad to see you!"

"You can thank me later." she told her. "Right now we need to get moving."

"Where are we going?"

"The Tatsunagi building. Yukari's going to brief us all there about whatever the hell's going on so we can make a plan of attack." Elizabeth explained. Soon, she and Aurora noticed the sound of footsteps. Down the road, they could see even more Purgatory members approaching them. "Damnit, these idiots don't give up, do they?" She threw Aurora a helmet. "Get on! We have to move!"

"But what about everyone else?!" Aurora said. "We can't just leave them here like this!"

"I believe I can deal with them." a new voice spoke up. Aurora and Elizabeth turned to see Aurora's homeroom teacher Mr. Kagaguchi walk out from the school. "Leave this riff raff to me."

"But can you handle it? There's so many of them." Aurora said. In the corner of her eye, she noticed another Cray Elemental come crashing down towards them.

"Incoming!" Elizabeth shouted.

Before either Aurora or Elizabeth could make a move, a unit appeared and blocked the unit's attack. Aurora recognized the unit as Amazing Professor, Bigbelly.

"I see… so that's how this works." Mr. Kagaguchi said, looking at his deck. "I saw you do it Ms. Fujou, so I figured I'd give it a try." He pushed up on his glasses and smirked. "Now then, it's time we put this unit in detention."

With a swing of its arm, Bigbelly sent the unit flying away. Bigbelly then disappeared and Aurora's teacher stood at the front gate. "Ms. Fujou, I shall protect the school. Leave everything to me."

"But-"

"I may not have a full grasp of the situation, but you do have an idea what's going on, correct?" he asked. "In that case, here is your assignment. Find the source of all of this and stop it. I will not accept any results less than an A+."

"Mr. Kagaguchi…"

"Get going Ms. Fujou. I'm counting on you."

"You heard him." Elizabeth said. She motioned for Aurora to get on. "Now let's go. We can't do anything to stop these guys by sticking around here."

Aurora was nervous about leaving everyone here. But she couldn't deny Elizabeth's point. The sooner they stopped Purgatory and whatever they were doing to cause this, the sooner everyone would be safe. She put on the helmet and got on behind Elizabeth, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl's waist.

"Hold on tight. This may get a little bumpy." Elizabeth said. Reving the motor to full throttle, she took off at full speed.

Mr. Kagaguchi watched Aurora and Elizabeth speed away. With them gone, he turned his attention back to the Purgatory grunts. "Now then, I believe it's time I disciplined you all. I will teach each of you the lesson of what happens when you threaten my students."

Aurora couldn't help but worry if Mr. Kagaguchi would be alright. She knew he was a skilled cardfighter but this was no mere cardfight. This was now full on war against Purgatory.

"We should be at the Tatsunagi building in about ten minutes." Elizabeth said. "No need to worry about traffic laws with this nightmare going on now, is there?"

"What about everyone else? Shouldn't we get them too?"

"William's already on it. He's picking your teammates and Sophia up in his car and bringing them to the building." Elizabeth explained. "Rose is handling getting Marcus and his team."

Aurora nodded understandingly. This was no normal attack from Purgatory. They were going big with this one. That could only mean one thing. A fact that frightened her to her very core.

Ragnarok was close.

* * *

Aurora and Elizabeth rushed through the doors of the Tatsunagi building. Throughout their ride there they had seen the streets of Japan turning into a warzone. Explosions left and right. Purgatory littering the streets with their members. It was a nightmare.

"Good. you've arrived." Yukari said, making her presence known. "That's probably the first good news we've received in the past few hours."

"Does someone want to explain what the hell is going on?!" Elizabeth asked. "It's like the freaking apocalypse outside!"

Yukari sighed. "It seems Purgatory is ready to finish things once and for all. They're going big and causing as much fear and panic as they can all at once. And that can only mean one thing."

"Ragnarok is almost here." Aurora said, knowing what the young girl was getting to.

"Indeed." Yukari nodded. "I never expected them to do something on this grand a scale though."

"Is there anything we can do? There's too many members out there for us to find and take down before Raganrok reaches Earth." Elizabeth said.

"You are correct. However, there is one advantage we have obtained through all of this." Yukari explained. "There's a massive surge of energy gathered at one point in Japan. That is likely where Purgatory's headquarters is, where they are causing this horrific event."

"So now we just need everyone here and then we can go take them down once and for all." Aurora realized.

"Yes. Everyone else should arrive soon." Yukari said. "After they do, I'll go into full detail."

"Good. Time to knock those bastards down a peg." Elizabeth said.

"What about Allen and Amy?" Aurora asked. "Is there any way we can get them here? I know they're back in America but-"

"Actually, they're already on their way here." Yukari explained. "They're flying in on one of the company's private jets. They should arrive in Japan within the hour."

"That was certainly fast reaction." Elizabeth said.

"Things may have just gotten started in Japan, but I'm afraid that isn't the case for the rest of the world. Purgatory is attacking on a worldwide scale. Everywhere is the same as Japan right now. And some started even hours before the attack on Japan. We were able to react sooner there as a result."

Aurora clenched her fists. This disaster was happening everywhere in the world? Just how insane were Purgatory to be able to pull off something like this?

' _Everyone, please get here soon.'_ Aurora begged. ' _But more importantly… please be safe.'_

* * *

Allen and Amy sat on the Tatsunagi jet as it soared over the Pacific Ocean. The world had gone to hell in the span of only a few hours. If it wasn't for the call they had gotten from Yukari Tatsunagi, they would be at a complete loss for what to do. Neither of them were exactly fond of leaving America to fend for itself in the wake of this nightmare. But if they wanted any chance of stopping Purgatory, they had to go to the source.

Allen let out a sigh. "This is a disaster."

"Yeah." Amy nodded with a frown on her face. They were leaving everyone. Friends. Family. She couldn't help but worry about them.

The upside to flying over the ocean was that they didn't have to see the horror that was currently befalling the world. That was also a downside at the same time however. Not seeing it meant they had no idea what was currently happening. Were people injured? Dying? There was no way to know what was happening in the moment, meaning it was all up to their imaginations to fill in the blanks. And neither of them liked what their imaginations were showing them.

"Once we land in Japan, we're going to make Purgatory pay for this." Allen said. "Those guys are going down."

"Oh is that so?"

The sudden voice caused both Amy and Allen to jump as they noticed another person in the room of the jet with them. They both looked towards the door and saw another person standing casually and looking at them with a smirk. It was a male teen with snowy white hair and sharp blue eyes. Allen and Aurora both recognized who the person was.

Michael Cresanto. The American regional champion.

"It's been awhile." Michael said with a wave. "When was it we last met? Let me think…" He sarcastically thought to himself, knowing full well when it had been. "Oh right! I remember!" He pointed at Allen. "It was when you humiliated me in front of the entire country at the qualifier tournament for the Vanguard World Tournament!"

"What are you doing here?" Amy asked. "How did you even get on this plane?"

"Oh that was simple. My new friends helped sneak me on board." Michael said.

"New friends?" Amy questioned.

Allen glared at the American champion. "You're with Purgatory."

"You got it, Allen." Michael confirmed.

"Are you insane?" Allen glared. "Do you even realize what Purgatory is doing right now?"

"Well the world isn't really my concern right now." Michael explained. "See, I'm unfortunately forced to fight for Purgatory right now. A certain someone has me under his control right now."

"The one that's from the Scarlet family." Allen realized as he grit his teeth. "You lost to him and now you're under his control."

"Right again. And once he knew of my history with you Allen, he was more than willing to give me a bit more free will compared to his other slaves." Michael explained. "What can I say? He likes revenge stories. Especially ones that involve crushing the person that caused the scandal to make his family lose their fortune."

"In that case, I guess talking's not an option then." Allen said, reaching for his deck.

"The only talking I want is to hear you screaming in agony." Michael said. He held his deck out. "I'm going to make you pay! Beating me wasn't enough for you! You had to go and humiliate me on top of that! Make me look like a complete loser!"

' _Another sin I must atone for from my past.'_ Allen thought. "Fine then. Let's-"

"Hold on." Amy said, stepping forward. "I'll fight him."

Allen blinked his eyes in surprise. "Amy?"

"You need to save your strength for when we reach Japan. That'll be the real fight." Amy told her friend. "So let me handle him."

Michael let out a laugh. "Oh that's rich! I was prepared to crush Allen, but I get you instead? Fine then! I'll make Allen suffer a bit by destroying you first!"

A sheet of light appeared in front of each of them. Both Michael and Amy placed their decks down and began the fight.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

 **Michael: You think you'll be able to defeat me? Get real!**

 **Amy: I'm going to protect Allen, no matter what. Even if you're the American champion, I won't lose!**

 **Michael: Let's see if you're still saying that after I'm through with you!**

 **Allen: Amy… Be careful.**

 **Aurora: Damnit, the world is going up in smoke. We don't have time for this.**

 **Next time: Wings of Rebirth**


	95. Wings of Rebirth

**A/N: Hey readers. Time for a new chapter. Hope you're ready, cause it might involve some new cards you aren't expecting. Enjoy.**

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Extreme Battler, Victhead!"

 **Extreme Battler, Victhead**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Black Glow, Azrail!"

 **Black Glow, Azrail**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Heh, I prepared myself to destroy the wielder of the Conquest Empire clan." Michael said. "So dealing with someone using a normal clan is childsplay for me!"

"Is that so?" Amy said. "You should never judge a person by what clan they use. I would think someone of your level would know that."

"I'll show you just how far a gap there is between us!" Michael said. "Ride! Extreme Battler, Gunzdon!"

 **Extreme Battler, Gunzdon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

' _Nova Grappler. Same as it was from the time he and Allen faced off.'_ Amy thought to herself.

"Victhead moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Amy(5), Michael(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "Ride! Black Talent, Lyla!"

 **Black Talent, Lyla**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Azrail moves back." Amy said.

Allen watched as the fight began. Not too long ago, Amy was using Conquest Empire like him. But ever since their time with the old sage a few weeks ago, she had changed. She went back to using Angel Feather. Some would wonder why she would go back after making the switch to Conquest Empire. But Allen could tell the reason.

' _It's cause Angel Feather is her clan. And even the unit she forged a connection with was able to respond to that feeling.'_

"With Azrail's boost, I attack with my Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(0), Michael(1).]**

"Turn end." Amy said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Amy(6), Michael(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Michael said. "Ride! Extreme Battler, Ninjaad!"

 **Extreme Battler, Ninjaad**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Victhead lends support. Attack, Ninjaad!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Amy said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(2), Michael(1).]**

As the attack landed, Allen caught sight of Lyla out the window of the jet. The small angel looked like she had been hit by something. ' _So that's why I don't see any units around them. They're battling outside the jet.'_

"Turn end." Michael said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Amy(6), Michael(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. "Ride! Black Carve, Ezezel!"

 **Black Carve, Ezezel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With a boost from Azrail, Ezezel attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Amy said. "Heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(1), Michael(2).]**

"That's it for my turn." Amy said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Amy(7), Michael(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Michael said. He chuckled as he held out a card in his hand. "Time for me to take things to the next level. Now come forth! Mow down the enemy with your relentless assault! Ride! Zubat Battler, Victor!"

 **Zubat Battler, Victor**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Extreme Battler, Golshachi and Extreme Battler, Jerohawk!" Michael said. "Victor attacks with a boost from Victhead!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Golshachi and I recover one."

"Damage check." Amy said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(2), Michael(1).]**

"Golshachi is up next with a boost from Jerohawk!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Amy said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(3), Michael(1).]**

Michael watched Amy wince in pain from the consecutive damage. "Oh? Is the pain already too much for you? Well then maybe you should give up now and save yourself the agony."

"Not happening." Amy said. "I refuse to lose this. I will stop you."

"Go ahead and try. I end my turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Amy(7), Michael(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Amy said. She looked at a card in her hand, knowing now was the time to play it. ' _You forged a bond with me. You stuck with me all this time. Now it's my turn to repay the favor.'_

Amy still remembered it clearly in her head. The opponent she had faced in her final trial while training with the sage. Herself. Using the Angel Feather clan. That mirror image told her that her using the Conquest Empire was nothing but a show. Something to be more useful to Allen. Truth be told, she couldn't fully deny that fact. She obtained Conquest Empire not only to try and keep Allen from losing himself again but also so she would have the power to stop him if he did. But there were times when using it felt odd to her. Like she wasn't herself. During that fight with herself, she wondered if she had just been lying to herself this entire time. But there was one small thing that kept her with Conquest Empire. A singular unit that she felt a connection with unlike any unit before.

' _Just like you wish to protect Alexander, I wish to protect Allen. So let's fight together to keep those we care about safe.'_ Amy thought. "Swordswoman granted new life! Spread your white wings and cut through your enemies! Ride! Angel of Reborn Sabre, Rachel!"

 **Angel of Reborn Sabre, Rachel**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

' _Wait… Rachel?'_ Michael thought. ' _Wasn't that a Conquest Empire unit?'_

The new Rachel depicted on the card showed the familiar female swordswoman from Conquest Empire. But she was different. A pair of black wings stretched out from her back. She was dressed in a tight black outfit with a short skirt at the end, leaving her legs only covered by the leggings she wore. Red combat boots were on her feet. Gripped tightly in her hands were the two swords she had used before.

"What kind of farce is this?!" Michael asked. "How does a Conquest Empire unit become an Angel Feather?!"

"Rachel's desire to grow stronger resonated with my wish to do the same. This is the result." Amy said. "And together, we will defeat you!"

"Grr… Big deal! So you've got a fancy new unit! That won't change anything!"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Amy said. "Stride Generation! Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden!"

 **Fanatic Seraph, Gavrail Eden**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! I grant a skill to my Vanguard!" Amy said. "Then I heal one damage! Rescue check! No trigger. After that, I use Black Glow, Azrail's skill. I counterblast, send her to the soul, and heal a damage. Then, I take a card from my deck and place it in the damage zone. I place Broken Heart in the damage zone."

Michael recognized Amy's strategy of Rescue. Healing damage in order to take the chance of hitting triggers. It was the same style of play she used at the World Tournament.

"I call Nurse of Broken Heart, as well as Black Relief, Aratoron!" Amy said. "Next I activate Gavrail Eden's Rescue! I soul blast and heal a damage! Rescue check! Critical trigger! All effects to Aratoron! On top of that, I use Aratoron's counterblast! I call the Black Call, Nakir that was healed behind Aratoron! In addition, every time a card is placed in the damage zone, Broken Heart adds 2000 power to herself and the Vanguard!"

' _Using the damage zone like a second hand, calling cards out from it using skills. Good to see Amy's time using Conquest Empire hasn't dulled her skills with Angel Feather.'_ Allen thought.

"Aratoron attacks with a boost from Nakir!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

Michael couldn't afford to take a critical attack this early in the turn. He quickly defended himself. "Generation guard! Meteokaiser, Dogantitan!"

 **Meteokaiser, Dogantitan**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Gavrail Eden attacks!" Amy declared. "Activating skill! I call cards equal to the number of face up cards in my G Zone from the damage zone! There's one there currently so I call one card! I call Nutrient Angel behind Broken Heart! Add 3000 power to the called unit! Then, the same number of cards called are sent from the top of the deck to the damage zone face down! Broken Heart's skill activates once again!"

 **(26000+4000=30000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, stand trigger! All effects to Aratoron! Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Michael said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(3), Michael(2).]**

"Go Aratoron! Attack the Vanguard again!"

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"No guard." Michael said, letting two cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Amy(3), Michael(4).]**

"Broken Heart, you're up next! And Nutrient Angel, lend your support!"

 **(9000+4000+4000+3000=20000)**

"Guard!" Michael said, holding up a trigger from his hand.

 **[Damage: Amy(3), Michael(3).]**

"Turn end." Amy said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Amy(7), Michael(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Michael said. "Now get ready. Here's a small preview of what I'm going to do to your friend Allen."

' _Here it comes.'_

"Stride Generation! Universal Ace, Bustered!"

 **Universal Ace, Bustered**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

' _I don't remember him using that G Unit the last time I fought him.'_ Allen thought. ' _Stay on your toes Amy.'_

"Stride skill! I draw a card and call Ninjaad to rear guard! Then, I grant a skill to my Vanguard!" Michael explained. "I call Gunzdon!"

' _He completely filled up his rear guards.'_ Amy thought. ' _He's going in for a big move.'_

"Ninjaad attacks Broken Heart with Gunzdon's boost!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Amy said. She knew Michael would be relentless to get rid of such a key rear guard. She would likely need to save her hand for what was coming.

"Golshachi attacks with Jerohawk's boost!" Michael called out. "Golshachi's counterblast! I stand Ninjaad! On top of that, I activate Bustered's skill! When my rear guard stands, I can soul blast and flip a card in my G Zone face up to have my Vanguard gain a drive!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Amy said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(4), Michael(4).]**

"Heh, too bad. You probably could have used a damage trigger there." Michael said.

"I'm fine. Cause I've got Rachel's Generation Break to help me out." Rachel said. "When a card is placed in the damage zone, add 1000 power to the front row."

"Activating Jerohawk's skill. After the battle he attacks, I counterblast and send him to the soul. I then get to draw and stand Golshachi with another 2000 power. And with Golshachi's rush, he gains 7000 power."

' _Rush. A skill that activates when the unit stands due to an effect.'_ Amy recalled. ' _That skill is deadly is used correctly.'_

"With Victhead's skill, I counterblast and send him to the soul to draw and add 2000 power to Golshachi. Then, since I have no face up damage, I countercharge. Once again, I soul blast with Bustered to flip a card in the G Zone face up and gain a drive, bringing my total drive to five currently."

Amy and Allen widened their eyes. "You can use that skill more than once a turn?!" Amy gasped.

"That's right. I'll keep beating you down more and more while I get stronger." Michael smirked. "Golshachi attacks once again!"

 **(9000+7000+2000+2000=20000)**

"Intercept with Aratoron! Then I guard with Battle Cupid Nociel from my hand!" Amy called out. "Nociel's skill! I swap a card in the damage zone with one from my hand! Rachel's skill activates once again, adding on another 1000 power!"

"I attack with my Vanguard!" Michael said. "Skill gained from Victor! I stand Golshachi! Soul blast to gain another drive, for a total of 6!"

 **(26000)**

"Skill of Black Prepare, Arakiba! I call it from the damage zone to the guardian circle and add 15000 to the shield! Then, the top card of the deck goes to the damage zone, and I then heal a damage. Rescue check, no trigger. Since 2 cards just went to the damage zone, add another 2000 power to the front row, and then an extra 2000 to Rachel since one of them was due to Rescue. On top of that, Generation guard! Holy Seraph, Suriel!"

 **Holy Seraph, Suriel**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Suriel's skill. Counterblast. I look at the top card of the deck, place it on the top or bottom of the deck, then heal a damage." Amy said. "Rescue check. Stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard. Stand Nutrient Angel. And with another card in the damage zone due to Rescue, Rachel gains another 3000 power."

' _That brings her Vanguard up to 54000.'_ Michael thought. ' _I'll need 6 triggers to break through.'_

"Sextuple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Golshachi! Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard! Fifth check, no trigger. Sixth check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

' _He gave two triggers to the Vanguard. Does that mean…'_

"Skill of Bustered! At the end of the battle it attacked, if it had five or more drive checks, I discard 3 cards and stand it back up with drive minus 5!" Michael said.

"No way!" Amy gasped.

"Golshachi attacks!"

 **(9000+7000+2000+2000+5000=25000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Ninjaad attacks! Activating skill! I stand Golshachi and add 2000 power for every face up card in the G Zone, for an extra total of 6000! Then, Bustered's soul blast once again to gain a drive!"

 **(9000)**

' _Thankfully Ninjaad is too weak to hit my Vanguard.'_ Amy thought. ' _But he just gave his other units a boost with that attack.'_

"Bustered attacks!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to Golsachi." Michael said. "Now get her Golshachi!"

 **(9000+7000+2000+2000+10000=30000)**

"Guard!" Amy said, quickly throwing down a trigger.

"Turn end." Michael said. "Skill of Zubat Battler, Victor. Since I have one or less face up damage, I counter charge. Then since I have one or less cards in the soul, soul charge. Finally, I get to draw since I both countercharged and soul charged with this skill."

Amy had managed to barely survive her opponent's onslaught, but she couldn't deny she was still in a bad spot. With her small hand, she wouldn't last another turn. She had to finish Michael off this turn. But with his hand size and the fact that he was only at four damage made that easier said than done.

Michael smirked. "Just give up. You can't win. I can see it's taking everything you've got just to stand up."

He wasn't lying. Amy could feel her knees wobbling slightly. But she refused to give in. "I won't give up. I'm going to win."

The smirk on Michael's lips disappeared. He growled as he clenched his fists. "Why… Why do you try so hard? Why are you so determined to protect scum like Allen Demacio?!"

"Because he's my friend!" Amy shouted. "I know he's done a lot of bad things! But he's suffered too! I wasn't strong enough to help him back then! So now… I want to be there to help him when he needs me!"

Allen widened his eyes as he heard this. "Amy…"

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Amy(2), Michael(9).]**

"Stand and draw!" Amy said. She closed her eyes and prayed. ' _Lend me your strength. Help lead me to victory.'_

"Generation Zone, release!" Amy shouted. "Now let the heavens make way for the future! A single soul shall stand and bring peace to the world! Stride Generation! Conquest Seraph, Rachel!"

 **Conquest Seraph, Rachel**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I grant a skill to my Vanguard, then heal a damage! Rescue check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!" Amy said. "The skill gained from the stride skill! Once this turn, when a card goes from the damage zone to the drop zone, I can call it! Come! Nurse of Broken Heart! Then, Conquest Seraph, Rachel's Generation Break 3! When a card is put into the damage zone due to Rescue, I take a normal unit and a trigger unit in my drop zone and shuffle them back into the deck! I then call Black Talent, Lyla from my hand! With Lyla's skill, she gains 6000 power!"

' _She managed to get a full field. She really does plan to end it here.'_ Allen thought to himself.

"Lyla attacks with a boost from Nutrient Angel!"

 **(7000+6000+4000=17000)**

"Guard!"

"Broken Heart and Nakir, you're up next!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Conquest Seraph, Rachel attacks the Vanguard!" Amy declared. "Rachel's Rescue! I take cards from my damage zone up to my Generation Break number and call them to rear guard! That's five units, though I only have four to call! Black Slice, Harut! Surgery Angel! Gavrail Prim! Black Talent, Lyla!"

' _She just called her entire damage zone in the blink of an eye! But if this is a Rescue skill, that means-'_

"Rescue check! First check, no trigger! Second check, no trigger! Third check, heal trigger! I don't heal but I give the power to Harut! Fourth check, critical trigger! All effects to Gavrail Prim!" Amy said. "Also, since 4 more cards were put into the damage zone due to Rescue, Rachel's Generation Break 3 activates another 4 times!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!" Michael called out.

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! I give all effects to Harut! Third check, no trigger." Amy said. "Go Gavrail! Get him!"

 **(11000+5000+7000+6000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison!"

 **Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Blue Prison! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Harut is up next! Activating skill! I counterblast and look at the top 2 cards of the deck, place one in the damage zone, and the other on the bottom of the deck! I then call Rachel from the damage zone to rear guard! Over Gavrail!"

 **(9000+5000+4000=18000)**

"Guard!" Michael said, holding up a pair of cards from his hand.

"Skill of Surgery Angel! After the battle in which it boosted, I counterblast and shuffle it into the deck! I then heal one damage! Rescue check, critical trigger trigger! All effects to Rachel" Amy said. "Rachel attacks! Since a unit with Rescue is attacking, I activate Ezezel's skill in the damage zone! Calling her over Harut! The top card of the deck goes into the damage zone! I then heal one damage and perform a rescue check! Critical trigger! All effects to Ezezel!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Intercept!" Michael said, moving both of his front row rear guards to guard.

"Ezezel, end this!"

Michael looked at his hand. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Amy(4), Michael(6).]**

Michael fell over and collapsed. Part of it was the damage he had received from the fight. But another part of it was the despair he felt. Even without Roman's influence, this was a fight he had wanted. "No… Not again… I was supposed to win this time…"

After that, the American champion closed his eyes and lost consciousness. Allen and Amy figured it would be awhile before he woke up.

Amy held a hand against one of the seats to support herself as she tried to recover from the fight. "That was a close fight. I almost lost."

Allen walked over to Amy and helped support her. "Here. Put your arm around my shoulder."

"I'm fine Allen. I-"

"No arguments." Allen said. "I don't want you overexerting yourself for my sake. Because you… you mean a lot to me too."

"Allen…"

Before anything else could be said, a message came from the pilot over the speaker. "We'll be landing in Japan soon. Make sure your fastened in."

Allen and Amy both sat down together. Looking out the window, they could see that Japan wasn't doing so well either. They needed to put a stop to Purgatory and fast.

* * *

After landing, Allen and Amy explained the situation with Michael before leaving and being driven to the Tatsunagi building. They rushed in and found everyone else waiting for them.

On top of Aurora and all of the others Yukari had enlisted to help with fighting Purgatory, Emma Cersy and Kimiko Radcliffe, the younger sisters of Marcus and Sarah, were also there. Neither Marcus nor Sarah felt comfortable leaving their younger siblings alone in the wake of this crisis, so they had brought them along.

"Good. Everyone's here." Yukari said. The lights in the lobby dimmed and the monitor hanging over the front desk changed to show the image of a tall building. "This is the source of the influx of energy that occured ever since this disaster started. We have strong reason to believe that's where Purgatory is operating at."

"So that's our target then." Anthony said. "Where is it?"

"It's operating in Tokyo, Shibuya district." Yukari explained. "We need to find exactly what is creating this source of energy, and stop it. That's our top priority. I'll be sending Jasmine, Keiko, and Mai along with you for extra support. I'll be staying here to manage things and try to provide whatever help I can with your route there."

The trio of Premium Beauty stepped forward. "Keiko and I will be driving everyone there in two separate cars." Jasmine said. "The company cars can fit a lot of people."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving." Elizabeth said.

"Indeed." Yukari said. "I'm sure you all know this, but I'll emphasize it to be sure. Failure is not an option here. This is do or die time in the most literal sense. The fate of the universe is up to all of you."

The group collectively nodded their heads. "Leave it to us." Aurora said.

Marcus looked down at Emma. "You stay here, Emma. You'll be safe here."

"You too, Kimiko." Sarah added.

"No way!" Emma argued. "There's no way we're staying here!"

"That's right!" Kimiko said in agreement. "We want to help too!"

"Absolutely not. It's way too dangerous." Marcus told the two.

"Even if you tell us to stay here, we'll go on our own!" Emma told them. "We can fight too! Please!"

"We can't just stand around with everything that's going on!" Kimiko said.

Marcus let out a sigh. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Why not just bring them along with us?" Anthony suggested.

"Are you crazy?!" Sarah said. "What if-"

"Look, I get that you're worried. But if we just leave them here, who knows what they'll end up doing. At least if they come along they'll have all of us there to keep them safe." Anthony said. "Besides, they're both at least decent when it comes to cardfighting. We've seen it firsthand."

"Please Marcus!" Emma begged. "We want to help!"

Marcus and Sarah glanced at each other. They both knew that with everything going on, there was no time to argue about this. And they both knew how stubborn Emma and Kimiko could be when they wanted.

"Fine." Marcus said. "But you have to do _exactly_ what we say. Got it?"

Emma and Kimiko both nodded their heads. "We promise."

"Good luck. And whatever happens, make it back alive." Yukari told them.

* * *

No one had actually ever seen Jasmine or Keiko drive before. But both of the idols assured they were plenty skilled enough to get everyone there safe while eluding Purgatory's goons. Through the drive to their destination, Yukari instructed both girls on the route to take based on satellite imaging of the streets. And Jasmine and Keiko had indeed managed to evade most of the clustered hordes of Purgatory's members.

That didn't mean the drive there was necessarily pleasant.

"Where the hell did you get your license?!" Anthony shouted as he watched his life flash before his eyes yet another time as Keiko made a sharp turn.

"If you think you can do a better job driving while evading attacks from units, then feel free to do so." Keiko retorted. "Otherwise, just sit tight and try not to hurl."

"Please don't mention hurling." Sophia complained, her stomach feeling a little queasy.

After another few blocks, the car came to a screeching halt. Aurora and the others groaned in discomfort, but were relieved that they had finally made it. Jasmine's car pulled up right next to them immediately after.

Getting out of the car, everyone looked at the tall building standing before them. It was hard to tell just how many floors there were to it. But at least they didn't have to climb the building by car.

"Alright, let's move!" Aurora said.

Everyone quickly ran towards the building. However, as they did, multiple figures came out of hiding. They weren't wearing hoods like the Purgatory grunts they had seen around the streets. But they each had a distant look in their eyes.

"Fighters from the Euro League." William said, recognizing some of them. "Seems Roman was busy."

"Some of them don't really seem fully there though." Rose pointed out. She pointed to a few people who seemed almost lifeless. Like puppets that could do nothing but move.

"Isabelle. She turned all these people into her dolls." Sophia realized.

"Well there's a ton of them. And they don't seem keen on letting us through." Dan said.

"Then let's make a path!" Daiki said. "Come! Arboros!"

At Daiki's call, Arboros Dragon, Yggdrasil emerged and roared. It fired a blast that took out several of the units near the enslaved humans. As the units disappeared, the people fell unconscious.

"Take out the units and the people they're using as catalysts go down too. Simple enough." Elizabeth said.

"Uhh… guys?" Sarah said, looking behind them. "I don't suppose all of them are on our side, do you?"

Everyone turned and widened their eyes. Purgatory grunts were all making their way to the building. And with them cutting off their exit route, there was no way to escape.

"Damnit." Allen said. "What do we do?"

"There's no helping it." Marcus said. "Some of us will have to stay behind to hold them off."

"That's likely our best bet." Jasmine agreed. "We need to decide who will be entering the building in that case."

"But we can't just leave the rest of you out here alone!" Sophia said. "There's too many of them!"

"Sophia." Aurora said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel. But this is our only option. We have to trust those that stay behind can handle them."

"Heh, don't worry. These losers aren't anything special." Mai smirked.

"So…" Daiki said. "How are we deciding who to send?"

Everyone looked at each other. It was hard to choose. Go in and stop the source. Or stay here and keep everyone safe.

"Elizabeth. Rose. You two go." William said, stepping forward. "I'll stay here."

The two girls widened their eyes. Elizabeth would have thought William would be one of the people to send inside. "William?"

"You both have a score to settle with one of Purgatory's Seven Lords, right?" William said. "In that case, you should go. It's likely all seven of them are in there."

"That's true…" Aurora said, realizing William was likely right.

Marcus stood next to William. "Sarah. Go."

"Marcus?"

"You need to settle things with Yuri, don't you?" he said. "I'll leave her to you."

"Let me go too." Sophia said. "If Isabelle's in there, I need to see her."

Amy looked at Allen. "I'll stay here. You should go."

"But Amy-"

"No buts. You're strength is going to be needed in there." she told him. She turned around and stood with William and the others. "I'll stay here and make sure they don't get anywhere near you."

Jasmine turned to look to Aurora, Dan, and Anthony. "You should also go. You three are the ones that won the World Tournament. If anyone's suited to fight the battles that will happen in there, it's you three."

The chosen group glanced at each other. Eight people in total. It wasn't very big but they couldn't afford to leave the others any more shorthanded outside dealing with the army of grunts.

"Good luck, everyone." Aurora said. "Be safe."

"Don't you worry about us." Marcus said. "Just hurry up and get going."

Sarah lowered her head. The only likely reason Marcus was able to trust her to fight Yuri was because he thought she had Cross Stride. But she didn't. She had been lying to them all. "Marcus… I…"

"You don't need to say anything Sarah." Marcus told her. "I know."

Sarah widened her eyes. ' _Wait… Is he saying he-'_

"I've known you for years, remember. I know when you're keeping something from me." he said. "But despite that, you still want to fight Yuri again, right?"

Sarah nodded her head. "I do."

"Then go and do what you need to do." Marcus said. He turned his head to look at her. "Just promise me you'll come back in one piece."

"Marcus…" Sarah muttered. She steeled her resolve and nodded. "I will. I swear it."

With that, the eight fighters all looked at each other and nodded together, knowing what they had to do.

"Let's go, everyone." Aurora said.

The group all rushed towards the door of the building. Others tried to intercept them, but those that stayed behind quickly blocked their path.

"You should be focusing on us." William said. "Because the only way you're getting to them is through all of us."

"Let's do this." Marcus said.

"Right!" everyone shouted in unison.

* * *

Aurora and the others walked through the front entrance of the building. The inside was rather impressive. A wide open space, and stairs leading to a higher area. One would never think this was the base of an underground cult.

"Alright, so where do we go?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well if I had to guess, I'm guessing we should head towards the top floor." Anthony said. "That's a classic final boss location."

"It's the most likely place, given it'd be the furthest away from here." Aurora said. "Let's get moving."

"Well, well, what do we have here? So many familiar faces."

The sudden voice caused everyone to quickly look towards the upper level. Sitting on the railing and looking down at them was a male teen with red hair. They all widened their eyes as they recognized who it was.

Keith Ashton. Allen and Amy's teammate from Team Apocalypse.

Keith smirked as he looked at the group. "Bet you weren't expecting to see me."

 **Aurora: You've got to be kidding me! YOU'RE with Purgatory too?!**

 **Keith: Hey, a job's a job. Now who will I be fighting?**

 **Rose: Great. The end of the world is knocking at our doorstep and we have to deal with this.**

 **Allen: I was the leader of Team Apocalypse. Guess it's up to me to put my former teammate in line.**

 **Next time: The Emperor's Will**

 **Card Gallery:**

Angel of Reborn Sabre, Rachel  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **Rescue 1 AUTO VC:** [CB1] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay cost. If you do, choose your Vanguard and it gets **(AUTO 1/Turn: When your card is put from the damage zone to the drop zone, you may call that card to RC.)**. Then, heal a damage, choose your Vanguard and deal one damage to it.  
 **AUTO VC GB2:** When a card is placed in your damage zone, your front row units get +1000 power until end of turn. Then, if it was placed their due to your Rescue ability, this unit gets +2000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Conquest Seraph, Rachel  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Rescue X AUTO VC:** [CB1, SB1 & Flip a card in G Zone face up]. When this unit attacks, if you have a heart card with the Rescue ability, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose cards from your damage zone up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone +1, and call them to separate RCs. Then, deal your Vanguard damage equal to the number of units called.  
 **AUTO VC GB3:** When your card is put into your damage zone due to your Rescue ability, choose 1 normal unit and one trigger unit each from your drop zone. If you selected 2 cards, send them to the bottom of your deck, and shuffle your deck.

* * *

Black Glow, Azrail  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 **AUTO:** Forerunner  
 **ACT RC GB1:** [CB1 & Send this unit to your soul]. Choose a card in your damage zone and put it into your drop zone. Then, search your deck for up to one card and place it in your damage zone face up.


	96. The Emperor's Will

**A/N: Surprise readers! Time for another 5 chapter week special! It's gonna be one battle after another against Purgatory! Hope you all enjoy it.**

The sight of Keith Ashton, the third member of Team Apocalypse from the World Tournament was a sight none of them had been expecting. Ever since the World Tournament had ended, he had vanished. Even Allen and Amy hadn't know where he was or what he was doing.

"What are you doing here, Keith?" Allen asked.

"What do you think? I'm working for Purgatory of course." Keith said.

"Are you insane?! They plan to destroy the world, you idiot!" Elizabeth shouted.

"You guys really are fools, aren't you?" Keith said with a chuckle. "Always failing to see the big picture. Anyway, enough talk. I have a job to do." He pointed down at Allen. "Get up here Allen. Fight me."

Allen wasted no time in stepping forward. "Fine then. Let's do this."

"Glad to hear you're so understanding." Keith smirked. "The rest of you can follow the path through the open door down on your floor. You'll find what you're looking for if you go that way."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "And why should we trust you?"

"Hey, my only job is dealing with Allen. Whether you want to believe me or not is up to you." Keith shrugged.

"What should we do?" Rose asked. "Do we trust him?"

"Do as he says." Allen said.

"Allen?"

"Keith is a lot of things. But he's not the type to send people on a wild goose chase." Allen told them. "Besides, it's not like we have any other leads as to where to go."

None of them could deny Allen's point. So they opted to go along with it and hurried on through the open door available to them. The only ones left were Allen and Keith.

Keith leaned back and got off the railing he was sitting on. He motioned for Allen to follow him. "This way. We'll be fighting over here."

Allen walked up the nearby stairs up to the higher area where Keith was and followed him into a room. The only things there were Keith and a Vanguard fight table. Once Allen was far enough inside, the doors closed behind him.

"There. Now we won't be interrupted." Keith said. "If you want out of this room, you're gonna have to beat me first."

"You sure sound confident." Allen said. "Don't forget I was leader of Team Apocalypse."

"Big deal. You think I haven't gotten any stronger either?" Keith asked. "Mercenary work keeps a guy's skills sharp."

"So why don't you explain why you're working for Purgatory?" Allen asked. "I know you. The only reason you'd do this is for some sort of payjob. But if the world is destroyed, any type of reward you'd get is useless. You must have a different agenda."

Keith sighed and shook his head. "You just don't get it. You really think the goal here is to have Ragnarok destroy the world?"

Allen narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Most of Purgatory believes that so called "world destruction" story. But the truth is, Purgatory's leader has a different agenda. He's not going to destroy the world. He's going to rule it."

"What?!"

"Think about it. Having a power like Ragnarok at your side. You can do anything. Of course society is going to need a little uprooting first." Keith said. "Hey, I was pretty shocked too. But once he explained things to me, things became pretty clear."

"And I'm guessing you got promised a seat of power in return?"

"Bingo. Their leader hired me to deal with you, since I have plenty of knowledge about Conquest Empire from being on your team." Keith smirked. "You don't have to worry about telling anyone though. Because everything ends for you here in this room."

"We'll see." Allen said, placing his deck down on the table. "Now let's do this."

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Keith grinned, doing the same thing.

The two shouted to start the fight. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco!"

 **Imperial Flag Bearer, Marco**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Lizard Champion, Conroe!"

 **Lizard Champion, Conroe**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the game began, Allen saw both Conroe and Marco appear at their side. It was likely this was going to be another fight where damage was real.

"I'll be starting things off for us." Keith said. "Ride! Flame of Passion, Aermo!"

 **Flame of Passion, Aermo**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conroe moves back with forerunner. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Allen(5), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Ride! Inspired Young Knight!"

 **Inspired Young Knight**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Marco moves back." Allen said. "And now I attack with my Vanguard, boosted by Marco!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Keith said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(0), Keith(1).]**

"Ngh." Allen noticed Keith wince as the card went into his damage zone. "So it really is true about us taking real damage, huh? Never felt pain this way before."

"You're seriously willing to go this far, huh?"

"Hey, it's not like a high stakes cardfight is new to me. I've been in underground fights before where they make you feel pain from taking damage. This is just another way for it to happen." Keith said.

"Turn end." Allen said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Allen(6), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "Ride! Dragon Knight Captain, Nehalem!"

 **Dragon Knight Captain, Nehalem**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I think I'll go ahead and call Glow Heater Dragon next." Keith said. "Glow Heater's skill. I reveal Dragonic Overlord, The Destiny in my hand. Since I did, there's no power loss."

' _Going on the offensive early. And with his clan's retire skills, I can't call my units out recklessly.'_ Allen thought.

"Glow Heater, attack!"

 **(10000)**

"Guard!" Allen said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Nehalem and Conroe, get him!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(1), Keith(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Keith said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Allen(5), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Ride! Piercing Bullet Sniper!"

 **Piercing Bullet Sniper**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"With a boost from Marco, Sniper takes aim at your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Keith said.

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Keith said, letting two cards fall into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Allen(1), Keith(3).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Allen(6), Keith(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "You know, I gotta say I was surprised to hear about you playing hero and trying to save the world, considering what you were like last time we met."

"I'm different than I was before." Allen said. "You on the other hand seem the same as always."

"Oh stuff it. You think just because you're here to help erases what you did." Keith said. "Sorry to tell you Allen, but the world isn't such a happy go lucky place. It's cruel and unforgiving. People will treat you like garbage at every turn. It's only those who can claim power that survive in this world."

"The way you talk makes it sound like you're speaking from experience."

"Heh, maybe I am." Keith said. "But enough talk. It's time for you to burn. Watch as the flames of hell swallow you up completely! Ride! Dragonic Overlord, The Destiny!"

 **Dragonic Overlord, The Destiny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Overlord's skill. Soul blast." Keith said. "I retire Marco."

Allen watched as a pillar of flames engulfed his rear guard, burning it to ash. He couldn't say he hadn't seen it coming, considering who he was facing.

"Glow Heater, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(10000)**

"Guard!" Allen said, holding up a card from his hand.

"The Destiny attacks with a boost from Conroe!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Tch. Damage check." Allen said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(3), Keith(3).]**

"Turn end." Keith said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Allen(5), Keith(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "Warrior of the reborn empire! Appear now and lead my forces to victory! Crush all that stand in the way of your goal! Ride! Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander!"

 **Imperial Reborn Hero, Alexander**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Here goes! Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Offensive Rush Martial, Atilla!"

 **Offensive Rush Martial, Atilla**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire your front row Glow Heater Dragon! Then I call Noble Swordsman, Roberto from my hand to Conquer it! Add 5000 power to Roberto and the Vanguard until end of turn!" Allen explained. "Roberto's skill. When he Conquers, he gets 5000 power until end of turn. Next, I call Imperial Analyst and Inspired Young Knight! I retire Analyst and use her skill! Now for the rest of this turn, whenever I Conquer, I get to draw. And since you have nothing in your other front row circle, I'll have Inspired Young Knight Conquer. I draw since I Conquered. Then, I use Inspired Young Knight's skill to soul blast and add 10000 power to it."

"Conquer the enemy field and profit off of it with skills. You haven't changed." Keith said with a grin. "If you don't have any new tricks, this job will be easier than I thought."

"Oh I think you'll see there's plenty different about me and my cards." Allen said. "Inspired Young Knight attacks!"

 **(7000+10000=17000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(3), Keith(4).]**

"Roberto attacks next!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Generation guard! Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin!"

 **Flame Wing Steel Beast, Denial Griffin**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Denial Griffin's skill! Counterblast! I retire the attacking Roberto!"

"Atilla attacks!" Allen declared. "Atilla's skill! I move back my Conquering Inspired Young Knight to my front row! Then, I call Roberto and Lisanna from my hand! These two are treated as Conquering the rear guard once again! Roberto's skill adds 5000 power while Lisanna's skill lets me counterblast and call a copy of her out! Both Lisanna's gain 3000 power! Then, I draw twice since I Conquered two more times!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Keith called out, throwing down his sentinel.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Roberto! Third check, no trigger." Allen said. "And now my Lisanna on my field attacks!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I recover one."

 **[Damage: Allen(3), Keith(4).]**

' _My other Lisanna can't hit him anymore now. She doesn't have enough power.'_ Allen thought. "Roberto, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Guard!" Keith said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Turn end." Allen said. "With Roberto's skill, I countercharge."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Allen(6), Keith(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Keith said. "Well Allen, I'll admit that was mildly interesting. But now it's time to remind you why I have such a good reputation for my job. The Destiny's soul blast. I retire Roberto." Keith watched the rear guard go up in smoke and smirked. "Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord, the Purge!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord The Purge**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Retire the Conquering Lisanna. Then I check the top seven cards of the deck for an Overlord and add it to my hand." Keith said. "Adding Dragonic Overlord, The End. Then I use Conroe's skill. I send him to the soul, search my deck for an Overlord, and add it to my hand. I add The Destiny. Then I reveal Dragonic Overlord, The End in my hand. Since it's an Overlord with a different name than the card added, I countercharge and soul charge. Finally, I use the skill of The Purge. I send The End from my hand to the soul. One damage to the opponent."

Allen turned the top card of his deck over. It showed a trigger, but it wouldn't activate due to the ability of The Purge.

 **[Damage: Allen(4), Keith(4).]**

"I call Burning Horn Evolute and Dragon Knight Captain, Nehalem." Keith said, putting his rear guards in the back row. "With Nehalem's skill, I soul blast and retire your other Lisanna. Nehalem gains 5000 power, and then another 7000 since I have an Overlord Vanguard."

' _With his rear guards staying in the back row, he can attack while preventing me from re-Conquering next turn.'_ Allen thought. ' _Keith certainly knows how to fight Conquest Empire. Now if only he wasn't an enemy right now.'_

"Go Nehalem! Attack!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard." Allen said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(5), Keith(4).]**

"The Purge attacks the Vanguard!" Keith called out. "The Purge's Generation Break 3! My drive checks are equal to your damage, meaning I get five!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard! Commander of the Iron Fortress, Klaus!"

 **Commander of the Iron Fortress, Klaus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Klaus! Add 10000 to the shield for each Conquered rear guard circle! That means an extra 20000!" Allen said. "Seems letting your field stay Conquered has its downsides too."

"Big deal! I still have five drive checks!" Keith said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Evolute! Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, no trigger. Fifth check, critical trigger! All effects to Evolute once again! And now Evolute will attack the Vanguard! With its skill, it gains an extra 2000 power for every damage you have!"

 **(9000+10000+5000+5000=29000)**

"Perfect guard!" Allen said, holding a car up from his hand.

"Turn end." Keith said.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Allen(3), Keith(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. ' _With Keith's Kagero units, my field gets burned to a crisp when his turn rolls around. So I need to try and hit him hard while I still can.'_

"Here we go! Stride Generation!" Allen called out. "Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander!"

 **Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

With none of Keith's rear guards in his front row, there was little need to waste a counterblast for the stride skill. So Allen went straight calling out his formation. "I call Piercing Bullet Sniper and Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army to the Conquered rear guard circles! Then, I activate Alexander's skill! Counterblast! My Vanguard gains 2 different skills, giving all of my rear guards a continuous extra 5000 power, and 5000 power to my Vanguard for each of my rear guards! Then, I get to draw until I have five cards in my hand!" With his hand refreshed, Allen took a look at his options. "I call New Age Knight, Lucas and Inspired Young Knight!"

Keith grit his teeth. A refreshed hand allowed Allen to rebuild the formation he had spent last turn destroying. There wasn't much else for him to do now though except do what he could to live through the turn. As long as he could do that, then the game would be his.

"Inspired Young Knight attacks with a boost from Lucas!"

 **(7000+5000+7000+5000=24000)**

"No guard." Keith said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(5), Keith(5).]**

"Alexander attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+20000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Piercing Bullet Sniper and I recover one damage! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army!" Allen said.

 **[Damage: Allen(4), Keith(5).]**

"Go Piercing Bullet Sniper! Attack!"

 **(9000+5000+5000=19000)**

"Intercept with Glow Heater and Nehalem!"

"Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army, attack!"

 **(11000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!" Keith said, quickly holding up two cards from his hand.

"Turn end…" Allen said begrudgingly.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Allen(6), Keith(3).]**

"Stand and draw. Using the soul blast of The Destiny, I retire Dragon Knight of the Imperial Army." Keith said. He smirked at his opponent. "Heh, guess it's time to finish you off Demacio. Nothing personal. It's just business." He took a card from his hand and discarded it. "Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord The Ace!"

 **Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord The Ace**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire Piercing Bullet Sniper! Then, I check the top seven cards of the deck!" Keith said. "Adding Dragonic Overlord, The X to my hand! And now I activate the skill of The Ace! I counterblast 2 cards, and The Ace loses a drive and gains a skill! At the end of the battle where it attacks, I can restand it with 5000 extra power by discarding 2 cards from my hand so long as one of them is an Overlord! I now activate the skill one more time!"

' _In other words, he only has one drive check for his attacks, but he gets 3 attacks with his Vanguard.'_ Allen thought.

"Calling Lizard General, Conroe. Then I retire him and give a skill to my Vanguard, letting me countercharge twice whenever my Vanguard attacks." Keith explained. "Let's start with attack number one, shall we?!"

 **(26000)**

Allen looked at his hand. It was a risky play, but if Keith only had one drive check, then he would have to bet on those odds. "No guard."

Keith smirked. One critical trigger and he would put Allen to six damage and win. "Drive check… draw trigger. Power to The Ace and I draw."

Allen let out a sigh of relief. But he wasn't out of the woods yet. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Allen(5), Keith(5).]**

"With the skill of The Ace, I discard The X, and another card from my hand to restand The Ace with 5000 more power." Keith said. "And now it's time for the second attack!"

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Imperial Guardian, Nerokius!"

 **Imperial Guardian, Nerokius**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Nerokius! I move Inspired Young Knight on my rear guard to the guardian circle! Add 5000 to the shield!" Allen said. "On top of that, I add on Death-scope Sharpshooter from my hand!"

"Drive check. No trigger." Keith said. "Using the skill once again, I discard The Destiny and another card from my hand to stand my Vanguard with an extra 5000 power!"

It all came down to one last attack. Would Allen block it or would Keith push through. The entire match would likely be decided with this one moment. But to Keith's surprise, he didn't feel worried. Instead… he felt excited.

' _Why do I feel like this? This rush.'_ Keith thought to himself. ' _I can't seriously be… enjoying this fight? Can I?'_

"What's wrong? You still have one attack left." Allen said. "Show me what you've got."

Keith shook the thoughts out of his head. He couldn't lose sight of his goal. "The Ace attacks!"

 **(26000+5000+5000+5000=41000)**

"Finish him!" Keith shouted.

As the stream of fire came his way, Allen held up a card from his hand. "Shield Arms, Terra! Perfect guard!"

"What?!" Keith gasped. He clenched his fist in frustration. "Drive check… no trigger." He let out a sigh. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Allen(2), Keith(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Allen said. "You know, there was a time where I almost hated Vanguard."

Keith raised a brow at this. "So what?"

"No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't win. I hated that weak version of myself. But no matter how low I fell, I couldn't bring myself to hate Vanguard. Because I felt something when playing it." Allen said as he thought back reminiscently. "It seems what I was really missing was my true clan. And I found it with Conquest Empire." The teen look Keith in the eyes. "Vanguard has to mean something to you too. More than just a way to earn money."

"Don't give me that crap!" Keith shouted. "You're just afraid to go back to that old weak self of yours! You can't just throw your past under a rug and expect it to be gone forever! I refuse to lose to something as shallow as that!"

"Whoever said I would try and erase my past?" Allen asked. "I can't get rid of the things I did. But I found people that helped me change. People that accepted me despite the things I did." A fierce determination burned in his eyes. "And that's why I won't let their faith in me go to waste!"

Keith widened his eyes as a light emitted from Allen's G Zone. "What's going on?!"

"I'll face my past and create my future." Allen said. From his G Zone, his four copies of Alexander's stride form came up and hovered in front of him. "Here goes! I discard a card with the same name as my Vanguard and remove my four copies of Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander from the game!"

Keith couldn't believe his eyes as a light shot up from Allen's G Zone. A card appeared out of nowhere and fell into Allen's hand. "What are you doing?!"

"Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride!" Allen shouted. "Universal Emperor of Eternity, Alexander!"

 **Universal Emperor of Eternity, Alexander**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

Keith gasped as the new Alexander appeared. His armor looked even stronger and more royal-like than before. His sword had also changed, becoming a massive buster sword that was almost as tall as himself. He stood firmly on his armored dragon, ready to fight.

' _What the hell is this?! He called this thing Cross Stride?!'_ Keith thought to himself.

"I call Duplication Mage, Lisanna and Imperial Analyst!" Allen declared. "I move Lisanna and Lucas up to your front row!"

' _Two Conquering rear guards, and a rear guard to boost his Vanguard.'_ Keith thought. ' _Damn. And my hand is nearly shot after last turn.'_

"Alexander's skill! All of my Conquering rear guards get 5000 power and an extra critical!"

"What?!"

"Go Lucas! Attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"Guard!" Keith said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Alexander, attack!"

 **(36000)**

"Like I'll let that stop me! Generation guard!" Keith shouted. "Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam!"

 **Divine Dragon Knight, Abd Salam**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Abd Salam! Counterblast! Then, I add 10000 to the shield for each of your empty rear guard circles! And I count four, meaning 40000 to the shield!" Keith said. "Let's see you break through that!"

"Triple drive." Allen said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

Keith looked at his hand. He had a single grade 1 in it. If Allen didn't pull a trigger with this next check, he could guard and survive.

"Third check… critical trigger." Allen said. "All effects to the Vanguard."

"To the Vanguard?!" Keith gasped. "But that means-"

"Alexander's skill! At the end of the battle he attacked, I can counterblast and soul blast! Then, Alexander restands with drive minus 3!" Allen said. "However, he gains 5000 power for every allied rear guard on my field and 10000 power for every allied rear guard on my opponent's field!"

"No way!"

"Now fall! Bow before the king of the mighty Conquest Empire!" Allen shouted. "Alexander attacks!"

 **(36000+5000+25000=66000)**

"No guard…" Keith said.

Alexander held his blade up as it glowed. He then swung it down with all his might as it crashed down on Keith's Vanguard.

 **[Damage: Allen(5), Keith(6).]**

"Ugh… damnit…" Keith grunted as he fell to one knee, the damage from the fight getting to him. "I can't believe I lost to you. So much for living the good life after Ryo takes over the world."

Allen tried to catch his breath, also needing to recover from the fight. "You know Keith… this war hasn't ended just yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You failed your mission to beat me. That means you don't get your payment." Allen told him. "So tell me, is Purgatory winning this fight really the better situation for you anymore?"

Keith narrowed his eyes. "You seriously want me to fight on your side now?"

"I won't tell you what to do. That's for you to decide." Allen said as he turned to walk out of the room now that the doors were unlocked. "I've decided my future. It's up to you to choose yours."

Keith watched as Allen left the room. He looked down at the floor. "Decide my own future, huh? Never thought I'd hear you giving me a motivational speech." he muttered.

* * *

"Take 'em out Llew!" William called out. The knight leaped in and cut down another enemy. Having the strength drained from him, yet another enemy collapsed.

"They just keep coming, damnit." Daiki said.

"There's nothing we can do about it though." Jasmine said. "We simply need to trust in those inside the building."

"That's right. They're the ones handling the hard part. Compared to the fights they're probably in, this is nothing!" Marcus said, having Dragonic Blademaster burn away even more enemies.

"Just get lost already, you annoying flies!" Mai yelled, having her own avatar attack. Her stamina was reaching its limit though as she fell to one knee.

"Mai, look out!" Keiko called out, seeing an enemy unit come at her.

Mai gasped as the unit came at her. But before it could reach her, a sudden stream of flames appeared and sent the unit flying. All heads turned towards the entrance to the building where the attack had come from. They all widened their eyes to see Keith Ashton standing, ready to fight.

"Keith?!" Amy gasped.

"Yeah, yeah. Save the pleasantries for later." Keith said as he waved off their surprise. "Consider yourselves lucky. You caught me in a rather good mood. So I'll help you out free of charge this one time."

"Traitor!" one of the Purgatory grunts called out. "You dare turn on the great Master Ryo?!"

"Don't act that surprised. I'm a mercenary. My loyalty is wherever the payout is the greatest." Keith said. "Besides, the whole dystopian future thing isn't my ideal setting. So you and your dumb cult can stuff it." He smirked as Dragonic Overlord appeared at his side. "Burn them to ash! Give them a taste of the flames of the apocalypse!"

Dragonic Overlord's attack blasted away a swarm of enemies, giving the others a short few seconds to rest. Amy watched as Keith walked over to their side. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"What am I doing?" Keith said. "Well I guess you could say… I'm deciding my own future."

 **Elizabeth: Well that's one enemy out of the way.**

 **Dan: Yeah, but we still have the Seven Lords of Purgatory to deal with.**

 **Sarah: This is gonna get ugly real quick.**

 **Rose: I think I recognize which one of them is first. Seems it's my turn to fight.**

 **Next time: Deadly Beauty**

 **Card Gallery:**

Lizard Champion, Conroe  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 **ACT RC:** [Put this unit into soul]. Search your deck for up to one card with "Overlord" in its name and add it to your hand. Then, you may reveal a card in your hand. If that card has "Overlord" in its name, and has a different name than the card you added to your hand with this skill, CC1/SC1.

* * *

Flame of Passion, Aermo  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [CB1 & Send this card to your soul]. When your Vanguard with "Overlord" in its name attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card, choose one of your opponent's rear guards, and retire it.  
 **AUTO [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE into a card with "Overlord" in its name, this card gets grade +2.

* * *

Dragon Knight Captain, Nehalem  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Vanguard with "Overlord" in its name, this unit gets +7000 power.  
 **AUTO GB1:** [SB1] When this card is placed on RC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear guards, retire it, and this unit gets +5000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Universal Emperor of Eternity, Alexander  
Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Imperial Cosmic Emperor, Alexander):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **CONT VC: Conquer  
** **CONT VC:** All of your Conquering rear guards get +5000 power and +1 critical.  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & SB1] After the battle where this unit attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, Stand this unit with drive -3. This unit's lost drive decreases by 1 for every 2 rear guards on your field. Then, this unit gets +5000 power for each of your rear guards on your field and +10000 power for each of your rear guards on your opponent's field.

* * *

Commander of the Iron Fortress, Klaus  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on GC, this unit gains +10000 shield for each of your opponent's "Conquered" rear guard circles.


	97. Deadly Beauty

**A/N: Here we go readers! Day 2! Enjoy!**

The streets of France were in chaos. Ever since Purgatory had begun their attack worldwide, nearly every place had become like this. But it was truly tragic to see the once beautiful streets of France's most famous city to be filled with terror and destruction.

"Mommy! Somebody! Help!" a little girl cried as she ran away from the legion of Purgatory members and cardfighters who were under the cult's control. As she ran, she tripped over some debris and fell down, scraping her knee on the pavement of the street.

The sounds of footsteps caused the girl to turn her head, eyes widening in fear when she saw those that she had been running from closing in on her slowly. Odd creatures she had never seen before that seemed to be on the side of these evil people lunged at her.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Not today!"

Before the unit could reach the little girl, a female knight appeared out of nowhere and repelled the enemy. The unit fell back to put some distance between them.

"You're not getting away!"

In that instant, a blast of magic came and slammed into the unit, taking it out in an instant. The little girl turned towards where the attack had come from to see who had saved her life. Standing on the streets, she saw a pair of females. One had long blonde hair, while the other had curly black hair, each wearing rather pretty clothes. Iris LeBlanc and Juliet Noir of the World Tournament's Team Beautiful Thorn.

"You know, attacking a helpless child is far from what I'd call beautiful." Iris said. "Perhaps we need to teach them proper etiquette. Don't you think so Juliet?"

"Indeed." Juliet agreed. "Now let's do this."

The group of Purgatory members all attacked. But the duo of Illusion Weaving Witch, Fianna and Warm Hearted Jewel Knight, Elaine leaped in and took them out quickly.

The little girl got up and ran over to the two women. "Th-thank you for saving me."

"Don't mention it." Iris said with a warm smile. "Now hurry along. We'll take care of these guys."

The girl nodded her head and took off running. Iris and Juliet turned their attention back to the disaster at hand.

"Of all the times for Rose to be out of the country." Juliet said. "We could use her help."

"If this is happening all over though, then perhaps she is fighting as well wherever she is." Iris pointed out.

"You may be right." Juliet nodded. "Wherever she is… I hope she's safe."

* * *

Aurora and everyone ran through the headquarters of Purgatory. The path Keith led them towards had brought them to an elevator, but it was inoperational, likely to prevent any unwanted guests like them to go straight to the top floor. It did confirm however that up was likely the way to go. Thankfully there were stairs near the elevator, so they a way to keep going.

"Geez, how many stairs are we gonna have to climb?" Anthony asked in annoyance. "We're kinda on a time limit."

"Complaining about it won't get us anywhere. We just have to grin and bear it." Elizabeth said.

"She's right. We need to keep moving." Sarah agreed.

The group continued their climb. They weren't sure how many floors they had climbed but they eventually reached an end. It was far too early for it to be the top floor though, which raised suspicion.

"Why do the stairs stop there?" Aurora questioned, seeing the end upwards.

"No point in wondering about it. We'll find out soon enough." Dan said.

After running up to the highest floor they could go to, the group burst through the door. They found themselves in a long hallway. And standing there to greet them was a face that Rose recognized.

"Took you all long enough." Laura smirked.

"Laura…" Rose glared.

"I was so worried you weren't coming Rosie." Laura said with a sarcastic look of concern. "But now that you're here, I can finally finish you once and for all."

"You honestly think you can stop all of us? Get real." Aurora said.

To their surprise, Laura simply pointed further down the hallway behind her. "Stairs are that way for the rest of you second rate losers. I only need Rose here."

The group narrowed their eyes. She was really letting all but one of them go without a fight? Granted there was no way for her to stop them all but this still seemed too easy.

"Go on, everyone." Rose said stepping forward. "I'll catch up."

"You sure, Rose? We can still take her altogether." Elizabeth said.

"I'm certain." the french girl assured them. "I have a score to settle with this one."

"Oh before you all leave, there's something I should mention." Laura added. "Turn back now if you don't want to die."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Dan asked.

"Exactly what I said." Laura said. "We're not playing kid games this time around. It's winner take all. Fighting us Purgatory members, you'll be playing with more than victory at hand. As you accumulate damage, your life force gets drained away."

"You've got to be kidding me…" Sarah gasped with widened eyes. "You mean the losers will die?!"

"You got it." Laura said. "We're playing for keeps this time."

This news put the group on edge. None of them were strangers to fighting where the damage could be felt by the players. But fighting with their very lives on the line was something far scarier.

"You're seriously willing to go that far, are you?" Rose asked.

"Naturally. Since I have no intention of losing to someone like you." Laura grinned. "Now the rest of you scram. I have a pest to get rid of."

The others looked to Rose, who nodded her head in confirmation. "Go on. I'll be fine."

"You better meet up with us later, Rose." Elizabeth said.

"Naturally." she assured them. "Now go."

The others nodded and went on ahead, leaving Rose and Laura to themselves. Rose had been wanting a rematch ever since the disaster in France. She would much rather play without such high stakes to themselves, but it was clear they had no choice.

"Let's get started then." Laura said as she waved her arm and a sheet of light appeared in front of each of them.

Both girls placed their decks down and drew their opening hands, beginning the fight with a shout. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Calluna Musketeer, Elma!"

 **Calluna Musketeer, Elma**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Ancient Dragon, Pterakid!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Pterakid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the fight started, Rose watched their location change. Soon, the two of them were standing on a grand stage. Lights beamed down on them as if they were at a concert. People that were likely only conjurations from Laura sat in the crowd, cheering so loudly that it was almost deafening.

"This is my stage, and you're taking up the spotlight." Laura smirked. "So it's time to get rid of you once and for all!"

' _She's really that far gone…'_ Rose realized. "Very well then! Bring it!" The red haired girl drew to start off the game. "I ride! Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca!"

 **Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Elma moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Rose(5), Laura(5).]**

"My turn then." Laura said. "Ride! Ancient Dragon, Gattlingaro!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Gattlingaro**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Pterakid moves back." Laura said. "And with its boost, Gattlingaro attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Laura(0).]**

As the card went into her damage zone, Rose felt a slight dizziness, as if her consciousness had faded slightly. She could only assume it was part of her life force being drained away from the damage, as Laura had mentioned.

"Turn end." Laura said, enjoying the expression of pain on Rose's face.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Rose(5), Laura(6).]**

"Ngh… Stand and draw." Rose said. "Ride! Prunus Serrulata Musketeer, Tessa!"

 **Prunus Serrulata Musketeer, Tessa**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Elma, Tessa attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Laura said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(1), Laura(2).]**

A portion of Laura's strength leaving her was clear to see as she stumbled slightly. But the blonde model was not willing to let this stop her.

"Turn end." Rose said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Rose(6), Laura(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "I ride! Ancient Dragon, Hylaeon Pike!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Hylaeon Pike**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Tyrannobite and Gattlingaro!" Laura said. "Let's start things off with an attack from my Vanguard, boosted by Pterakid!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Rose said.

"Fine by me. Drive check, draw trigger! Power to Tyrannobite and I draw!" Laura said with a smirk. "Seems even lady luck knows which of us is the better one."

"Damage check…" Rose said. She saw the card that came, bringing a grin to her face as she showed it to Laura. "Stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Elma."

"What?!"

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Laura(2).]**

"Don't think one trigger is enough to win the game for you." Rose said. "In any case, your only remaining rear guard that can successfully hit now is Tyrannobite. So what are you waiting for?"

"Grr… Tyrannobite attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up a card from hr hand.

"Turn end." Laura said. She glared at Rose. "Don't get cocky! You just got lucky is all!"

"I remember our last fight well. You planned on using Gattlingaro's skill to retire Pterakid to gain power and then use Pterakid's skill to call another card. Or perhaps instead you would have retired Tyrannobite to revive it with it's skill." Rose said. "However, one simple damage trigger was enough to throw a wrench in all that. You're the one who shouldn't get so cocky, Laura!"

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Rose(5), Laura(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "I still can't understand this, Laura. You're really willing to throw the world in turmoil over some stupid grudge against me?"

"You just don't get it." Laura said with a shake of her head. "You have no idea how hard I worked. How tough it was for me to claw my way to where I am in the modeling industry. I was fine with it though. Because the lights, the attention of the people. It was all on me. It felt so nice to see them worshiping me like a goddess." She then glared at Rose. "But for you?! You just waltzed right in and stole it all! Before long, everyone was talking about you! The beautiful model that was also a world class cardfighter! Do you have any idea how infuriating that was?! To watch people dance in the palm of your hand?!"

"Laura…"

"I hate you! I hate you Rose Orchards!" Laura screamed. "That's why I will erase you from existence! And when everything ends, the world will know who to truly worship!"

Rose clenched her fists. "You're the one who doesn't get it, Laura! Did you really become a model just so you could stand above others?! A reason that shallow?! That's not what model is! It's someone that should become a beacon of light to others! To inspire them to become a better version of themselves!" She took a card from her hand and held it into the air. "Let me show you what true beauty is! Now bloom, my avatar! Ride! Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia!"

 **Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Go Amelia! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Laura(3).]**

"Turn end." Rose said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Rose(7), Laura(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "Dragon from beyond time, awaken and unleash your full power! Ride! Ancient Dragon, Tyrannoverlord!"

 **Ancient Dragon, Tyrannoverlord**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Laura called out. "New Destruction Emperor, Gaia Devastate!"

 **New Destruction Emperor, Gaia Devastate**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I target Tyrannobite! Now whenever a Tyrannobite unit is retired this turn, I get to draw!" Laura explained. "Now I call Ancient Dragon, Nodotank behind my Tyrannobite! And together, they'll launch an attack right at your Vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Laura(3).]**

"Too bad for you! Doesn't seem like a trigger is saving you this time!" Laura said with a smirk. "Gattlingaro attacks! Activating skill! I retire Tyrannobite and add 5000 power to Gattlingaro! Then I counterblast with Tyrannobite's skill to revive him! On top of that, I draw since Tyrannobite was retired, thanks to the stride skill!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"Guard!"

"Then I guess it's time for my Vanguard to attack!" Laura declared. "Gaia Devastate's engorge! I retire Nodotank and Pterakid to activate it! Then, I draw and choose up to two circles for every face up card in my G Zone, which is currently one, and send them to the drop zone! I send Tyrannobite on my field and Elma on your field to the drop zone! Next the skills of the units that were retired! Tyrannobite revives itself with a counterblast! Next, Nodotank's soul blast lets me countercharge and add 4000 power to Tyrannobite! Lastly, Pterakid's counterblast lets me check the top 3 cards of the deck and call an Ancient Dragon to rear guard! I call Dinodile! And since tyrannobite was retired again, I draw."

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger, Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Tyrannobite! And now, let's have Tyrannobite attack once again with a boost from Dinodile!"

 **(9000+4000+5000+4000=22000)**

"Generation guard! Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Tch. Turn end." Laura said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Rose(3), Laura(10).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. ' _Her deck's as ferocious as the last time. I managed to keep her at bay by only taking one damage, but I used up a lot of my hand. I need to turn things back around.'_

"Stride Generation! Magnolia Musketeer, Sakuya!"

 **Magnolia Musketeer, Sakuya**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I look at the top four cards of the deck!" Rose said. "I call Prunus Serrulata Musketeer, Tessa and add Black Rose Musketeer, Verneri to my hand! Next, I activate Daphne's skill! Since I discarded her to stride, I counterblast and check the top four cards of the deck! Calling Cyclamen Musketeer, Favila! Now I call Verneri from my hand! Favila's skill activates, giving herself and Tessa an extra 6000 power and Resist! Next, Tessa's skill gives herself 2000 power and Verneri 4000 power!"

Looking at the Situation, Rose knew she couldn't afford to use up too much of her hand right now with how low it was. She would have to make due with a smaller field to conserve her hand.

"I'll start things off with an attack on Tyrannobite by Favila!"

 **(9000+6000=15000)**

' _She's going for my rear guards to hinder my resources.'_ Laura thought. She could revive Tyrannobite with its skill if she wanted to, but she didn't have any face up damage to pay the cost. "No guard. Tyrannobite is retired."

"Sakuya attacks next!" Rose declared. "Activating skill! I look at the top 7 cards of the deck! Then, I call Musketeer units among them up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone!" As the cards came to her, Rose quickly decided which ones to choose. "I call Pansy Musketeer, Sylvia and Lily of the Valley Musketeer, Rebecca over Favila and Verneri! They both gain 3000 power, and the cards that were called over are sent to the bottom of the deck! Then, Tessa's skill activates, giving them each 4000 power and another 4000 in total to herself! Sylvia's skill then activates, allowing me to call the top card of my deck as long as it's a Musketeer! The top card is Lantana Musketeer, Rozeeta! I call it behind Tessa! Tessa's skill activates once again!"

 **(26000)**

"Don't make me laugh! Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive." Rose said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Tessa and I recover one! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Sylvia!"

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Laura(3).]**

"Sylvia will attack the Vanguard with Rebecca's boost!"

 **(7000+4000+3000+5000+7000+3000+4000=33000)**

"Generation guard! Barrage Giant Cannon, Bullish Primer!"

 **Barrage Giant Cannon, Bullish Primer**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Add 5000 to the shield for each of my open rear guard circles!"

"It's your turn, Tessa!"

 **(9000+8000+6000+5000=28000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(2), Laura(4).]**

"Turn end. With Amelia's skill, I send one of my Musketeers in the drop zone to the bottom of the deck and draw." Rose said. ' _I'm in a good position in terms of damage. But I didn't do much to lower her hand.'_

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Rose(7), Laura(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. "Stride Generation! Super Ancient Dragon, Spinocastle!"

 **Super Ancient Dragon, Spinocastle**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I target Gattlingaro! Now whenever a Gattlingaro is retired this turn, I draw." Laura said. "I activate Dinodile's skill! I send it to the soul and countercharge! I then move Gattlingaro back and call! Ancient Dragons Hylaeon Pike, Dinocrowd, and Iguanagorg!"

The three rear guards quickly appeared on the stage, glaring at Rose. The red haired girl tensed up, knowing each of them were dangerous. Especially the Vanguard Laura had.

"Iguanagorg boosts! Get her rear guard Tessa, Hylaeon Pike!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard. Tessa is retired."

"With Gattlingaro's boost, Dinocrowd attacks! With Dinocrowd's skill, I retire Hylaeon Pike to have it gain 5000 power! Then, with Hylaeon Pike's soul blast, I revive him with 5000 extra power! And thanks to Spinocastle's Generation Break 3, another 10000 power is added to Hylaeon Pike!"

 **(9000+5000+7000=21000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(3), Laura(4).]**

"Hylaeon Pike, time to sink your fangs into her Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+10000=24000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(4).]**

"Spinocastle attacks!" Laura called out. "Skill activated! I retire all four of my rear guards! Since 2 or more were retired, I draw! Since 3 or more were retired, add 10000 power and a critical to the Vanguard! And since 4 or more were retired, I soul charge! Since Gattlingaro was retired, I draw! I then use Hylaeon Pike's soul blast and Iguanagorg's counterblast to revive them! Spinocastle's skill adds 10000 power to both of them!"

 **(26000+10000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Iguanagorg and critical to Hylaeon Pike! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Hylaeon Pike and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(3).]**

"Hylaeon Pike's looking hungry! Take a bite out of Amelia!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+5000=29000)**

"Generation guard! Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero!"

 **Bond Protector Musketeer, Antero**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Antero's soul blast! Add 5000 to the shield!"

"Iguanagorg, get her!"

 **(7000+10000+5000=22000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up a trigger. "Sylvia also intercepts!"

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Rose(3), Laura(9).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. ' _Laura has five face up cards in her G Zone now. Next turn, she'll definitely use her Purgatorial Stride. I need to finish this now.'_

"What's wrong, Rosie? Scared?" Laura teased.

"You wish!" Rose said. "Stride Generation! Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia!"

 **Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Amelia's Generation Break 3! I counterblast and gain a skill!" Rose explained. "Next, stride skill! Look at the top four cards of the deck! I then call Favila and add Blooming Rose Musketeer, Amelia to my hand! Skill of my Vanguard! Add 5000 power to the front row! Next, I move Rozeeta up and call Verneri from my hand! Amelia's skill activates one more time, giving the front row another 5000 power, and Favila's skill adds 6000 power to herself and Rozeeta! Finally, I call Stokesia Musketeer, Daphne! 5000 to the front row once again!"

With that, Rose's field was filled up. She could only hope that this would be enough to clinch her victory. If it didn't, she'd have to deal with Laura's Purgatorial Stride. She needed to avoid that at all costs.

"Here goes! Rozeeta attacks with a boost from Verneri!"

 **(11000+10000+6000+7000+5000=39000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(4).]**

"Daphne lends her support! Go Amelia!" Rose called out. "With Amelia's skill, she gains 10000 power and an extra drive as long as I have at least 5 Musketeer rear guards!"

 **(26000+10000+15000+7000=58000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Favila! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Rozeeta! Final check, no trigger." Rose said. "Go Favila! Attack with a boost from Rebecca!"

 **(9000+6000+15000+5000+7000=42000)**

"Generation guard! Cliff Authority Retainer, Blockade Ganga!"

 **Cliff Authority Retainer, Blockade Ganga**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Blockade Ganga's skill! I retire Iguanagorg! Add 10000 to the shield! Then, I select Hylaeon Pike and grant it a skill to return to my hand if it is retired this turn!" Laura explained. "I then intercept with Hylaeon Pike and guard with Gattlingaro from my hand! With the skill Hylaeon Pike gained from Blockade Ganga, I return it to the hand."

' _Darn! I won't be able to finish her this turn now.'_ Rose thought to herself. "Go Rozeeta! Attack once again!"

 **(11000+10000+6000+5000=32000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(4), Laura(5).]**

"Turn end." Rose said. "Amelia's skill. I send a Musketeer from the drop zone to the bottom of the deck and draw."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Rose(7), Laura(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Laura said. She let out a small chuckle before smirking at Rose. "I've waited a long time for this. I'm going to end this with this next turn, along with your existence."

' _Here it comes.'_

"Time to open the gate to a dark future. I bind five of my G Units face down." A pillar of darkness shot up from Laura's G Zone as a card went to her hand. A wide grin stretched across her face. "You remember this unit Rosie, don't you? It's the same one that defeated you in our last fight."

Rose felt her body tremble slightly. She could never forget that unit. The fear from that day was still etched into her. It's power. How helpless she was. The destruction that occurred afterwards. They were all things she would never forget for as long as she lived.

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Laura called out. "Purgatory Carnivore, Tyrannodoom!"

 **Purgatory Carnivore, Tyrannodoom**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

"Here goes. Call!" Laura said, bringing out five units from her hand. "Hylaeon Pike! Iguanagorg! Nodotank! Titancargo! Tyrannobite! And then I counterblast for Tyrannodoom's skill. All of my rear guards gain the ability to revive when retired."

' _In other words, I have to deal with a minimum of five attacks this turn.'_

"Hylaeon Pike, attack with a boost from Nodotank!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

' _I could wait until after her Vanguard's attack to take a hit, but if she gets 2 criticals then I'll be finished.'_ Rose thought to herself. ' _In which case, I have to take one early rather than late.'_

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Laura(5).]**

"Oh Tyrannobite! Iguanagorg! Go bite her pretty little head off!" Laura called out.

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, holding up a stand trigger from her hand.

"Tyrannodoom, attack!" Laura declared. "Skill of Tyrannodoom! I retire all five of my rear guards! For each one retired, I add 10000 power to my Vanguard and retire one of your rear guards! Say goodbye to those pathetic little flower girls!"

Rose watched as all of the rear guards on the field were obliterated in the blink of an eye by Tyrannodoom. She had nothing left on her field other than her Vanguard.

"There's more! Since 5 or more in total were retired, I add a critical to the Vanguard! And to top it all off, the five rear guards retired now come back to play once again!"

 **(36000+50000=86000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger! Power to Tyrannobite and I draw!" Laura said. "Not that an extra card in my hand will matter since you're already dead this turn! Both figuratively and literally! Hylaeon Pike and Iguanagorg, get her!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Guard!"

"Grr… your struggling ends here! Tyrannobite and Nodotank attack!"

 **(9000+7000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!" Rose said, throwing down two more cards from her hand.

Laura gasped in shock, unable to believe it. "Impossible… There's no way… You shouldn't have survived that!"

"Don't underestimate me." Rose said with a glare. "I told you already I wasn't going to lose."

"Turn end." Laura growled. "You think you're amazing just because of that! There's still no way for you to win this! Not with your empty field and that pathetic hand size!"

 **[Turn 11. Hand: Rose(1), Laura(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Rose said. "You know, I still find it hard to believe. That someone I thought of as a friend and fellow model would be so ugly on the inside."

"Don't you dare patronize me." Laura told her. "I will claw my way to the top. Whatever it takes. And worthless vermin like you will be eliminated."

"You should take a look in the mirror, Laura. Do you even see what you've become?" Rose asked. "Right now, there's nothing beautiful about you. You've gone from one of the world's top models to nothing more than a petty girl."

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Laura screamed. "I will kill you! Your life will end on my next turn!"

"Next turn?" Rose said. "There is no next turn."

"What?"

Rose took one of the two cards in her hand and revealed it. "I discard a card with the same name as the Vanguard. I also remove four copies of Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia from the game."

Laura gasped in shock as the four copies of the Amelia G Unit hovered in front of Rose and a light shot up. "What is this?!"

"Nothing is more beautiful than a flower blooming. You'll see that here and now." Rose said. "Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Rose Heart Musketeer, Amelia Reine!"

 **Rose Heart Musketeer, Amelia Reine**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

"Amelia Reine's skill! When placed, I get to look at the top four cards of the deck! I then call any Musketeers among them that I wish to rear guard!" Rose said.

"What?!" Laura gasped.

"Now is the time! Let the future be filled with flowers ready to bloom into tomorrow!" Rose said. "Call! Rebecca! Alain! Sylvia! Ernst! Next I use Sylvia's skill to call the top card of the deck! Come! Rebecca!"

' _Five rear guards… After I destroyed her field…'_ Laura grit her teeth. ' _No. I can't lose. Not to her. Anyone but her.'_

"Amelia Reine has a continuous skill as well." Rose said. "All Musketeer rear guards gain 5000 power at all times."

"No way!"

"Take this! Here's a double Rebecca attack!"

 **(7000+5000+7000+5000=24000)**

"Guard!" Laura said, holding up two cards from her hand.

"Syliva, you're up next with Alain's boost!"

 **(7000+5000+4000+5000=21000)**

"I guard with Titancargo! In addition, Hylaeon Pike and Tyrannobite intercept!"

"Amelia Reine attacks!" Rose declared. "Skill activated! Counterblast! I look at the top 10 cards of the deck and call any Musketeers among them, up to the number of Musketeer rear guards on my field! I call Amelia, Rozeeta, Daphne, Nikla, and Verneri! Since five or more were called, add 15000 and a critical to Amelia Reine!"

 **(36000+15000=51000)**

Laura trembled in fear. "No… I can't lose to you… I can't die a pathetic death like this…"

"You gave no thought to the lives you would ruin through your ambition." Rose said. "Now pay for your sins! Go Amelia!"

Amelia readied her sword and leaped across the battlefield. She thrusted it forward, driving it into Laura's Vanguard. The dinosaur roared as it vanished into thin air.

 **[Damage: Rose(5), Laura(6).]**

With that, the fight was over and the scenery around them returned to normal. Laura fell to her knees, feeling all her strength leaving her.

"Heh… This is really the end for me isn't it?" Laura said with a pitiful chuckle. "It feels so cold… Why? Why couldn't I grasp the warmth of the spotlight?"

Those words escaped her just as Laura collapsed and laid motionless. Rose struggled to stand, having barely any strength left herself. She managed to bring herself over to the nearby wall and lean against it.

"That's it. I think I've done all I can." Rose said. "It's up to you, everyone. Save this world. I'm counting on you."

 **Anthony: These Purgatory guys really aren't kidding around anymore. Fights with our lives on the line. That's just nuts.**

 **Aurora: Regardless, we have to keep moving. The world will be done for if we don't stop this.**

 **Sophia: Yeah! We can't let Purgatory win!**

 **Sarah: Seems I'm up next then. I'll give it everything I've got.**

 **Next time: Disease of Humanity**

 **Card Gallery:**

Rose Heart Musketeer Captain, Amelia Reine  
Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Rose Garden Musketeer, Amelia):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **AUTO VC:** When placed, look at the top four cards of the deck. Call any cards among them with "Musketeer" in their name to separate open RCs. Then, shuffle the deck.  
 **CONT VC:** All of your rear guards with "Musketeer" in their name get +5000 power.  
 **AUTO VC:** [CB2.] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at the top 10 cards of your deck. Choose cards among them up to the number of rear guards you have with "Musketeer" in their name and call them to separate RCs. Then, if you called 5 or more units, this unit gets +15000 power and +1 critical.


	98. Disease of Humanity

**A/N: Day 3 readers. For this one, and another upcoming chapter, we have some new cards featured outside of fights, but they will still be in the Card Gallery at the end of the chapter nonetheless.**

"I know they're the bad guys and all, but would it of killed them to keep the elevator operational?"

Running up their latest set of stairs, Aurora and her friends hurried as fast as they could. Every second they spent was another second closer to the destruction of the world. Their only hope of stopping Purgatory was by taking them down here and now. They had already been confronted by one of the Seven Lords. But now they could only hope Rose was capable enough to deal with that one.

Before long, Aurora could see the end of the stairs. It led right to a door. She pointed it out to her friends. "Over there."

"Careful. There might be another one of those creeps waiting for us on the other end of that door." Elizabeth warned.

Once they got to the door, the group all readied themselves. They burst through the door, but no one was around to greet them. There was no one else in sight.

"Well at least we don't have anyone getting in our way this time." Anthony said. "But where do we go from here?"

"We're just going to have to search the floor for another way up." Aurora said.

The group hurried on and looked around, going to each door they found and hoping for an elevator or set of stairs. But as the search went on, they found nothing but empty rooms.

"This is ridiculous. How big is this place?" Dan asked.

"I'm surprised no one's come to try and stop us." Sophia added.

"Yeah it is weird." Sarah agreed. She continued walking before stumbling slightly. "W-Woah!"

"You alright, Sar-..." Aurora was cut off as she suddenly felt lightheaded. "What's… going on?"

Sarah noticed the others starting to get somewhat wobbly as well. She didn't understand what was happening. But then it suddenly hit her as she widened her eyes in fear. "It's gas! Don't breathe it in!"

"Gas?" Elizabeth asked. She didn't fully get it, but quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand. The others did the same.

"It's Yuri. This is her power. If you breathe in enough of the gas, you fall into a coma." Sarah explained as she covered her mouth. "We need to run. Now."

Nobody needed to be told twice as they quickly hurried away from the vent. They ran down the hall, trying to shake off the effects of the gas. Sarah soon noticed a sign on a door nearby that seemed to signify something akin to an infirmary. "In there."

Quickly running into the room, the group slammed the door shut. Just as the sign had said, the room they were in looked like an infirmary. Beds were lined around the right wall. And a person Sarah knew all too well stood in the room with them.

"It's been quite a while." Yuri greeted.

"Yuri…" Sarah glared.

"I'm surprised you were able to notice the gas. Though I suppose you did live through a small dose of it once." Yuri said.

"So this is one of the Seven Lords?" Dan asked.

"That would be correct. Yuri Onizuka." the woman said. "And you all are the ones trying to save this ugly disgusting world."

"What do you mean? Why are you calling the world ugly?" Sophia asked.

Yuri shook her head. "Children like you would never understand. You can't see the world for what it truly is. How humanity has tainted it."

Sarah stepped forward. "Leave this one to me, guys."

It didn't surprise anyone that Sarah volunteered for this. They each knew how she wanted to meet with Yuri again.

"So, you're up first then?" Yuri asked. "Just so you know, this game will be different from last time."

"I'm well aware. Those that lose die, correct?" Sarah said, not a hint of fear or hesitation in her voice.

"I assume Laura told you? Very well then." Yuri said. A sheet of light appeared before her and Sarah. "Let's begin then."

Sarah placed her deck down on the sheet of light, as did Yuri. This was the rematch Sarah had been waiting for. It was a fight she needed to have. And it was one she needed to win.

* * *

"Mow them down! Dragonic Blademaster Tenkai!"

Marcus's dragon roared as a swing of its sword sent flames burning down on the opponent he was facing. The hooded member of Purgatory collapsed, one less nuisance to take care of. The black haired teen tried to take a quick moment to catch his breath. It was one fight after another with these people.

"Getting tired, Marcus?" William asked.

"As if." Marcus replied. "Just caught my second wind."

"Don't push yourself too far. We're already outnumbered. If any of us falls then the rest will have to worry about protecting them." Jasmine told them.

"We've got this." Emma grinned. "Go get 'em Daiyusha!"

The large robot swung its fist down, blowing away a fair number of enemies. The young Cersy girl wiped some sweat from her forehead.

"You ok, Emma?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah. No problem." Emma nodded.

"Heads up you two! Above you!" Keiko warned.

Kimiko and Emma looked straight up and gasped as an enemy unit came falling down from above. They wouldn't be able to get away in time.

"Kimiko!" Emma exclaimed, quickly throwing herself in front of her friend to protect her. The silver haired girl widened her eyes as her friend stood protectively in front of her.

Emma saw the unit coming and closed her eyes. But when the attack never came, she slowly peeked them open to see a dragon with a large shield intercepting the unit.

"That's… Flare Trooper Dumjid." Emma said in shock. "But who-" She turned her head to the side and saw the one that had called on the unit was none other than her brother. "Marcus!"

"You scum aren't laying one hand on my sister, or Sarah's!" Marcus shouted. "Go Blademaster!"

As Dumjid pushed the attacking unit back, Blademaster swooped in and sliced it apart. Right after, Dumjid vanished and Marcus hurried over to the two girls.

"Are you both alright?" he asked.

Emma nodded her head. "Yeah. Thanks to you."

"Thank you." Kimiko said. "Both of you. You both ended up protecting me."

"Don't worry about it." Marcus said. "After all, if anything happened to you Kimiko, I wouldn't be able to face Sarah."

"These Purgatory guys are becoming a real pest." Daiki said. "How about we take it up a notch, Marcus?"

"You read my mind." Marcus nodded in agreement.

An aura surrounded both teens. At the same time, similarly colored auras surrounded both Blademaster and Arboros. Before long, Blademaster and Arboros evolved into their stride forms of Arbors Babylon and Blademaster Riden.

"They're using stride in a situation like this?!" Mai gasped. "That's crazy!"

"No… They're not just striding…" Jasmine noticed. "They're going further beyond that."

"Let's go! Cross Stride!" both Marcus and Daiki shouted.

With that, Blademaster and Arboros grew further. For Blademaster, in addition to its two swords that were veiled in bright orange flames, the end of its tail was also sword shaped, veiled in flames as well. Arboros had four beautiful transparent wings that each had a pink tint to them. Bushes grew from its back, with blooming flowers of various colors along its arms and legs. The two roars of the two dragons shook the air around them as Marcus and Daiki called out their names.

"Eternal Flame Dragon Emperor, Dragonic Blademaster "Inferno"!"

"Avatar of the Sacred Tree, Arboros Dragon Evergarden!"

"Holy cow… They were able to use Cross Stride outside of a cardfight?" Amy said in shock.

The two dragons came down on the army of enemies. Blademaster's two swords unleashed an explosion of flames that even William and the others had to brace themselves against. Arboros entangled several enemy units in branches as they sprang up from the ground before blasting them all away with a breath attack.

"So much power! That's insane!" William exclaimed.

' _Their Cross Strides are powerful, there's no denying that. But doing so has surely taken a large toll on their stamina.'_ Jasmine thought to herself. She looked up at the building behind them. ' _Everyone… Please hurry. We can't hold out much longer.'_

* * *

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Neon Messiah Aurion!"

 **Neon Messiah Aurion**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Black Candle, Azrail!"

 **Black Candle, Azrail**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the fight began, Sarah and Yuri were engulfed in a dark opaque cloud. Aurora and the others were left in the dark as they could only wait for the fight to end. They weren't going anywhere until the gas was dealt with after all.

' _Good luck, Sarah.'_ Aurora prayed.

As their scenery changed, Sarah found herself in the same graveyard field that she had fought Yuri in last time.

"I'll be starting things off." Yuri said as she drew for her turn. "Ride! Thousand Ray Pegasus!"

 **Thousand Ray Pegasus**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Azrail moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sarah(5), Yuri(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. ' _I managed to win last time we fought, but just barely. I need to be at the top of my game. I may not have Cross Stride, but I'll have to hope my time at the training camp will be enough.'_

"Ride! Dreaming Messiah!"

 **Dreaming Messiah**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Neon Messiah Aurion moves back with forerunner." Sarah said. "Now Dreaming Messiah, attack with a boost from Aurion!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(0), Yuri(1).]**

"Ngh…" Yuri took a moment to recover from having part of her life sucked away.

"Turn end." Sarah said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sarah(6), Yuri(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. "I ride! Nurse of Broken Heart!"

 **Nurse of Broken Heart**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Broken Heart, get her!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Yuri(1).]**

"Turn end." Yuri said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sarah(6), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said. "Ride! Shining Condor of Reflected Light!"

 **Shining Condor of Reflected Light**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

' _That Purgatorial Stride of hers makes all of my damage turn face down, which bites into my usual style of play. I need to attack her as hard as possible once my turn to stride comes along.'_ Sarah thought to herself.

"Condor attacks with a boost from Aurion!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Azrail."

 **[Damage: Sarah(1), Yuri(3).]**

"Turn end." Sarah said. "Over to you."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sarah(7), Yuri(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. "You foolish children running around trying to protect this world. Do you even know what you're trying to protect?"

"Of course we do." Sarah told her. "We're protecting the world and everyone in it."

"That's the problem!" Yuri said. "Humanity does not deserve saving!"

"We don't deserve saving?" Sarah questioned. "But why would you say that?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then try and explain it!" Sarah told her. "I just can't fathom it! You worked as a nurse! Shouldn't you of all people want to help others?!"

Yuri frowned as she looked down. "There was a time where I did feel like that once. I genuinely believed I could save others through medicine. Help them live peaceful lives." She shook her head. "But I was naive. That was nothing more than a fantasy. No matter how many people I tried to help, there would always be ones that die. Ones I couldn't save."

"Yuri…"

A tear fell from the woman's eyes. "Life is so pointless. We're around for such a short period of time. And it's stolen from us right under our feet. And there are those who can't even bring themselves to respect the lives of others." She clenched her fist tightly. "They rob others of life. Murder. War. They all give no thought to life. Humanity is just so despicable."

' _So that's why.'_ Sarah realized. ' _She saw people die over and over again, and it brought her to this state she's in.'_

"If we took away life, there would be no death. No agony or pain or misery." Yuri said. "People wouldn't have to know sadness." She took a card from her hand and held it out. "So I will end this pointless cycle of life and death. I will help bring an end to this ugly world so that Ragnarok can rebuild it. Now come down, angel of mercy! I ride Love Assassin, Nociel!"

 **Love Assassin, Nociel**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Nociel's skill. Replace a card in the hand with one in the damage zone." Yuri explained. "Now attack, Nociel!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to the Vanguard and recover one damage."

"Damage check, no trigger." Sarah said.

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Yuri(2).]**

Sarah held her hand to her chest, gasping for breath as she felt her body grow weaker.

"Just give in. Close your eyes and fall asleep." Yuri said. "The end will be short and painless if you do."

"Not happening." Sarah said. "I have too many people counting on me to win. I refuse to let their faith be in vain."

"So be it." Yuri said. "I end my turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sarah(7), Yuri(8).]**

"Stand and draw!" Sarah said. "Being of light and purity! Shine light on this darkness and broadcast a future of peace and hope to everyone! Ride! Alter Ego Neo Messiah!"

 **Alter Ego Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Flageolet Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Flageolet Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Lady Fencer of Matter Transmission from my hand! Then I lock Neon Messiah, Aurion on my field and Black Candle, Azrail on yours!" Sarah said. "Next I call Dunamis Messiah, Dreaming Messiah, and Shining Condor of Reflected Light!"

' _Just like last time, setting up her field strongly once she's strode.'_ Yuri noticed. She eyed the column containing Lady Fencer and Dunamis Messiah. ' _That's the column I need to be wary of. Luckily, she only has two damage, which should limit her counterblasts.'_

"Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Dunamis!" Sarah declared. "Lady Fencer's counterblast! Soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Yuri(3).]**

"Lady Fencer locks herself after the battle." Sarah explained. "Next I soul blast and activate Dunamis Messiah's skill! I lock Dunamis and unlock Lady Fencer! Add 4000 power to Condor! And now Lady Fencer attacks! Using the skill once again!"

 **(9000+2000+5000=16000)**

"Guard." Yuri said, holding up a trigger.

"Shining Condor of Reflected Light attacks the Vanguard with a boost from Dreaming Messiah!" Sarah called out. "As long as I have a Messiah Vanguard, Dreaming Messiah gains 1000 power and Resist!"

 **(10000+7000+4000+1000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Yuri(4).]**

"Dreaming Messiah's skill. At the end of a battle where it boosted, I can lock it in order to countercharge and add 5000 power to the Vanguard." Sarah said. "And now I attack with the Vanguard! Flageolet's skill! I counterblast and flip a card in my G Zone face up! I then get to unlock 2 cards for every face up Flageolet Messiah in my G Zone! I unlock Aurion and Lady Fencer! Aurion's skill! I send it to the soul, then draw a card and add 5000 power to Lady Fencer! In addition, since I unlocked a card, Azrail becomes omega locked!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Lady Fencer! Third check, no trigger." Sarah said. "Now go Lady Fencer! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Generation guard! Holy Seraph, Oriphiel!"

 **Holy Seraph, Oriphiel**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Turn end. All of my locked rear guards unlock. With Alter Ego Neo Messiah's soul blast, I draw 2 cards." Sarah said. ' _I'm in a good lead. Now I just need to finish her off next turn.'_

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sarah(9), Yuri(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. "Stride Generation! Holy Seraph, Raphael!"

 **Holy Seraph, Raphael**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. Exchange a card from the hand with one from the damage zone." Yuri explained. "Next, I use Raphael's skill! Heal one card!"

 **[Damage: Sarah(2), Yuri(3).]**

' _Damn. That's gonna make finishing her next turn a lot harder.'_

"Calling Black Slice, Harut and Thousand Ray Pegasus!" Yuri said. "Haurt attacks with a boost from Thousand Ray Pegasus! Harut's counterblast! I look at the top 2 cards of the deck, add one to the damage zone, and put the other on the bottom of my deck! And then I superior call Love Sniper, Nociel from the damage zone! On top of that, since a card was put into the damage zone, Thousand Ray Pegasus gains 2000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+2000=18000)**

"Guard!" Sarah said, holding up a critical trigger from her hand.

"Raphael attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to my rear guard Nociel and critical to the Vanguard! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Harut!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard." Sarah said.

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(3).]**

"Harut attacks Lady Fencer!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

' _She's trying to limit my combo plays.'_ Sarah realized. She quickly held up a card from her hand. "Guard!"

"Love Sniper Nociel attacks Lady Fencer as well!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"Guard!" Sarah said, holding up a pair of cards from her hand.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sarah(5), Yuri(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sarah said, starting her turn. ' _Her two attacks on my rear guard hit my hand a bit. But I should still be able to finish things this turn.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Herald of light, spread your white wings! Answer my prayer and help bring me victory! Stride Generation! Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah!"

 **Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call Blink Messiah from my hand! I won't lock any of my units but I will go ahead and lock Harut on your field!" Sarah said. She looked at her damage zone. Two face up cards to work with. Three technically if she used Dreaming Messiah's skill to countercharge. Saving counterblasts for next turn would be pointless. If she didn't win this turn, Yuri was certain to bring out her Purgatorial Stride. And not only would that flipp all of her damage face down, she wasn't even sure she would survive to use those cards another turn.

' _I need to inflict three damage. I just have to.'_

"Lady Fencer attacks with a boost from Dunamis! Lady Fencer's skill! Soulcharge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+7000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(4).]**

"Lady Fencer locks herself at the end of the battle. And now I attack with Shining Condor boosted by Dreaming Messiah!"

 **(10000+7000+1000=18000)**

Yuri narrowed her eyes. ' _She didn't use Dunamis's skill? Is she waiting for after her Vanguard attacks?'_ she couldn't waste time with such questions right now. "I guard with Happy Bell, Nociel!"

"Dreaming Messiah's skill! At the end of the battle, I lock it to countercharge and add 5000 power to the Vanguard! On top of that, Shining Condor's counterblast! I lock Condor and unlock Lady Fencer! In addition, the unlocked unit gets 10000 power!"

"What?!" Yuri gasped.

"Lady Fencer attacks! Activate skill! Soul charge and add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+10000=26000)**

"Tch. No guard. Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(5).]**

' _Just one more!'_ Sarah thought to herself as she locked Lady Fencer with its skill. "Here goes! I attack with my Vanguard! Blink Messiah's skill! I send it to the soul to add 5000 to the Vanguard and draw! Then, I activate Harmonics Neo Messiah's skill! I unlock all locked rear guards! All of my unlocked rear guards gain 5000 power! Then, Harmonics Neo Messiah gains 5000 power for each unlocked card! On top of that, if five or more cards were unlocked, the opponent cannot guard with cards from their hand that are grade 1 or higher!"

 **(26000+5000+5000+25000=61000)**

"Guard with Battle Cupid, Nociel!" Yuri declared. "Nociel's skill! Exchange Love Assassin, Nociel from the hand with Eradicate Celestial, Raviel in the damage zone! With Love Assassin's skill, when it's placed into the damage zone from the hand, I can call it! I then take one damage. Damage check, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one! On top of that, generation guard! Black Seraph, Eleleth!"

 **Black Seraph, Eleleth**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Eleleth! Soul blast and flip a g guardian face up! Add 5000 to the shield for each face up card in the damage zone! That's four cards so 20000 extra shield! I also add on Nutrient Angel from my hand and intercept with Harut!"

Sarah widened her eyes. With everything altogether from the guardians, Yuri's Vanguard was at 76000. A total of three triggers would be enough to break through.

"Triple drive." Sarah said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Lady Fencer and I heal one! Third check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Yuri(4).]**

' _That was close.'_ Yuri thought, her body exhausted from being at five damage. ' _Now I just need to survive her remaining attacks. Thankfully, those damage triggers put my Vanguard at 21000.'_

' _I need to end this here and now!'_ Sarah thought. "Shining Condor attacks with Dreaming Messiah's boost!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+1000+5000=28000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(3), Yuri(5).]**

"Lady Fencer attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+5000=21000)**

"Guard!"

"Turn end." Sarah said. "My Vanguard's skill lets me soul blast and draw 2 cards."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sarah(10), Yuri(0).]**

"Stand and draw." Yuri said. "It's time for me to end this. I will bring an end to this rotten world."

' _Damnit… I couldn't stop her from bringing it out.'_

"The time has come for me to open the gate to a dark future. I bind five face up G Units face down." Yuri said.

Sarah watched as the same thing from her last cardfight with Yuri occurred once again. The evil presence she felt brought her back to that moment.

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Yuri called out. "Fallen Angel of Purgatory, Luciel!"

 **Fallen Angel of Purgatory, Luciel**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

"Skill of Luciel. Counterblast." Yuri said. "The opponent turns all of their damage face down, not that you have any face up to begin with. Then, for every card in your damage zone, I call a card from my damage zone. Come forth! Nurse of Broken Heart! Battle Cupid, Nociel! Black Slice, Harut! I then perform a damage check for each card called! First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger. Third card, no trigger." The lack of triggers was a small nuisance, but Yuri knew it wouldn't matter much in the long run. "Broken Heart's skill. Add 2000 power to herself and the Vanguard for every card put in the damage zone. Thousand Ray's skill also grants 2000 power to itself for each card added as well. I also use Azrail's skill to send her to the soul and put the top card of the deck into the damage zone. I then add Love Assassin, Nociel from the damage zone to my hand."

' _If she had gotten a trigger there, here front row would have powered up even further.'_ Sarah thought, remembering Luciel's skill to give trigger effects to the entire front row. ' _But she still has her triple drive.'_

"Broken Heart attacks with a boost from Nociel!"

 **(9000+6000+6000=21000)**

"No guard." Sarah said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(4), Yuri(5).]**

"I attack with Luciel next!"

 **(36000+6000=42000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Luciel's skill gives the effects of the trigger to all front row units! Third check, stand trigger! Once again, all effects to the front row units!"

' _So now both her remaining rear guards are standing and have a critical?! This is bad!'_

"Broken Heart attacks!"

 **(9000+6000+10000=25000)**

"Guard!" Sarah declared, holding up a pair of cards from her hand.

"Harut attacks with Thousand Ray's boost!" Yuri declared. "Harut's skill! Look at the top 2 cards of the deck and add a card to the damage zone! Then, I superior call Love Machine Gun, Nociel over Battle Cupid, Nociel! With Love Machine Gun's skill, swap Love Assassin, Nociel in the hand with Happy Bell, Nociel in the damage zone! Love Assassin's skill! Call it over Nurse of Broken Heart! Then perform a damage check! No trigger, but Thousand Ray still receives another 6000 power from three cards being placed in the damage zone!"

 **(9000+10000+7000+12000=38000)**

"Generation guard! Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer!"

 **Light That Seals the Tear, Lady Healer**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Add 5000 to the shield! Then I add on Paradigm Shift Dragon from my hand!"

Yuri widened her eyes. She only had one attack left, and it wouldn't be enough to push Sarah to six damage. "Love Assassin attacks."

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Yuri(5).]**

Sarah nearly fell over, her body at its limit. It was taking everything she had to keep going.

"Turn end…" Yuri said. "Impossible… How can you keep fighting? What do you have to fight for in such a worthless world?"

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sarah(4), Yuri(4).]**

"Stand and… draw!" Sarah said. "You called this world worthless. Do you really believe in it that little?"

"No matter how hard we try, death always has its grip around us." Yuri said. Tears fell from her eyes. "All I want is to free people from this pointless cycle of life and death! What's so wrong about that?!"

"Because you're not seeing the full picture!" Sarah shouted.

"What's that supposed to mean?! What could you possibly know?!"

Sarah clenched her fists. "I know all too well about the ugliness in this world. Those that try and take from others for their own selfish needs. Those that care nothing for other people. I've seen more pain and suffering than I care to remember." She looked Yuri directly in the eyes. "But it's because life is so short that it should be treasured! In the short time we're all on this world, we create bonds! We make our presence known through the world! We leave something behind for others!"

"That's a lie!"

"No it isn't!" Sarah said. "There are people who I treasure very dearly. People that entrusted this fight to me. People I wish to protect with all of my heart. I will take their feelings and create a miracle with my own hands!"

As she said this, a bright light shined from Sarah's G Zone. Both Yuri and Sarah gasped at the phenomenon.

"What is this?" Sarah questioned.

" _Human child. I have heard your prayer."_

' _That voice…'_ Sarah thought. ' _Where is it coming from?'_

" _You whose heart wishes for peace. I have awakened to your call. Use your power and help create a miracle."_

' _There's no way… Messiah?'_

" _Envision a new future. One where your ideals can be realized."_

' _A new future.'_ Sarah thought. ' _Alright then. Here goes nothing.'_ the blonde girl held out her hand towards her G Zone, as a pillar of light shot up from it.

"What's happening?" Yuri gasped.

"Let the dreams of all bring forth a miraculous revival." Sarah said. "I discard a card with the same name as the Vanguard and remove four copies of Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah from the game." The four cards hovered around Sarah as a brand new card appeared in her hand. "Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Genesis Resurrection Dragon, Harmonics Rebirth Messiah!"

 **Genesis Resurrection Dragon, Harmonics Rebirth Messiah**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

Yuri watched as the new Messiah appeared on Sarah's field. It had the same holy presence as Harmonics Neo Messiah. Four beautiful white wings spread out from it.

"What is that unit…?" Yuri said in awe.

"The Messiah of Cray has been gone for a long time. But through the power of my Stride Force, and the help of many others, it has been able to return for a brief fleeting moment. A once in a lifetime Cross Stride capable of linking a future in where Messiah is alive." Sarah said. "This is the reborn Messiah! And together, we will stop you!"

"No… this can't be happening…"

"I call Dreaming Messiah!" Sarah said, filling up her last empty circle behind her Vanguard.. "Harmonics Rebirth Messiah's skill! I counterblast, soul blast, and lock five of my rear guards! The opponent then must lock all of their rear guards!"

"What?!" Yuri exclaimed. She looked at all of her units as they were each locked.

"There's more." Sarah said. "If the opponent has less than five locked rear guards, they must call cards from their hand to those empty rear guard circles as locked."

Yuri had one open rear guard circle, the one behind her Vanguard. She took a card from her already small hand and placed it down as locked.

"Harmonics Rebirth Messiah attacks the Vanguard!" Sarah declared. "Skill activated! When it attacks, I unlock all of my locked rear guards! They each gain 5000 power! Then, Harmonics Rebirth Messiah gains 10000 power and an extra critical!"

 **(36000+10000=46000)**

"No guard."

Messiah blasted a powerful beam of light at Yuri's Vanguard. When the smoke cleared, a sixth card was present in the woman's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Sarah(5), Yuri(6).]**

With that, the fight came to an end and the units disappeared. Yuri collapsed and fell down, laying on the ground as she stared up at the bleak sky of the image field she created.

"Seems I've lost." Yuri said.

Sarah weakly walked over to the member of Purgatory and looked down at her. It was clear the woman didn't have much time left.

"You know… you remind me a lot of myself a long time ago." Yuri spoke. "So full of optimism. Believing that I could really make a difference in the world and help people."

"It could have still happened you know." Sarah told her. "If you have faith and keep pushing forward, anything is possible."

"Perhaps." Yuri said. "Sarah was your name… correct?"

Sarah nodded her head. "Yes. It is."

"I'm glad you were the one I fought in the end." Yuri said. "I think… you helped me to see a little bit of the good humanity has to offer again. Never let go of that hope, Sarah. It is by far your greatest strength."

Sarah responded with a nod. "I promise. I'll help bring hope back into the lives of people again."

"That's good." Yuri said. "Now go. You and your friends have a mission to accomplish, don't you?"

Sarah watched as Yuri's eyes slowly closed. The image field they were in vanished and Sarah found herself back in the infirmary with the others. All of her strength left her and she kneeled down.

"Sarah!" Aurora exclaimed as she and the others rushed to their friend's side. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Sarah confirmed. "The gas outside the room should be dispersing now I believe."

"That's good." Dan said. "Can you walk?"

"I don't think I have much strength left right now." Sarah admitted. "You guys keep moving. I'll rest here and recover my strength."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Sarah nodded. "Now get going. We don't have time to sit around."

No one could really argue with the girl so they opted to do as she said. The group all left the infirmary and continued down the hall in hopes of finding the next way up towards the top floor. Sarah looked over at Yuri's body, lying on the floor.

' _Yuri… I won't give up on this world or humanity. I'll keep fighting, no matter what. In order to create the happy world you once envisioned.'_

 **Dan: The world is ticking away towards destruction. We need to move.**

 **Elizabeth: There's bound to be more of those Purgatory jerks along the way though.**

 **Aurora: It doesn't matter. We'll just have to defeat them as they come.**

 **Anthony: There's five of them left. Which one is next?**

 **Sophia: Isabelle… I'm going to save you no matter what.**

 **Next time: Precious Little Sister**

 **Card Gallery:**

Dreaming Messiah  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Messiah Vanguard, this unit gets +1000 power and Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [Lock this unit]. At the end of the battle that this unit boosted, if you have a Messiah Vanguard and there are 2 or more locked cards on your field, you may pay the cost. If you do, CC1, choose your Vanguard and it gets +5000 power.

* * *

Shining Condor of Reflected Light  
Grade 2  
Power: 10000  
 **CONT RC:** If you have a Messiah Vanguard, this unit gets Resist.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** [CB1 & Lock this unit]. After the battle that this unit attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your other locked cards, unlock it, and it gets +10000 power until end of turn.

* * *

Genesis Resurrection Dragon, Harmonics Rebirth Messiah  
Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Genesis Dragon, Harmonics Neo Messiah):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1, SB1 & Lock 5 of your rear guards.] Your opponent locks all of their rear guards. Then, if your opponent has 5 or less rear guards, they must choose cards from their hand and call them to separate RCs as locked until they have 5 locked rear guards.  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, unlock all of your rear guards. They each get +5000 power and this unit gets +10000 power and +1 critical.

* * *

Eternal Flame Dragon Emperor, Dragonic Blademaster "Inferno"  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Blademaster "Riden"):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **AUTO: Blaze  
** **AUTO VC:** When this unit is placed on VC, retire all of your opponent's rear guards.  
 **ACT 1/Turn VC:** [CB2]. All your units with the Blaze ability get +5000 power until end of turn. Then, choose your Vanguard and it gets **(AUTO VC: When your opponent would call guardians from their hand to the GC, if your Vanguard is blazing, your opponent must call 2 or more cards at the same time.)** until end of turn.

* * *

Avatar of the Sacred Tree, Arboros Dragon Evergarden  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Arboros Dragon, Babylon):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **CONT VC:** All of your rear guards with "Arboros" in their name are treated as having the same name as this unit.  
 **AUTO:** [CB2] When this card is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose any number of cards from your soul with "Arboros" in their name and call them to RC. Then, until the end of the turn, this unit gets **(CONT: This unit and all of your rear guards with the same name as this unit get +10000 power and can attack from the back row.)**.


	99. Precious Little Sister

**A/N: Day 4 readers. Hope you're all enjoying the week so far.**

Screams and cries echoed throughout the streets of Sao Luis. The attacking Purgatory was seen all over. People ran around in desperate attempts to flee the destruction.

"Hurry! This way!" Maria shouted, motioning for people to get inside the orphanage. Once the attack had started, she and Bruno had rushed there. With Sophia in Japan, there was no one else that could defend the kids there. So they had set it up as a safehouse for people. Maria and Bruno were alone outside of it, doing whatever they could to keep unwanted visitors out.

"Burn them down! Amber Dragon Eclipse!" Bruno called out. The dragon at his side roared as it breathed a stream of flames, incinerating the units of the enemy.

"Go! Pentagonal Magus!" Maria yelled. Her unit's magic also swept away a flurry of enemies.

The two cardfighters stood strong as the guardians of everyone inside the orphanage. But fatigue was starting to set in. they weren't sure how much longer they could hold out for. On the other hand, Purgatory seemed endless in number as they came after them.

"Damnit, this is bad." Bruno said. "There's way too many of them."

"We can't give up." Maria told him. "We're the only ones that can do this right now."

"I know but-" Bruno widened his eyes when he saw a unit come their way. "Heads up!"

Maria noticed the unit coming for them. Pentagonal Magus quickly moved to intercept it but was knocked back. Maria felt the pain of her unit as she fell to one knee.

"Maria!" Bruno exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." she told him, though the condition she was in was anything but fine.

"Heh, the girl's almost down. Finish her!" one of the Purgatory grunts called out.

A group of units came at the girl. Bruno widened his eyes. "Maria!"

' _I can't give in.'_ Maria thought. ' _I will not let anyone else get hurt!'_

Out of nowhere, a beacon of light shot down, crashing onto the units that threatened to tear Maria apart. The girl gasped as she saw the being that had come to her aid. A small girl with a white dress and blue bird-like wings coming out from her back.

"Tsukiyomi…" Maria gasped. She saw the unit glance back at her and give a small nod. Gathering what little strength she still had, Maria stood up.

"You ok, Maria?" Bruno asked.

"Yeah." Maria told him. "I refuse to fall here." She glared at the Purgatory members. "I will not allow a single one of you to get past me! I will protect this place! Because it is the home of my best friend!"

* * *

The journey through Purgatory's headquarters was still progressing for Aurora and the others. They had managed to find the next set of stairs and worked their way up, since the elevator was still out of order for them. But when they arrived on the latest floor for them, they noticed it was surprisingly different from the others.

There were no hallways. Rather it was a bunch of connected rooms. And all of the walls were pink. Small tables and chairs could be found in some of the rooms, along with stuffed animals sitting at them. It was decorated like a child's room.

"Ok, this is really creepy." Anthony said. "Why the heck would Purgatory design an entire floor like this? It's like a horror movie where everything seems ok until the ghost of some little girl comes out and kills everyone one by one."

"It must be Isabelle." Sophia said. "She's here somewhere. I know it."

"Oh I knew you'd figure it out! Just what I'd expect from my sister!"

The sudden happy voice caught everyone off guard. They all heard it coming from the next room over. Sophia stepped forward knowing it was finally time for her to confront Isabelle once again.

"You sure you're up for this, Sophia?" Aurora asked. "She may be your sister, but she's also a member of Purgatory."

Sophia nodded her head. "I am. I'm going to save Isabelle. I swear it."

The young girl walked at the front as they opened the door to the next room. The walls were pink just like the rest of the rooms. The main difference in this one however was the bed in it, as well as the multitude of dolls scattered around. Sitting on the edge of the bed without a care in the world was Isabelle herself.

"Yay! You made it!" Isabelle said happily as she jumped off the bed. "I was hoping you would make it, Sophia!"

Sophia stepped towards her sister. "Isabelle, you need to stop this. What you're doing is going to destroy the world."

"Well duh, silly. That's the point." Isabelle said. "We're going to get rid of this icky yucky world. And once the new world is made, it'll be just me and you Sophia. We'll have a place all to ourselves where we can play everyday and no one else can hurt us."

"I won't let you." Sophia said. "I'm going to protect the world. And I'm going to save you."

"Save me?" Isabelle asked. "Silly Sophia. I don't need saving. Purgatory did that a long time ago."

"You're wrong!" Sophia said. "And if I have to stop you by force, then I will!"

Isabelle frowned. "I knew it. You don't want me to be happy either. You just want to be mean to me too." She brought out her deck and held it out. "In that case, I just need to make you stop it. Once I beat you, I won't ever have to worry about you disagreeing with me ever again."

"What are you talking about? You do know the loser is going to die, right?" Anthony asked.

"Of course. But Ragnarok is going to destroy the world anyway. So I won't be separated from Sophia for too long." Isabelle said with a smile.

"This kid's nuts." Elizabeth said.

"Go on ahead everyone." Sophia said. "I'll handle Isabelle."

While they wanted to stop the fight that was about to happen, all of them knew that they had to keep moving. All they could do was hope for the best.

"Good luck, Sophia." Aurora said.

"Don't lose, kid." Anthony told her as they all hurried on ahead to the next room.

Sophia and Isabelle stood across from each other now that it was just the two of them. They both knew there was only one thing for them to do. Isabelle waved her hand and a sheet of light appeared before herself and Sophia. Such a dangerous fight was the last thing Sophia wanted honestly. But she knew that words alone weren't going to be enough to change Isabelle's mind. She would have to try and bring her back through a cardfight.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Isabelle grinned.

"Isabelle… I'm going to show you that you're not alone." Sophia said.

Together, the two girls shouted and started the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Pixy Star-saver, Lily!"

 **Pixy Star-saver, Lily**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Nightmare Doll, Natalie!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Natalie**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"I'm up first." Isabelle said. "I ride! Nightmare Doll, Leslie!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Leslie**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Natalie moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Sophia(5), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Ride! Strike Force Star-saver, Buromin!"

 **Strike Force Star-vader, Buromin**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Lily moves back." Sophia said. "And with her boost, Buromin attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(0), Isabelle(1).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "Ride! Nightmare Doll, Ginny!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Ginny**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I activate Natalie's skill! I counterblast and send her to the soul! Check the top 3 cards of the deck! I add Nightmare Doll, Alice to the soul! Since she's a Nightmare Doll, I can do it one more time! This time I add Liza!" Isabelle said. "Next, I call Nightmare Doll Master, Brenda! Brenda attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Isabelle(1).]**

"Ginny attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"I guard!" Sophia said, holding up a trigger.

"Drive check, no trigger." Isabelle said. "I guess my turn's over. Your move, sis."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Sophia(5), Isabelle(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "I ride Space Hammer Star-saver, Gemingar Dragon!"

 **Space Hammer Star-saver, Gemingar Dragon**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Krypton and Buromin!" Sophia said. "With Buromin's boost, Krypton attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"Attacking me early are you? That won't work." Isabelle said as she held up a critical trigger from her hand. "Guard!"

"I attack with my Vanguard, boosted by Lily!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!" Isabelle said. "Too bad, sis. Your trigger went to waste."

 **[Damage: Sophia(1), Isabelle(2).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said. "Buromin's skill. At the end of the turn, I can bind it and search my deck for a grade 3 Star-saver and add it to my hand. Then, with Pixy Star-saver Lily's skill, when a Star-saver is bound from the rear guard, she can bind herself and let me draw."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Sophia(6), Isabelle(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. She took a card from her hand and held it out. "My one true friend! Stay by my side and protect me from all harm! Ride! Nightmare Doll, Dorothy!"

 **Nightmare Doll, Dorothy**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Skill of Dorothy! I add Nightmare Doll, Alice from the deck to the soul!" Isabelle said. "Next, I activate my rear guard Brenda's skill! I send her to the soul and call Ginny from the soul! Ginyy's skill! When she's called, send her to the soul and call Alice with an extra 5000 power! Also, since Ginny went to the soul, Brenda is called from the soul with her skills negated until end of turn!"

' _She set up a full front row in the blink of an eye. This is bad.'_ Sophia thought.

"Go Brenda! Attack Krypton!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Dorothy, go say hello to Gemingar Dragon!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Alice, and I draw!" Isabelle said.

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(2).]**

"Alice attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(10000+5000+5000=20000)**

' _I can let this hit, but then Alice will use her skill to call another unit out.'_ Sophia thought. ' _However, if she uses up a counterblast here, that's one less for her to use later. I'll have to risk it.'_

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(3), Isabelle(2).]**

"Activating Alice's skill! I send it to the soul and superior call Leslie to the back row!" Isabelle said. "My turn's done. Your move."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Sophia(5), Isabelle(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. ' _I should be glad I didn't have to deal with another attack. But with Leslie in her back row, that means she's set up for her next turn when she strides.'_ She looked at her hand. ' _However… I've grown since my last fight with her. It's time to show how much stronger I've gotten.'_

"Shimmering wings of stardust, take flight! Let light bask in your presence!" Sophia called out. "Ride! Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon "Stratos"!"

 **Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon "Stratos"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

The new Infinite Star Dragon emerged onto the field. Light shined from it, brightening up the dreary playroom the two girls were in.

' _Let's do this, Infinite Star Dragon.'_ Sophia thought to herself. "Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Galaxy Buster!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Galaxy Buster**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I counterblast and bind Krypton! Then I get to call 2 Star-savers from my bind zone! I call Krypton and Lily! Krypton's Warpdrive gives him a skill!" Sophia explained. "I then call Binary Star from my hand! Next, I activate Galaxy Buster's skill! I bind Binary Star on my rear guard and Photon in my drop zone! Then I can call 2 Star-savers from my bind zone! Come on out Binary Star and Buromin! They both get 5000 power! Finally, with Binary Star's Warpdrive, I call Photon from the bind zone! Photon's Warpdrive adds 5000 power to herself and the Vanguard!"

With that, Sophia had a full formation. Now was the time for her to attack. "Boosted by Lily, Photon attacks! With Lily's skill, since a Star-saver was called from the bind zone this turn, she gets 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000=24000)**

"Generation guard! Doting Harlequin, Maja!"

 **Doting Harlequin Maja**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Maja's skill! Since I don't have a Vanguard with magia, soul charge 3 cards!"

"With a boost from Buromin, Galaxy Buster attacks!" Sophia declared. "With Galaxy Buster's skill, as long as I have 5 or more Star-saver rear guards, it gains 10000 power and plus one drive!"

 **(26000+10000+7000=43000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Krypton! Third check, no trigger! Fourth check, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(2).]**

"Krypton attacks with Binary Star's boost! With Krypton's Warpdrive, he gets 5000 power every time he sees a card called from the bind zone! That's four units so 20000 power!"

 **(9000+20000+7000=36000)**

"No guard." Isabelle said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(2), Isabelle(4).]**

"Turn end." Sophia said. "Using Buromin's skill, I bind it at the end of the turn to add a grade 3 to my hand from the deck. Then since a card was bound, I bind Lily to draw."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Sophia(8), Isabelle(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Isabelle said. "Stride Generation! Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn!"

 **Nightmare Doll of the Abyss, Gwendolyn**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I soul blast and give a skill to my Vanguard!" Isabelle said. "Next I use Brenda's skill! I send it to the soul and call Ginny! Ginny's skill then calls out Alice! And since Ginny just went to the soul for her skill, I call out Brenda again! Using Gwendolyn's skill, I send Liza from my hand to the soul and call out Liza from the soul behind Brenda! Liza's skill adds 3000 power to herself and gives her a skill!"

Sophia looked at Isabelle's damage zone. ' _Two cards face up. That gives her 2 extra attacks this turn.'_

"Brenda attacks with a boost from Liza!"

 **(9000+6000+3000=18000)**

"Guard!"

"Gwendolyn attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard." Sophia said.

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Leslie and critical to the Vanguard! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Leslie and I recover one!"

Two more cards fell into Sophia's damage zone. The first one was a critical trigger, which she gave to her Vanguard but the second one did not give her the same luck. Sophia's legs grew weak as she kneeled down. "Ngh…"

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Isabelle(3).]**

"Alice and Leslie, time for a playdate with Sophia!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+10000=32000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, holding up a pair of triggers from her hand.

"Skill gained from Dorothy's stride skill! I counterblast and send Alice to the soul! Calling out Ginny! Ginny's skill then calls out Alice with an extra 5000 power! On top of that, I use Gwendolyn's soul blast to give Alice a critical! Since Alice went to the soul, Leslie stands! And now the two of them will attack a second time!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+10000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Galaxy Machine, Froura!"

 **Galaxy Machine, Froura**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Froura! I bind Binary Star from my rear guard and Meteor Liger from my drop zone! Then I call Meteor Liger from the bind zone to the guardian circle!"

"Using the skill once again! This time I'll call out Liza! Liza's skill adds 3000 power to herself and gives her a skill while Leslie stands due to Alice going to the soul!" Isabelle said. "Now Liza and Leslie will attack again!"

 **(6000+3000+7000+10000=26000)**

"I guard!" Sophia said, holding up a card from her hand. "Also, intercept with Krypton!"

"Turn end." Isabelle said. "Using the skill of the two Liza units, I countercharge two cards."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Sophia(4), Isabelle(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Isabelle… why do we have to fight like this? I just want to help you."

"Help me?" Isabelle questioned. "I don't need any help from you. Purgatory was the one that saved me from my horrible life. While I was suffering, where were you? Living comfortably in a place where you had people who loved you and took care of you."

"Isabelle…"

"You don't know the first thing about me." Isabelle said. "All you're trying to do is tear me away from the one thing that can make me happy."

"That's not true!" Sophia said. "There's a different way than this! I'm going to show you!" She quickly discarded a card from her hand. "Stride Generation! Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon!"

 **Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Photon! Then I call Binary Star and Photon! Using Binary Star's Warpdrive, I call Pixy Star-saver, Lily from the bind zone! Photon's Warpdrive gives herself and the Vanguard 5000 power! And with Infinite Cosmos Dragon's Generation Break 3, when a Star-saver is called from the bind zone, both that unit and my Vanguard get 3000 power! Next, I call Star-saver, Globuladia from my hand! With Globuladia's skill, I counterblast and bind Gemingar Dragon from my drop zone! Gemingar is grade 2, so I can retire an opponent's grade 2 rear guard! I choose Brenda!""

' _Trying to limit my options for getting rear guards out.'_ Isabelle noticed. ' _Unfortunately for you, sister, you'll need more than that to beat me.'_

"I call Nebula Shot Star-saver, Neon." Sophia said, filling up her last rear guard. "Boosted by Binary Star, Globuladia attacks!"

 **(9000+7000+3000=19000)**

"Guard!" Isabelle said, holding up a trigger.

"With Lily's boost, Photon attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+5000+5000+3000=30000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill! Look at the top three cards of the deck! I then add Leslie to the soul, adding 5000 to the shield!"

"Let's go, Infinite Cosmos! Attack the Vanguard!" Sophia declared. "Infinite Cosmos's skill! I counterblast and bind all of my rear guards! I then get to call rear guards from my bind zone up to my Generation Break number, which is 5 cards! So I call Photon, Neon, Lily, Gemingar Dragon, and Binary Star! With Photon's Warpdrive, add 5000 to herself and the Vanguard! With my Vanguard's Generation Break 3, add 3000 power to the called rear guards, and 3000 to itself for each called rear guard! And since 5 or more were called with the skill, add a critical to the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+5000+5000+24000=60000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Photon! Third check, critical trigger!" Sophia looked at the board. She could give the trigger to Gemingar and make both of her remaining rear guards critical. But with Isabelle at 3 damage, she could take one of the hits and be put to five, then guard the remaining attack.

' _Every counterblast she has is another attack.'_ Sophia thought. ' _If she survives this turn, I need to limit her attacks as much as possible. That means I should keep her damage lower.'_

"I give both effects to Photon once again!"

Isabelle quickly realized her sister's strategy. ' _Clever move. She's limiting my counterblasts. But it won't save you.'_

"Photon attacks with a boost from Lily!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+10000+5000+5000+3000=40000)**

"Generation guard! Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard!"

 **Kinesis Megatrick, Coulthard**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Coulthard's skill! Since I have four different grades in the soul, add 15000 to the shield!"

"Gemingar attacks with a boost from Binary Star! Gemingar's skill adds 2000 power for every other Star-saver rear guard I have!"

 **(9000+8000+3000+7000+3000=30000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(4), Isabelle(4).]**

"Gemingar Dragon's skill! When its attack hits a Vanguard, I can bind it to draw and bind a card from my drop zone! I choose Asteroid Wolf!" Sophia said. "Turn end. With Neon's skill, at the end of the turn, I bind it and draw."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Sophia(7), Isabelle(2).]**

"Stand and draw!" Isabelle said. A grin was seen on her face. "Well dear sister, it's time for me to bring this to a close."

The light that Sophia's Vanguard had brought to the field quickly dimmed as shadows covered the area. A dark aura cloaked Isabelle's G Zone. Sophia knew exactly what was coming, and it was anything but good.

"The time has come for me to open the gate to a dark future. I bind five of my G Units face down." Isabelle said.

' _Here it comes.'_

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Isabelle called out. "Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline!"

 **Playtime in Purgatory, Madeline**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

"Stride skill! I grant a skill to the Vanguard! Next, activate Madeline's skill! Now whenever a card is called out during the battle phase this turn, that unit gains 10000 power! Next I call Nightmare Doll, Ginny! I use Ginny's skill to call out Alice with an extra 5000 power! Lastly, I call out Nightmare Doll, Dorothy!"

Sophia readied herself. Isabelle had used up her entire hand to finish up this field, but its power was not something to be underestimated. She had to be extremely careful if she wanted to survive this turn.

"Dorothy and Liza, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+6000=17000)**

"Guard!" Sophia said, quickly holding up a card from her hand.

"Alice and Leslie, you're up next!"

 **(10000+5000+7000=22000)**

"Guard!" Sophia called out desperately, holding up a trigger from her hand. "I also intercept with Photon!"

"Activating the skill from Dorothy! Send Alice to the soul and call Ginny! Leslie stands! Ginny's skill! Send herself to the soul and call Alice! Add 10000 power thanks to Madeline!" Isabelle said. "And since a third card has been called out from the soul this turn, Madeline gains a critical! Now attack, Madeline!"

 **(36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to Leslie and I draw. Third check, no trigger." Isabelle said. "Alice and Leslie, get her!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000+5000=37000)**

"No guard." Sophia said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Isabelle(4).]**

Sophia fell to one knee, holding onto the sheet of light to support herself. She barely had any strength left. She had never felt so weak in all her life.

"Activating Alice's skill. Send her to the soul and call Ginny. Then use Ginny's skill to call Alice back out with another 5000 power." Isabelle said. "Don't worry, Sophia. It'll all be over with this next attack. Then we can play every day together and no one can ever separate us again." She rested her two units to attack. "Alice and Leslie, finish her off!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000+5000=37000)**

"Generation guard! Redemption Star-saver, Cyber Angel!"

 **Redemption Star-saver, Cyber Angel**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Cyber Angel! I bind Binary Star! Add 5000 to the shield for every grade of the bound rear guard! That's 5000 shield! Then I guard with Empiricism Dragon from my hand!"

"Turn end…" Isabelle said in disbelief. "No… That's impossible… It isn't fair… I was supposed to win this turn and everything would be perfect."

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Sophia(1), Isabelle(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Sophia said. "Isabelle… you said I didn't know anything about you."

"What about it?"

"You're right. I don't know a lot about you. Unlike most sisters, I know so little. Your favorite color. What foods you like. I don't know any of it." Sophia said. "But that was true for a lot of people I met. At first, I didn't know much about them. But I spent time with them. I got close to them. We laughed and did all kinds of stuff together." She looked at Isabelle with a warm smile. "That's why I want to stop you. So the world won't end and we can start over. We can be like real sisters."

"Sophia…"

"You showed me who my family was. And I'll admit, learning what my parents were like was scary. I'm sorry you had to go through so much." Sophia told her. "But even still… I found out I had an older sister. And hearing that she was in pain… hurt me. It hurt because I wanted to help her but I didn't know how. But now I do. I have the strength to save you."

Isabelle watched as a pillar of light shot up from Sophia's G Zone. She had no idea what was happening. But the light gave her an odd sensation. It was… warm. Like an angel wrapping its arms around her. Like her Aunt Mia smiling at her and telling her everything would be alright.

"Let the stars shine and bring hope in the darkest hour. I discard a card with the same name as my Vanguard and remove four copies of Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon from the game." Sophia said. "Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Utopic Star-saver, Infinite Nova Dragon!"

 **Utopic Star-saver, Infinite Nova Dragon**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

The appearance of the new Infinite brought with it an even brighter light than Stratos. Stardust spread out from its wings and curled around its arms. The dragon had grown even more and roared loudly, echoing all around.

"Skill of Infinite Nova Dragon! I bind all of my rear guards!" Sophia said. "I then call up to five Star-savers from the bind zone! Krypton! Binary Star! Lily! Buromin! Gemingar Dragon! In addition, with Infinite Nova's other skill, all Star-savers called from the bind zone this turn get 5000 power and an extra critical!"

"No way!"

"Alright Gemingar! Time for an attack with Binary Star's boost!"

 **(9000+8000+5000+7000+5000=34000)**

"G-Guard!" Isabelle said, quickly trying to block the attack.

"Krypton's next, with a boost from Lily!"

 **(9000+20000+5000+5000+5000+5000=49000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Infinite Nova attacks!" Sophia called out. "Skill activated! I bind five Star-saver rear guards! Then I call out up to three Star-savers from the bind zone! Krypton! Binary Star! Gemingar! And with Binary Star's Warpdrive, I call Lily!"

 **(36000)**

"No guard…"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!" Sophia said.

Isabelle watched as Sophia's Vanguard blasted her with a beam of light from its mouth. It slammed down upon her and Dorothy. "Damage check. First card… no trigger. Second card… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Sophia(5), Isabelle(6).]**

With the fight over, everything returned to normal. The two girls found themselves back in the Purgatory headquarters. Isabelle looked up at the ceiling. ' _I guess this is how it ends then. Reunited with my sister only to be separated once again. This world can be… so cruel.'_

"ISABELLE!"

Suddenly, Isabelle felt a tight hug wrap around her. She just barely noticed the one holding her was Sophia. Tears were falling from the girl's eyes.

"I won't let you die!" Sophia cried. "I won't! I'll give up some of my life to keep you here! Whatever it takes!"

"You'd… really do that for me?" Isabelle asked weakly. "Why?"

"Because" Sophia told her. "I know what it's like to feel alone. I felt that way for a long time before I met Maria, Bruno, and everyone else. I know how painful it is to be alone. So I don't want you to suffer like that ever again."

"Even still…" Isabelle said. "Such a thing isn't-"

Just as she was about to finish, she noticed a light begin to envail both herself and Sophia. It felt warm. As if Sophia's life was flowing into her.

' _How is this happening?'_ Isabelle asked. ' _Is this… because of what's happening outside right now? The connection between Earth and Cray is creating this phenomenon?'_

"Isabelle…" Sophia said with a weak smile. "No matter where you go… I'll go there with you."

Tears formed in Isabelle's eyes as she managed a small smile. "You dummy. Seems we will be together after all."

With that, both Sophia and Isabelle closed their eyes and collapsed onto the floor. Both of their bodies laid there, neither moving so much as a muscle.

 **Isabelle: Sophia?**

 **Sophia: Yes?**

 **Isabelle: You said you made a lot of friends right? What were they like?**

 **Sophia: Well… they were all kind of different I guess. But even though we were different, we were all still able to have fun. And I never would have met them if it wasn't for Vanguard.**

 **Isabelle: Vanguard, huh? This game… it really is special, isn't it?**

 **Sophia: Yup! Let's play again sometime! Just for funsies!**

 **Isabelle: You got it, Sophia. But for now… I feel really sleepy. Maybe when we wake up, we'll be somewhere else.**

 **Next time: The Color of Scarlet**

 **Card Gallery:**

Pixy Star-saver, Lily  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **AUTO RC:** [Bind this unit face up]. When your rear guard is bound face up, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card.  
 **CONT RC GB1:** During the turn where your unit with "Star-saver" in its name is called from the bind zone, this unit gets +5000 power.

* * *

Strike Force Star-saver, Buromin  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC:** [Bind this unit.] At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one grade 3 card with "Star-saver" in its name and add it to your hand.

* * *

Space Hammer Star-saver, Gemingar Dragon  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC GB1:** During your turn, this unit gets +2000 power for each of your other rear guards with "Star-saver" in their name.  
 **ACT RC 1/Turn GB1:** [Bind this unit.] After the battle that this unit's attack hit a Vanguard, if you have a Vanguard with "Star-saver" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw 1 card and choose a normal unit from your drop zone and bind it face up.

* * *

Star-saver, Infinite Star Dragon "Stratos"  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** [CB1 & Choose one card on your circles other than VC and bind it face up]. When your G Unit with "Star-saver" in its name STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to 2 face up cards in your bind zone with "Star-saver" in their name and call them to RC.  
 **AUTO VC 1/Turn GB2:** When your rear guard with "Star-saver" in its name would be targeted by your opponent's card effect or attack, you may bind that rear guard and draw 1 card.

* * *

Utopic Star-saver, Infinite Nova Dragon  
Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Peace Star-saver, Infinite Cosmos Dragon):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **AUTO:** [CB1, SB1]. When this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind all cards on your RCs. Then, choose up to 5 face up cards in your bind zone with "Star-saver" in their name and call them to separate RCs.  
 **AUTO VC:** [Bind 5 of your rear guards with "Star-saver" in their name.] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to 3 cards in your bind zone with "Star-saver" in their name and call them to separate RCs.  
 **CONT VC:** All cards called from your bind zone with "Star-saver" in their name get +5000 power and + 1 critical.

* * *

Redemption Star-saver, Cyber Angel  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** [Choose a card on your RC and bind it face up.] When this card is placed on GC, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets +5000 shield for every grade of the bound card.


	100. The Color of Scarlet

**A/N: Here it is readers. It's the final day of the 5 chapter week special. Enjoy.**

"Go Llew! Cut them down!"

At William's call, the knight charged forward, slicing through enemy after enemy with his two blades. Yet another member of Purgatory fell before him. However, another unit came in and attacked Llew, making William wince in pain.

"Geez, don't these guys ever give up?" Mai asked.

"Between Purgatory's loyal members and the fighter's they have control over, they practically have an army." Jasmine said. "It's a war of attrition against us right now I'm afraid."

Over by Marcus and Daiki, the two teens unleashed another attack from their Cross Stride units. The extra power had definitely been a bonus. But it was clear it was taking everything they had to stay standing right now.

"Marcus, you're way too tired. Take a rest." Emma urged.

"You too, Daiki." Kimiko added.

"No way…" Daiki said. "We can… still fight…"

"Yeah…" Marcus nodded. "We're not… done… yet…" As the words escaped his lips however, both Marcus and Daiki collapsed onto the ground. As they did, both Blademaster and Arboros vanished.

"Marcus!" Emma exclaimed. She shook her brother, trying to rouse him. "Are you alright?! Wake up! Please!"

Jasmine noticed the two teens down and widened her eyes. "Keiko! Mai! Cover me!" Earning a nod from the other two idols, Jasmine rushed to Marcus and Daiki's side.

"Can you help them?" Emma asked Jasmine with tears of worry in her eyes.

After a quick look at the teens, Jasmine looked up at Emma and Kimiko. "They're lives aren't in any danger. But they're exhausted. I don't think they can fight anymore right now."

"Geez. Those idiots. Now we have to guard them." Keith groaned.

"Leave it to us." Kimiko said. "Emma and I will protect them."

"Yeah." Emma nodded. Both Daiyusha and Uluru stood near the two girls. "They've been keeping us safe all this time. Now it's our turn to keep them safe."

"I'm afraid I can't leave it to just you two." Jasmine said with a shake of her head. "You're both tired as well. You haven't used Cross Stride like these two but your bodies can't endure much more."

"But-"

"No buts." Jasmine said. "You two just stay here for now. Leave Purgatory's members to the rest of us."

Jasmine's avatar, Nightrose heeded the idol's resolve and cut down another enemy. But despite the advantage they had in power, Purgatory still held the overwhelming advantage in numbers.

' _Damn. We can't hold out much longer. And with two members down, we've lost some of our power.'_ William thought.

"William." Amy said, walking up next to the Lewis heir. "I think we have to use it."

"You mean Cross Stride?" William asked. "You can't be serious. You've seen the condition Marcus and Daiki are in, right?"

"They were able to maintain it for about twenty minutes though." Amy told him. "It's been almost an hour since Aurora and the others went in there. They have to be nearly done by now."

"That's a very big risk." William told her. "If we run out of stamina before they finish, we'll only be at more of a disadvantage."

"We can't hold out much the state we're in right now anyway." Amy pointed out. "We'll just have to try and finish them off while Cross Stride is active or pray that the others will finish up in there before we run out of stamina."

William couldn't completely deny the point Amy made. He sighed and gave in. "Very well. Let's do it."

Keiko noticed auras surround both William and Amy. She widened her eyes. ' _No way… Are they seriously going to use it too?'_

"Let's go! Cross Stride!" William and Amy shouted.

As the two shouted this, both Llew and Rachel erupted with an incredible amount of energy. Their forms changed as they soon reemerged stronger than ever. Llew held a singular blade, much like his Blaster Infinity form. However, this one was much broader than his previous one. On top of that, he had on heavy white armor, almost resembling King of Knights Alfred himself. As for Rachel, her clothing had changed to holy-like robes. A second pair of black wings stretched out from her back, giving her four in total now. Her two swords were gripped tightly as ever, with a peculiar white veil surrounding them.

"Divine Blaster King, Llew!"

"Seraph of Miracle Light, Rachel!"

The two units readied themselves as they charged in. With their newfound strength, they tore through the enemy lines. The others watched in awe of the overwhelming power they possessed.

' _No going back now.'_ William thought. ' _Now it's just a question of how long we can keep this up.'_

* * *

Roman stood alone at the entrance to the top floor. If the fighters that planned to stop Purgatory would arrive, it would be through there. So Ryo had stationed Roman there for guard duty. The Scarlet heir wore a scowl on his face. He wasn't the least bit happy about any of this.

It had all gone up in smoke so quickly. He thought he was using Ryo, but it turned out he was the one that got used in the end. And now Roman had no choice but to do whatever Ryo told him to do. It infuriated him. He was heir to the Scarlet family. He was going to take control of Ragnarok for himself and stand on top of everyone else. But now he was little more than a pawn. If he didn't do what Ryo commanded of him, his life was forfeit.

' _This is all her fault! That damned fake Scarlet! First she ruins the family's reputation and makes us go into poverty! Then she ruins my plans for Purgatory!'_ Ryo clenched his fists in frustration. ' _I will make her pay. If nothing else, I will see that she suffers a thousand fold for everything that has happened to me.'_

His wait didn't last much longer as soon the doors to the room he was in opened up. Four teens walked into the room. The first three were Team Cosmic Trio. But the last one was the one his attention was focussed on.

"Elizabeth…" Roman growled.

"Roman…" Elizabeth glared. "I doubt you're just going to let us pass, are you?"

"Obviously." he said. "I'm going to crush you right here and now, you worthless failure."

Elizabeth took a few steps forward, knowing what she had to do. "Go on ahead you guys. He's all mine."

"Right." Aurora nodded, along with Dan and Anthony. "Just be careful."

"Don't worry. I have no intention of losing to him." Elizabeth said.

"You better win." Anthony said. "Otherwise, I'm never letting you live it down."

Elizabeth showed a small smile. "Thanks. Same to you."

With that, Aurora and the others hurried on past Roman and to the next room. Roman knew that they would find Ryo on this floor. They were near the top of the building after all. But none of that mattered to him right now. All he cared about was finishing Elizabeth once and for all.

A sheet of light appeared in front of both of them and Elizabeth placed her deck down. "Let's end this Roman."

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Roman said.

Together, the two Scarlets began the game. "Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla!"

 **Crimson Blood Knight, Carmilla**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Shadow Revenger, Conrad!"

 **Shadow Revenger, Conrad**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

With the start of the fight, the area around the two of them changed. Elizabeth soon noticed that instead of the room they had just been in, they now stood in a palace. But her main focus was on the fight at hand.

' _Shadow Paladin clan. Revenger series. Just like William told me.'_ Elizabeth thought, remembering what William was able to recall from his fight against Roman. ' _I refuse to lose this fight. Not just for everyone counting on me, but also myself.'_

"I'll begin." Roman said. "Ride! Loyal Revenger, Dorint!"

 **Loyal Revenger, Dorint**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Conrad moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Roman(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Ride! Darkquartz Dragon!"

 **Darkquartz Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Carmilla moves back with her skill." Elizabeth said. "And now they'll launch an attack on your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Elizabeth said. "No trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger." Roman said.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(0), Roman(1).]**

"That's it for my turn." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Elizabeth(6), Roman(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Ride! Revenger, Darkbless Angel!"

 **Revenger, Darkbless Angel**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I call Detonate Heat Dragon." Roman said. "Detonate Heat, scorch her!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Elizabeth said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Darkbless and Conrad, you're up!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), Roman(1).]**

"My turn's over." Roman said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Roman(5).]**

"I'm up then. Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Ride! Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious!"

 **Scheming Knight of Iron, Argragious**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

' _He's already starting to get his formation in order. I can't fall behind.'_ Elizabeth thought. "I call Morion Spear Dragon! And I'll have it attack your Detonate Heat Dragon!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Argragious and Carmilla, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(1), Roman(3).]**

"Turn end." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Elizabeth(5), Roman(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "Tell me, Elizabeth. Did you enjoy watching the Scarlet family lose everything? Watching the people you envied so much fall to dirt."

"Of course not!" Elizabeth shouted at him. "I told you already! I did everything I could to try and stop it from happening!"

"Yes, and we can all see where your "best" got us." Roman said with a glare. "You've always been like this. Nothing but a pathetic failure that has no right calling herself a Scarlet. You're a disgrace."

Elizabeth clenched her fist. "Why? Why does it always end up like this? No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, none of you ever accept me. I was always grateful for what the Scarlet family gave me. It was my home. But my adoptive parents were the only ones that accepted me. The rest of you looked at me like I was nothing more than trash."

"Of course we did. Did you actually think any of us would treat _you_ like a real Scarlet?" Roman asked. "You were an outsider. Someone your adopted parents used to give themselves something to pass things onto. Do you actually think they loved you?"

"Shut up!" Elizabeth yelled, a glare in her eyes. "You don't know the first thing about them! Don't you dare insult them! Unlike the rest of you, they actually cared about me!"

"Care and love. What pointless emotions." Roman said. "They've been ousted from the family, just like you. I'll at least grant them the mercy of never having to see your pathetic face again." He held a card from his hand up into the air. "Take my rage and fury, and let it give you form! Wipe this pathetic loser away from existence! Ride! Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon!"

 **Revenger, Raging Terror Dragon**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Calling Detecting Revenger, Aife. With her skill, I rest her and check the top 5 cards of my deck." Roman explained. "Adding Revenger, Raging Form Dragon to my hand. And now Detonate Heat will attack! With its skill, add 2000 power!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Guard!"

"Get ready, cause Raging Terror is coming right for your Vanguard!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Fine by me. Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

Elizabeth watched two cards fall right into her damage zone. She took a moment to recover herself from suddenly having part of her life energy drained away.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Roman(3).]**

Roman smirked at Elizabeth. "Now this is a much better look for you. A pathetic worm groveling in the dirt where you belong. But don't think I'll let you simply surrender. I want to enjoy tearing you apart piece by piece. Now take your turn."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Elizabeth(4), Roman(6).]**

"As if I'd ever give you the satisfaction by giving up." Elizabeth spat. "Stand and draw!" She looked at her hand. There was one unit there that she knew would help her out in this fight. The unit that had always fought beside her. Her avatar. She raised it up into the air. "Dragon that stands at the summit of strength! Crush your enemies with your dark blade! Ride! Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny!"

 **Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon Tyranny**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Elizabeth called out. "Dark Knight of Blood Sword, Morgan!"

 **Dark Knight of Blood Sword, Morgan**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Morion Spear Dragon! Then I search my deck for Spear of Darkness, Mazorlf and call him to rear guard! During this turn, Mazorlf can be treated as 2 retires when paying the cost for a skill!" Elizabeth explained. "Next, I call Darkpride Dragon! And then, I activate Morgan's skill!" Elizabeth paid the cost as she counterblasted and flipped a copy of Morgan face up in her G Zone. "Now I'm able to retire rear guards I control up to the number of face up cards in my G Zone! So I retire Darkpride Dragon! Afterwards, I can then call grade 1 cards from my deck up to the number of rear guards I just retired, plus 1! So I call Morion Spear and Argragious! They're both grade 2, but they each have a skill to be treated as grade 1s in the deck so long as I have a Claret Sword Dragon Vanguard! They both gain 5000 power from being called off of Morgan's skill! And with Darkpride's skill, I can now call Darkquartz Dragon from my deck and countercharge! Darkquartz's skill then gives itself and my Vanguard and extra 3000 power!"

"Well, well, you managed to get out a full field. Not too shabby for a failure." Roman smirked.

"Oh I'm not finished yet." Elizabeth retorted. "I use Argragious's skill! I retire Mazorlf to add 3000 power to Argragious and give him the ability to boost until end of turn! Then, Mazorlf's soul blast will allow me to call a copy of him with an extra 5000 power! On top of that, since I retired a grade 1 rear guard, Carmilla's skill lets me draw a card and add 5000 power to the Vanguard!"

' _Tch. She's really powering up her formation.'_ Roman noticed. ' _No matter. I'll crush her all the same.'_

"Here goes! Darkquartz lends a boost to Argragious for an attack at Detonate Heat!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+7000+3000=27000)**

"No guard." Roman said, watching his rear guard bite the dust.

"Boosted by Carmilla, Morgan attacks!" Elizabeth declared.

 **(26000+5000+5000=36000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, stand trigger! I give all effects to Argragious!" Elizabeth said. "Argragious, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+5000=22000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Morion Spear and Mazorlf, get him!" Elizabeth called out. "Morion Spear's skill! When boosted by a grade 1, it gains 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+1000+5000=32000)**

"No guard." Roman said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(3), Roman(4).]**

"Turn end." Elizabeth said.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Elizabeth(6), Roman(3).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. He showed a smirk. "Now then, it's time for you to see the full scope of my anger. I will destroy you so there is not even a trace left of your pathetic existence." He discarded a card from his hand. "Stride Generation! True Revenger, Raging Rapt Dragon!"

 **True Revenger, Raging Rapt Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! My Vanguard gains a skill to treat all cards in my hand as grade 3s!" Roman declared. "Next I call Revenger, Darkbless Angel! Using Detecting Revenger, Aife's skill to check the top five cards of the deck. Adding Raging Form Dragon to my hand. And now Darkbless Angel will attack Morion Spear Dragon!"

 **(9000)**

"Argragious intercepts!"

"Raging Rapt Dragon, tear her apart! And Conrad, lend it support!" Roman called out.

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I draw!" Roman said. "I hope you didn't think that was the end dear Elizabeth, cause I'm just getting started. Raging Rapt Dragon's limit break! I discard 2 grade 3 Abyss Dragons from my hand and retire Darkbless Angel and Conrad! Superior persona stride! Raging Rapt Dragon!"

Elizabeth watched as Roman's Vanguard left only to reappear standing again. She knew this wasn't going to be easy but she would have to do what she could to survive.

"Darkbless Angel's counterblast. Since she was retired, I call grade 1 Aife from the deck. Then with Conrad's skill when retired, I send him to the soul to draw and add 5000 power to the Aife I just called." Roman explained. "Now Aife, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(6000+5000=11000)**

' _His Vanguard only has twin drive. I should be able to handle another hit from that. For now, I should save my hand.'_ Elizabeth thought to herself. "Intercept with Morion Spear."

"Raging Rapt Dragon, get her!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check." Elizabeth said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), Roman(4).]**

"Raging Rapt's skill once again! I retire my 2 Aife units and discard 2 grade 3 Abyss Dragons from my hand! Rise once more, Raging Rapt Dragon!" Roman called out.

Once again, Elizabeth found herself with another Vanguard attack to deal with. But Roman had no more rear guards, meaning this would be his last attack of the turn.

"Raging Rapt Dragon, destroy her!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Plotmaker's ritual 3! Add 10000 to the shield!"

"Turn end." Roman said. "You're up. Do your worst, Elizabeth."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Elizabeth(3), Roman(8).]**

"With pleasure. Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. "Stride Generation! Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon!"

 **Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I retire Darkquartz Dragon and call another Darkquartz! This card can be treated as 2 retires instead of one." Elizabeth said. "In addition, Darkquartz's skill! Add 3000 power to itself and to the Vanguard! Next up, Carmilla's skill lets me draw and add 5000 power to the Vanguard! I then call Exceptional Knight, Gwawl from my hand! And now Darkquartz will attack with a boost from Mazorlf!"

 **(7000+3000+7000+1000=18000)**

"No guard." Roman said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(4), Roman(5).]**

"With Carmilla's boost, my Vanguard attacks!" Elizabeth declared. "Skill activated! I retire 3 rear guards! I choose Mazorlf and the Darkquartz that's treated as 2 retires! In exchange, my Vanguard gains 10000 power and an extra critical! In addition, the opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater units from the hand or field to the guardian circle! I'll also use Mazorlf's soul blast to call another Mazorlf behind Gwawl with an extra 5000 power!"

 **(26000+10000+3000+5000=44000)**

' _Tch. No grade 1s or higher, huh? That means no sentinels.'_ Roman though as he looked at his hand. ' _It doesn't matter. I have to stop this attack at all costs. I can't afford to let it hit.'_

"Generation guard! Dragwiser, Bronach!"

 **Dragwiser, Bronach**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Bronach's skill! Look at the top five cards of the deck and call all grade 1s to the guardian circle!" Roman declared. The top five cards came to him and he smirked. "Just what I needed. I call Revenger, Weitgore Dragon and Dark Revenger, Mac Lir to guard! And now that Mac Lir's out on the field, I discard a card from my hand and perfect guard!"

' _Damn. Mac Lir's skill can be used regardless of where it's called from. So I wasn't able to take much else from his hand.'_ Elizabeth thought. "Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Gwawl! Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."

"Too bad for you, Elizabeth. But then again, this is what happens to failures like you."

"Shut up!" Elizabeth shouted. "Gwawl attacks with a boost from Mazorlf!"

 **(10000+5000+7000+1000+5000=28000)**

"I guard!" Roman said, holding up a pair of triggers from his hand, both with 10000 shield.

"Turn end." Elizabeth said. ' _Darn. I wasn't able to finish him off that turn. And now he has 5 face up cards in his G Zone.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Elizabeth(6), Roman(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Roman said. "I've waited a long time for this, Elizabeth. The day I get to erase you from my sight once and for all!" He held his hand over his G Zone as a dark aura veiled around it. "I bind five cards from my G Zone face down. By doing so, I open up the gate to a dark future."

' _This is bad.'_

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Roman shouted. "Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago!"

 **Deadly Knight of Purgatory, Vassago**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

A bolt of lightning came down from above, crashing through the roof of the castle they were standing in. As the cloud of debris cleared, Elizabeth saw Roman's Purgatorial Stride staring her down. The clouds in the sky were dark and ominous, as if warning her of the danger she was in if she wasn't aware enough already.

"I call Wily Revenger, Mana! With her skill, I call Revenger of Vigor, Maur from the deck! I also call Detonate Heat Dragon from my hand! Next up, Vassago's counterblast! He gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill!" Roman explained. "But first, let's have Detonate Heat attack your Vanguard! It's skill adds 2000 power!"

 **(9000+2000=11000)**

"Intercept with Gwawl!"

"Next up is Mana, boosted by Maur!"

 **(8000+6000=14000)**

"No guard. Damage check, stand trigger. Power to the Vanguard and stand Carmilla."

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Roman(5).]**

"Vassago attacks!" Roman declared. "Activating skill! I retire all 3 of my rear guards, as well as your 2 remaining rear guards! I then call Raging Terror Dragon and Raging Form Dragon from the deck! They each gain 5000 power for each rear guard retired, which is a total of 25000!"

 **(36000+10000=46000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Raging Form Dragon! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Raging Terror Dragon!"

' _Damn. So both of his rear guards are now critical. That means I can't afford to let either one hit.'_

"Why do you struggle so much Elizabeth?" Roman questioned. "All you've ever done is try to act like your an equal to the Scarlets. But the sad fact is you're not. You're a pathetic disgrace and that's all you'll ever be."

' _I can't let it end like this.'_ Elizabeth thought to herself. ' _I swore to myself… that I wouldn't lose this.'_

"Get out of my sight." Roman said. "Raging Form Dragon, end her!"

 **(11000+25000+5000=41000)**

' _And I never go back on my word.'_

"Generation guard! Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon!"

 **Dark Dragon, Plotmaker Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Add 10000 to the shield!" Elizabeth called out. "I also guard with Knight of the Black Sun, Gavain from my hand!"

"Grr… Raging Terror! Erase her from existence!"

 **(11000+25000+5000=41000)**

"Guard!" Elizabeth said, holding up the remaining cards in her hand.

Roman widened his eyes in disbelief. "No… That's not possible…"

Elizabeth breathed heavily, barely able to stand with her remaining strength. But she refused to give in. She would see this fight through to the end.

"Turn end…" Roman said. ' _It's fine. She doesn't have any cards in her hand anyway. There's no way she can win against me. I won't lose. Not to someone like her.'_

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Elizabeth(0), Roman(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Elizabeth said. She showed the card in her hand to her opponent. "I discard a card with the same name as my Vanguard. I then remove four copies of Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon from the game."

Roman widened his eyes as the ground shook around them. Parts of his castle began to crumble. ' _What's happening?'_

"Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride!" Elizabeth called out. "Supreme King of Calamities, Claret Sword Ruler!"

 **Supreme King of Calamities, Claret Sword Ruler**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

The new Claret Sword appeared onto the field. A massive sword with a blade coated red was grasped firmly in its hand. Two wings of azure flames sprouted from its back, along with flames of the same color going down its spine all the way to the end of its tail.

"Skill of Claret Sword Ruler!" Elizabeth declared, paying a counterblast of 2. "I send up to five grade 1 units from my drop zone back to my deck! Then I choose up to five grade 1s in my deck and call them to open rear guard circles! And thanks to your efforts last turn, I've got a full field of open circles!"

' _No… This can't be happening…'_

"I call three Darkquartz Dragons, along with two Morion Spear Dragons!" Elizabeth declared. "They each gain 5000 power! In addition, each Darkquartz Dragon's skill gives themselves 3000 power and another 3000 to my Vanguard!"

Roman clenched his fist in frustration. "That look in your eyes… How were you able to pull this off? You're trash! Garbage! Worthless! How can someone like you be this strong?!"

"That's simple." Elizabeth told him. "Unlike you, I'm not just talk."

"What?"

"All you ever do is look down on people. You just assume you're better than them because of your social status. You think yourself a king and the rest of the world your loyal servants." Elizabeth said. She pointed a finger at him. "You have no right to call yourself a king when the only person in the world you care about is yourself! And I'm going to put an end to it once and for all!"

"Damn you…"

"First up is the Morion Spear and Darkquartz on the left! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+5000+3000=34000)**

"Guard!"

"Claret Sword Ruler attacks!" Elizabeth said. "Skill activated! I retire any number of my rear guards! I choose the Morion Spear and Darkquartz that just battled, as well as the Darkquartz behind my Vanguard! Now you have to choose cards from your hand and field equal to the number of rear guards I just retired and send them to the drop zone!"

"What?!" Roman gasped.

 **(36000)**

Looking at his rear guards and hand, he barely had anything left no matter what, he wouldn't be able to guard this incoming attack. He had no choice but to send his 2 rear guards and a card from his hand to the drop zone. "No guard…"

"Go Claret Sword! End this!"

The blade of Elizabeth's Vanguard became cloaked in azure flames as it swung the sword down on Roman and his Vanguard. Roman watched in fear as the final card went into his damage zone.

 **[Damage: Elizabeth(5), Roman(6).]**

"No… This can't be possible…" Roman said as he collapsed onto the floor. He could feel his life slowly draining away.

Elizabeth fell back, completely exhausted from the fight. "I did it…"

"Elizabeth…" Roman muttered. "I don't get it. It just doesn't make sense. I was destined for greatness. So why did fate constantly block my path?"

"Fate isn't something that's destined for us when we're born Roman." Elizabeth said. "It's something we make for ourselves. One day I'll rebuild the Scarlet family. And not in your image. But my own image. One where we don't step on others to get ahead."

Roman let out a pitiful chuckle. "What utter rubbish."

After those words, Roman fell silent, his life gone. Elizabeth took this as a much needed opportunity to rest. Her role in this was over now. It was up to the others from here on.

' _If I'm going to rebuild the Scarlet family, we're first going to need to get through this crisis.'_

 **Aurora: That's 4 of the 7 Lords down. We're more than halfway there.**

 **Dan: Everyone's sacrificed so much to get us this far. We can't let them down.**

 **Anthony: Time to kick some butt. Who's up next?**

 **Aurora: It's up to us now, you two. Let's show them what we can do!**

 **Next time: Nothing More Than Puppets**

 **Card Gallery:**

Dark Knight of Blood Sword, Morgan  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & Take a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this card and flip it face up.]. Choose rear guards you control up to the number of face up cards in your G Zone and retire them. Then, if you retired 1 or more rear guards with this effect, search your deck for grade 1 cards equal to the number of retired rear guards +1 and call them to RC. They each get +5000 power.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** If 3 or more of your rear guards have been retired this turn due to your card effects, this unit gets +10000 power and +1 drive.

* * *

Supreme King of Calamities, Claret Sword Ruler  
Grade 4  
Power 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Dark Future King Dragon, Claret Blood Dragon):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **ACT 1/Turn VC: [** CB2] Return up to five grade 1 cards from your drop zone to the bottom of your deck. Choose grade 1 units from your deck up to the number of returned units and call them to separate open RCs. Those units gain +5000 until the end of the turn.  
 **AUTO VC:** [Retire any number your rear guards] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent chooses cards in their hand and/or RC equal to the number of retired units and sends them to the drop zone. Then, if you retired five or more rear guard, this units gains +1 critical and +1 drive until the end of the turn.

* * *

Divine Blaster King, Llew  
Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Blaster Infinity, Llew):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **ACT 1/Turn VC:** [CB2]. Send all of your rear guards to the bottom of the deck. Search your deck for up to 5 units with "Blaster" in their name and call them to separate RCs. Until end of turn, they each get +5000 power and this unit gets +10000 power.  
 **AUTO VC:** [Discard a card from your hand.] When your rear guard with "Blaster" in its name attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, that unit performs a drive check for this battle.

* * *

Seraph of Miracle Light, Rachel  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Conquest Seraph, Rachel):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose a card from your hand with the same name as your Vanguard and discard it & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on VC, take any number of trigger units from your drop zone, put then on the bottom of your deck in any order, and shuffle your deck.  
 **Rescue X AUTO VC:** [CB1, SB1]. When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to 5 cards from your damage zone and call them to separate RCs. Then, choose your Vanguard and deal a damage to it for each unit called.  
 **CONT VC:** All of your units get the Power effect of your triggers.


	101. Nothing More Than Puppets

**A/N: Hey readers. You ready for 2 cardfights in one chapter? Crazy right? But we're winding down to the end of this arc so have fun with this surprise.**

Apocalypses aren't fun.

A cult was trying to destroy the world. Strange beings were causing terror left and right. Fun was the last thing any of this was. But when the world needed saving, all anyone could do was fight to the best of their ability. William and Amy were doing just that mere minutes ago. But it was clear their stamina had reached its limit after keeping Cross Stride manifested for so long.

William fell to one knee as he tried to catch his breath. "Damnit… What's taking Aurora and the others so long?"

"I don't think I can even stand up anymore." Amy chimed in, on her knees and completely exhausted.

"They've reached their limit. They can't fight anymore." Jasmine stated. Llew and Rachel both disappearing from the area only further proved her words. "Keiko! Mai! Help pull them back! I'll cover you!"

"Right!" both idols nodded. They rushed over to William and Amy and pulled them back towards where Marcus and Daiki were resting.

"Thanks. Sorry." William said.

"Tch, great. Now we're down another two people." Keith said. "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

Purgatory's army slowly got closer and closer. Jasmine and the others were all slowly forced back. Things weren't looking good.

"Geez, can't these guys just give up?" Mai asked.

"What do we do, Jasmine?" Keiko asked. "They'll take us all down within a few minutes at this rate."

Jasmine tried to come up with a solution. But no matter how hard she racked her brain, nothing came to her. Even if they were to try and escape, they were completely surrounded against the building. There was no way they could get away with four people that couldn't even stand.

"Great. The one time I decide to have a change of heart and this happens." Keith complained. "Just my luck."

Purgatory's members chuckled ominously as they approached. Their victory here seemed all but assured. It had been a battle of stamina all along and their numbers had won out.

"Finish them!" one of the members shouted.

"I don't think so!"

Out of nowhere, a figure came crashing down from the sky. It slammed into the ground between Jasmine's group and Purgatory. When the debris cleared, they saw a lone unit that they all recognized.

"That's… Chronofang Tiger ZX…" Jasmine said. "But that means-"

A sudden explosion was seen from behind Purgatory. The cult's group was thrown into disarray in a matter of seconds. When their formation broke, a teen rushed through and stood next to Chronofang Tiger. He turned his head back to Jasmine and the others and showed a small grin. "Hope I'm not late to the party."

"Yuma Koto?!" Emma gasped.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" another voice spoke. Going over Purgatory and appearing at Yuma's side were his teammates, Akari and Kenta. With them were the units Amaruda and Gredora.

"What are you doing here?" Keiko questioned.

"What else? Fight these losers and put them in their place." Akari smirked. "And it's not just the three of us."

"We brought a little army of our own. In the form of the student cardfighters from the Tokyo Institute of Technology." Kenta explained.

It was true. On the other side of Team Genius Prodigy, they could see students fighting off Purgatory's members. With this, the numbers advantage Purgatory held was being dwindled bit by bit.

"How did you know to come here?" Kimiko asked.

"Marcus informed me." Yuma said. "I spoke with him after he returned from his trip a few weeks ago. I was surprised to hear he was already aware of Purgatory, a lot more than we were from the research we did. While you were coming over here, he messaged me and explained the situation. So I gathered all the students I could from our school's cardfighting program and started making our way here."

"It was better than fighting these weaklings off randomly." Akari said. "But man, these creeps are trying to destroy the world? Talk about messed up."

"The entire world is in a state of panic currently. Naturally, the optimal solution is to take this threat down at the source." Kenta said. "As such, here we are."

"With Yuma and everyone here, we just might have a chance!" Emma said with a hopeful look on her face.

"You guys can take a break. We'll handle the rest." Yuma said. "Besides, we also ran into a little help on the way here."

Mai narrowed her eyes. "What kind of help?"

"Foul villains, beware the might of justice!"

As the shout echoed through the air, an explosion was seen near the Purgatory members. Several people backed away as a trio of costume wearing figures stood proudly.

"Team Star Gate Sentai?" Emma said with widened eyes.

"Hahaha, as if we would run and hide while evil roams the streets!" Golden Spark said.

"We are heroes of justice! When we appear, evil turns tail and runs!" Blue Lightning spoke.

"Now fellow heroes, let us crush these fiends and bring peace back to the world!" White Cosmos commanded. "For justice!"

Keith groaned as he shook his head. "I swear, everyone on this side is a complete lunatic."

"Regardless, any help we can get is appreciated." Jasmine said. "Now is our chance! Let's turn the tables on them!"

"Right!"

* * *

After leaving Elizabeth to deal with Roman, Aurora and her teammates knew they were getting close to the end. They hurried through the floor and soon found the place they were looking for when they came across a rather large set of doors. Every one of their instincts screamed that this was an important place.

"There's only 3 Lords left. Two of them are going to be that ninja duo." Dan said.

"That leaves one more. Probably the final boss if I had to bet." Anthony added. "Let's take that lunatic down."

"Do not speak ill of our master if you value your lives, fools." a sudden voice spoke up. Jumping down from above, the familiar duo of Sora and Kage appeared and stood before Aurora, Anthony, and Dan.

"Speak of the devils." Aurora muttered.

"If you two are here, then I guess the last one of you losers is behind that door." Anthony said with a crack of his knuckles.

"That is correct. But you will never reach Master Ryo." Sora said.

"Because we will stop you both right here." Kage added, pulling out his deck along with Sora.

Dan and Anthony both stepped forward. "Aurora, you stay back. We'll handle these two." Dan said.

"Yeah, save your strength. You'll need it for this Ryo guy they mentioned." Anthony told her.

Aurora nodded her head. "Alright. Be careful you guys."

Anthony and Dan both brought out their decks. "So, we doing this tag fight style like you fought last time?" Anthony asked.

"No. We shall fight you both separately." Kage said.

"If you are ready, then we shall begin." Sora said.

A sheet of light appeared before each fighter. Dan stood across from Kage while Anthony's opponent was Sora. A fierce look of determination was seen in each of their eyes.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Happiness Performer!"

 **Happiness Performer**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Thunderwarning Dracokid!"

 **Thunderwanring Dracokid**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Stealth Rogue of Wintry Wind, Kamojigusa!"

 **Stealth Rogue of Wintry Wind, Kamojigusa**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Disciple Stealth Fiend, Minosuke!"

 **Disciple Stealth Fiend, Minosuke**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the four of them shouted those words a cloud of energy swallowed all of them up. Aurora could only stand on the outside and pray that her friends would be victorious.

' _They can win this. I know they can.'_ Aurora thought to herself.

As Dan and Kage stood across from each other, their scenery changed. Before long, both of them were in a world of complete blackness. Nothing could be seen in any direction no matter how far Dan looked.

"Well this is a colorful setting." Dan commented sarcastically.

"I have no need for anything in this world. Neither does my brother." Kage spoke. "We exist only to serve Master Ryo. That is all."

' _Oh great. They're even crazier than I thought.'_ Dan thought to himself. "I'm up first. Ride! Miracle Juggler, Lance!"

 **Miracle Juggler, Lance**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Dan(5), Kage(5).]**

"Then it is my turn. I draw." Kage said. "Ride! Stealth Phantom, Seizui!"

 **Stealth Phantom Seizui**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Kamojigusa moves back." Kage said. "Now attack!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard." Dan said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Kage(0).]**

"That will end my turn." Kage said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Dan(5), Kage(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Ride! Spotlight Star, Elen!"

 **Spotlight Star, Elen**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I then call Beast Caretaker, Natalie from my hand!" Dan said. "Natalie attacks!"

 **(7000)**

"No guard." Kage said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Kage(1).]**

"Elen's up next!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Kage said, quickly holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

"Drive check. No trigger."

"My turn ends." Dan said. "Using Natalie's skill. Since I have a Vanguard with magia, she goes to the soul. Then, I search my deck and add Darkside Princess to the soul."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Dan(5), Kage(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Kage said. "Ride! Stealth Phantom, Genkai!"

 **Stealth Phantom, Genkai**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I then call Stealth Phantom, Fuurai!" Kage added, calling a second grade 2 to the field. "Fuurai attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!"

"Boosted by Kamojigusa, Genaki attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger." Kage said.

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Kage(1).]**

Dan felt more of his energy leave him. This was what fighting a member of Purgatory was. Putting one's very life on the line.

"My turn shall end with that." Kage said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Dan(4), Kage(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "I don't get it. Why do you all want the world destroyed?"

"This world is a curse." Kage said. "While some may enjoy happy lives, it is always at the expense of others."

"What do you mean?"

"My brother and I were what some might call street rats. We were abandoned by our parents when we were seven. We scavenged around, stealing what we had to in order to survive. But our lives were hardly worth living. Many times, we considered if it would simply be easier to just rot away and die." He tried to hide his rage, but the shaking of Kage's fist was enough of an indicator. "The world didn't care about us. We were simply trash in its eyes. But that was when we met Master Ryo. He offered us a home. Fed us. Educated us. Like us, he too hated the world for what it had become."

' _So that's what led to them becoming like this.'_ Dan realized. A pair of brothers abandoned and alone. He couldn't help but pity them.

"Master Ryo saved us. And for that, Sora and I are willing to do anything for him." Kage said. "If he asks us to fight, we will fight. If he asks us to kill, we shall kill. If he asks us to throw our lives away for him, then that is what we shall do."

"But that's not right!" Dan argued. "Sure he saved you, but that doesn't mean you should act like his slaves for the rest of your lives! That only makes you mindless puppets!"

"That is fine with us." Kage said. "We are puppets for Master Ryo to control. If it means he can rebuild the world in his glorious image, then I am happy to give up my life."

' _This isn't just loyalty. This is straight up brainwashing.'_ Dan thought. He couldn't help but see a part of himself in Kage though right now. He recalled the things he did for Kira and Demon's Den. All to get his card back. But Aurora and all of his friends had helped him break free of those shackles. He was no longer someone's pawn to control. He was free.

And that was why it infuriated him seeing something like this.

"I won't let you destroy this world. I will stop you, no matter what it takes." Dan said. "The moon is your spotlight! Take to the stage! Bring forth an act that will be talked about for generations! Ride! Masked Illusionist, Harri!"

 **Masked Illusionist, Harri**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Go Harri! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to the Vanguard! Second check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Kage said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(1), Kage(3).]**

"Turn end." Dan said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Dan(6), Kage(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Kage said. "Dragon who the shadows serve. Appear here and now and help me complete my mission. Ride! Phantasmal Stealth Dragon, Shiranui Asato!"

 **Phantasmal Stealth Dragon, Shiranui Asato**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Kage called out. "Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gozenrakan!"

 **Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gozenrakan**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! I call Stealth Rogue of Night Fog, Miyabi from my hand! Then, the opponent must discard a card from their hand! In addition, since I have a rear guard with Afterimage, the opponent must bind a card from their hand face down!"

Losing cards from his hand was not something Dan was a fan of, especially since he hadn't had much of a chance to build it up yet. But he had no choice. So he discarded a card and bound another.

"I call Stealth Dragon, Seizui behind Miyabi!" Kage said. "I then activate Gozenrakan's skill! I counterblast and flip a copy of him face up! The opponent then binds one of their rear guards and a card from their hand! Then, they discard a card from their hand and all of my Afterimage rear guards gain 3000 power for every card in the opponent's bind zone!"

Dan grit his teeth as two more cards left his hand. And with two cards in his bind zone now, Kage's rear guards were gaining 6000 power each with the exception of Miyabi.

"Miyabi attacks with a boost from Seizui! And with Seizui's skill, at the start of my battle phase, he gains 3000 power for each face down card in the opponent's bind zone since I have a Shiranui Vanguard!"

 **(9000+7000+6000+6000=28000)**

' _I've barely got anything to defend with. I need to play my defenses smart.'_ Dan thought. "No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(2), Kage(3).]**

"With a boost from Kamojigusa, my Vanguard attacks!" Kage declared.

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to the Fuurai and critical to the Vanguard! Third check, heal trigger. Power to Fuurai and I recover one."

"Damage check." Dan said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Kage(2).]**

"Fuurai will attack next! With its skill, add 10000 power since there are two or more cards face down in the opponent's bind zone!"

 **(9000+6000+10000+10000=35000)**

"Generation guard! Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival!"

 **Chainsaw Megatrick, Furnival**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Furnival's skill! Check the top three cards of the deck! I add Wonder Magician to the soul! Since it's grade 1 or higher, add 5000 to the shield!"

"Turn end." Kage said. "The cards in your bind zone return to the hand, which triggers my Afterimage. And with Shiranui's Generation Break, I can ignore the hand size limit of Afterimage. So Fuurai, Seizui, and Kamojigusa return to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Dan(4), Kage(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Fancy Megatrick, Darklord Princess!"

 **Fancy Megatrick, Darklord Princess**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! I soul charge and call Wonder Magician from the soul! Add 3000 power! Then, since Wonder Magician has magia, I countercharge! I then activate Wonder Magician's magia! I soul charge! The card soul charged was grade 1, so I can call a grade 1 or less card from the soul! I choose Lance! 5000 power goes to Lance and Wonder Magician! Lance's magia then lets me call Darkside Princess from the soul and add 5000 power to her!" Dan explained. "Wonder Magician, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"Guard!" Kage said.

"Darkside Princess is up next, with Lance's boost! Using her skill to add 5000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+1000+5000=32000)**

"No guard." Kage said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Kage(3).]**

"Darklord Princess, attack the Vanguard!" Dan called out.

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!" Kage said.

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Wonder Magician! Third check, no trigger." Dan said. He had been hoping for a stand trigger to make the critical trigger on Wonder Magician count for something, but even without one he still was far from done. "At the end of the battle where Darklord Princess attacked, I flip a card in my G Zone face up! Then, I take the Masquerade Master, Harri I just flipped face up and stride him onto the Vanguard circle with drive minus 2!"

"What?! You're striding into another unit in the middle of your battle phase?!" Kage exclaimed.

"Yup! Now here he is! The star of the show! Masquerade Master, Harri!" Dan said as Darklord Princess vanished, only to have Harri appear in her place. "And Darklord isn't done with the stage yet either! When I stride over her like this, I call her to the rear guard!"

Just like that, the empty spot left behind by Darkside Princess was filled in as Darklord Princess appeared in it.

"I'm not done! I also use the skill of Happiness Performer in the soul! Since I strode into a magia G Unit, I call her from the soul and draw! Then, I soul charge and call Elen over Wonder Magician! Since Elen has magia, I draw!" Dan said. "Here we go! Darklord Princess attacks!"

 **(15000)**

"Intercept with Miyabi!"

"Elen attacks with a boost from Happiness Performer!"

 **(9000+1000+5000=15000)**

"Guard!" Kage said, using a card from his hand.

"Elen's counterblast! I send her to the soul and call Masked Phantom, Harri from the soul! And now it'll attack!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Kage(4).]**

"My Vanguard attacks!" Dan declared. "Skill activated! I send Lance and Happiness Performer to the soul! Then, I call Happiness Performer, Lance, and Gate Flipper to rear guard! Lance's magia! I call Darkside Princess over Darklord Princess and add 5000 power! Darklord goes back to the G zone face up! Then, Happiness Performer's magia calls out Spontaneous Acrobat!"

 **(26000)**

"Generation guard! Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gandokurakan!"

 **Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gandokurakan**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Gandokurakan! Since your hand has three or more cards, add 5000 shield! Then, add another 10000 shield since you have six or more cards in hand!"

'"Drive check." Dan said. "Stand trigger. Power to Spontaneous Acrobat."

"Acrobat is up next with a boost from Happiness Performer! With Acrobat's skill, I soul charge and add 10000 power to her!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+5000+3000=32000)**

"Generation guard! Jinx Stealth Fiend, Zashikihime!"

 **Jinx Stealth Fiend, Zashikihime**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

Dan widened his eyes. ' _He had a second heal trigger in his hand?!'_

"Zashikihime's skill. I flip a G Guardian face up in my G Zone. Then, the opponent chooses whether to discard a card or not. If they don't, 20000 is added to the shield."

Dan looked at his opponent's G Zone. With this latest G Guardian, he would have five cards face up. That meant he could unleash the full power of his Purgatorial Stride next turn. In which case, Dan needed to save as much of his hand as possible since he doubted he could finish Kage off this turn. "I won't discard."

"Fine then. 20000 is added to the shield and the attack is guarded."

"You still have one more attack to deal with from Lance and Darkside Princess!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+7000+3000=29000)**

"No guard." Kage said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Kage(5).]**

"Turn end." Dan said. "All of my rear guards return to the soul. And with Gate Flipper's skill, when he's sent from rear guard to the soul, I can soul blast and add him to my hand."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Dan(10), Kage(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Kage said. "You weren't able to defeat me that turn. With that, your fate is sealed." He held his hand over his G Zone. "I bind five face up cards in my G Zone. By doing so, I open the gate to a dark future."

Dan recalled the last time he had seen this. Back when Allen and Amy had fought against Sora and Kage. This was his first time going up against it. But he knew just how terrifying the unit coming was.

"Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite!" Kage called out. "Ninja Seal of Purgatory, Kagemaru!"

 **Ninja Seal of Purgatory, Kagemaru**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

"Stride skill! I call Kamojigusa! Then, the opponent discards a card and binds one since I have an Afterimage rear guard! Kamojigusa's skill then sends that card in your bind zone to the drop zone and lets me countercharge!" Kage said. "I then activate Kagemaru's skill! I draw and bind Stealth Dragon, Shiranui in my hand! Then, the opponent must bind cards among their hand and rear guards collectively equal to the grade of the unit! Shiranui is grade 3 so that's 3 cards!"

In an instant, Dan found his hand size shaved down to half of what it had been at the start of the turn. And Kage still had yet to even declare an attack.

"I call Miyabi!" Kage said, using up the last of his hand. He only had two front row units, but they would do. Kage knew he had to finish his opponent this turn and he intended to do just that.

"Kagemaru, attack the Vanguard!" he called out.

 **(36000)**

Dan looked at his hand. With Kagemaru's skill, playing a G Guardian or sentinel would eat into his hand even more. Buthe had no choice. "Perfect guard with Gate Flipper!"

"Kagemaru's skill. To guard with a G guardian or sentinel, you must first discard a card from your hand."

Dan did just that. He was now down to two cards in his hand. And with Kagemaru's skill, that meant 10000 to Kage's front row.

"Triple drive! First check, heal trigger! Power to Miyabi and I recover one! Second check, no trigger." Everything came down to one final drive check. Dan's hand was too small to guard Miyabi's attack. And with him at four damage, a critical trigger would clinch it.

"Third check…" Kage said as he turned the card over. He widened his eyes at what he saw. "Stand trigger."

Dan breathed a sigh of relief. ' _That was way too close.'_

"I give the power to Miyabi." Kage said. He clenched his fist in frustration.

 **[Damage: Dan(4), Kage(4).]**

"Miyabi attacks with Kamojigusa's boost!"

 **(9000+10000+10000+5000=34000)**

"No guard." Dan said. A fifth card went into his damage zone, but he was still not at six.

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Kage(4).]**

"Turn end." Kage said. "The cards in your bind zone return to your hand. Kamojigusa's Afterimage returns him to my hand."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Dan(6), Kage(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Dan said. "It's time for me to end this. I soul blast for Harri's skill to add Masked Illusionist, Harri to my hand from the soul."

"No… I won't allow this!" Kage said. "I refuse to give up! Master Ryo is counting on me!"

"Too bad. Cause I have my friends and everyone else counting on me." Dan said. "It's time for the grand finale! I discard a card with the same name as my Vanguard. Then, I remove four copies of Masquerade Master, Harri from the game." A pillar of light shot up from Dan's G Zone. A card formed in his hard. "Now awaken! Unlock your potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Master of Illusions, Harri!"

 **Master of Illusions, Harri**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

The new Harri appeared riding a large purple dragon. The rod in his hand was now almost as tall as him. A pair of golden dove-like wings could be seen coming out from his back.

"Harri's skill! I counterblast two cards! Dan said. "I then get to call five cards from my soul to rear guard! Spotlight Star, Elen! Spontaneous Acrobat! Wonder Magician! And finally two Darkside Princess units! They each gain 5000 power, and the ability to attack from the back row, along with a skill! When each of them finish their attack, they can return to the soul and call out another card from the soul in their place!"

Kage widened his eyes. "They what?!"

"Let's start with Elen, shall we? Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+5000+1000=15000)**

"Guard!"

"I send Elen to the soul and call another Elen out in her place!" Dan said. "Spontaneous Acrobat, attack! Using her skill to soul charge and add 10000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+10000=24000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Kage(5).]**

"Go Harri! Finish him off!"

 **(36000)**

"... No guard." Kage said with his head lowered.

Harri raised his rod up and sent a blast of magic at Shiranui. His dragon breathed a stream of fire that mixed in with the magic, engulfing Shiranui and putting the final card in Kage's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Dan(5), Kage(6).]**

Kage fell back and collapsed onto the ground. Dan's deck returned to him and he walked over to the Purgatory member.

"I was weak. I failed Master Ryo." Kage muttered. "Very well then. Death is what I deserve for such a sin."

"... I'm sorry." Dan said.

Kage looked up at him. "Sorry? You're my enemy. What are you apologising for?"

"I was like you once. Trapped and only able to follow other people's orders." Dan told him. "But I never wanted that. I was able to break free, thanks to the help of my friends. Didn't you wish to be free at all? To live a fulfilling life of joy?"

"Spare me your pity. Such words mean nothing to me." Kage told him. "Master Ryo will change this world. Just as I am willing to die to change it, you were willing to die to preserve it. In the end, my will was weaker than yours. That's all there is to it."

"You know, you might have won had you attacked with your rear guard first. That stand trigger could have turned the tide." Dan said.

"Perhaps." Kage said. "But thinking back on it is pointless. After all, it's not like there's going to be a next time."

Dan let out a sigh. "No… I suppose there isn't."

* * *

Ryo could just barely hear the cardfight with Sora and Kage starting in the room adjacent to him. Four of the Lords of Purgatory had already fallen. Not a single one of them had managed to win. Perhaps he had overestimated the usefulness of the followers he had gathered. Or maybe his error was underestimating the cardfighters Yukari Tatsunagi had formed to combat Ragnarok.

In the end, it wouldn't matter. Because he would come out victorious.

' _It's time. Ragnarok is nearly here.'_ Ryo thought to himself. He turned his attention to the other person in the room with him. Kouta.

"It's finally time, Kouta. Our grand ambition is about to be fulfilled." Ryo said. He turned to the boy. "But for that to happen, there is one thing I need you to do."

"What is it?" Kouta asked in a hollow tone.

"Use your link with Ragnarok. Control it." Ryo commanded. "We cannot allow it to destroy the Earth. Instead we will use its power to rule it."

One command. That was all it would take. And with it, Ryo's long years of waiting would have come to fruition. With Kouta at his control, and therefore Ragnarok, he would be unstoppable. No force in the world or the entire universe would oppose him.

"No."

It took Ryo a moment to comprehend what he had just heard. He turned his head to Kouta. "What?"

To his surprise, Kouta showed a small grin. "I've always wondered what it would be like to tell you that. To refuse your orders."

"Kouta I have no time for games right now. Take control of Ragnarok. Use the link you have with it like I had you practice."

"Yes. That "practice" you had me do. Spending every day for months locked in a room doing nothing but learning to control my link with Ragnarok." Kouta said. "Well I did improve my link with Ragnarok. And I learned how to do something rather fun."

Kouta held his hand out towards Ryo. Within seconds, Ryo suddenly felt an incredible amount of pain surge through his entire body. He fell to his knees. It was as if his body was being torn apart from the inside. "K-Kouta… What do you… think you're doing?"

"Do you recall how Raganrok shared some of its power with you, like how it shared the same power with the other Seven Lords of Purgatory?" Kouta said. "Well those powers come at a price. Raganrok can both empower and destroy you at will. This is what the destroying part feels like."

"You damn brat… Cease this at once…"

"You don't get it, do you?" Kouta said. "You no longer hold any power over me. Now with Ragnarok, I am the one in control." His grin widened. "Isn't that right... father?"

Ryo glared at the boy as he grit his teeth while trying to endure the pain. "Kouta…"

"I was your son, yet all I ever was in your eyes was a tool. You used me for those silly rituals as a sacrifice to please the members of Purgatory." Kouta told him. "Outside of that, I was nothing to you. If I refused, you beat me until I complied. But you made one fatal mistake. Allowing me to become the vessel for Ragnarok. Because now the tables have turned, and I am the one that holds power over you."

' _Damnit… To think Kouta would be able to put me in this state. I can't believe I never knew about this.'_ Ryo thought to himself. He needed to find a way out of this situation. "K-Kouta… You need to take control of Ragnarok. If you don't, it will destroy the world."

"Of course. That's the plan." Kouta told him.

Ryo widened his eyes. "What?"

"Why should I care for this world. What has it ever done for me?" Kouta asked. "Ragnarok can create a brand new world. One without suffering. One were none have to be treated as I was by people like you, father."

This couldn't be happening. Ryo had calculated. Planned. He had done everything in his power to assure things went smoothly. But now Kouta's act of rebellion had thrown everything into jeopardy. He knew most of Purgatory's followers were excited for the world's destruction. But they had all been pawns. He hadn't expected Kouta to adopt the same ideology.

"If you refuse to comply with me…" Ryo said, struggling to hold back the pain. "Then I will crush you by force. I'll take control of Ragnarok myself."

Kouta let out a chuckle. "Oh really? And how will you do that?"

Suddenly, the pain Ryo felt intensified. He let out a cry of pain. Being put in this situation was humiliating. He hated it with every fiber of his being. But there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even stand right now let alone do anything to Kouta. But in an instant, all of his pain vanished. He looked up at Kouta who was walking away.

"I'll give you your chance to take control of Ragnarok. You can fight me over it later." Kouta said. "But first, Ragnarok has need of you. Should Aurora Fujou make it past that door, you will be here to stop her interference once and for all."

Ryo knew what would happen if he refused. This was honestly his best chance at claiming Ragnarok and salvaging his plan. It was probably his only chance in fact. "Very well. But when I'm through with her, I will thoroughly punish you for betraying me."

"We shall see, father." Kouta said. He held his hand up and a portal emerged before him. "I have things Ragnarok needs me for. Good luck."

Ryo watched as Kouta walked through the portal and it closed behind him. Ryo clenched his fist and slammed it on the ground. ' _Damn that worthless brat! He will pay for this! I swear it!'_

* * *

Anthony watched as blackness surrounded both him and Kage. From the description he had gotten from the others about the image fields the other Lords of Purgatory, he was expecting something different than this. "The hell is this? There's nothing here."

"The image fields are a reflection of our hearts." Sora said. "In the case for my brother Kage and myself, we have no need for goals or aspirations. We only exist to serve Master Ryo."

"Well then I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you and this master of yours are going down." Anthony said. "Do your worst."

"Ask and you shall receive." Sora said as he started his turn. "Ride! Stealth Rogue of Concealment, Tanba!"

 **Stealth Rogue of Concealment, Tanba**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Minosuke moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Anthony(5), Sora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "I ride! Thunder Pillar Dragon!"

 **Thunder Pillar Dragon**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Thunderwarning slides back to the rear. And now it'll lend its support to Thunder Pillar in an attack on your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(0), Sora(1).]**

"Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Anthony(6), Sora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sora said. "Ride! Stealth Rogue of Envy, Ikyuu!"

 **Stealth Rogue of Envy, Ikyuu**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Boosted by Minosuke, Ikyuu attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Sora(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Anthony(6), Sora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "Ride! Martial Punishment Dragon, Brahmasta!"

 **Martial Punishment Dragon, Brahmasta**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Take this! With Thunderwarning's boost, Brahmasta attacks!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check." Anthony said. "Critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

"Damage check." Sora said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(1), Sora(3).]**

"Turn end." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Anthony(7), Sora(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Sora said. "Fickle demon, hiding in the shadows! The time has come to make your presence known! Ride! Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie!"

 **Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"I call Stealth Rogue of Revenge, Ooboshi!" Sora said. "Boosted by Minosuke, Yasuie attacks!"

 **(11000+5000=16000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive." Sora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Ooboshi and I recover one damage!"

"Damage check." Anthony said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Sora(2).]**

"Ooboshi, strike fast!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Anthony said, quickly holding up a card from his hand.

"My turn is over." Sora said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Anthony(6), Sora(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. The effects from taking damage were clear to him. He could feel his body losing strength with each damage he took. But he couldn't afford to give up. "The skies clear way for the dragon who rules them! Descend like a lightning bolt and crash into my foes! Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher, "GALVANIZE"!"

 **Dragonic Vanquisher, "GALVANIZE"**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Anthony declared. "Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VBUSTER!"

 **Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VBUSTER**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Retire and bind Minosuke!" Anthony declared. "Next, I call Brahmasta and Grizel from my hand! Up next is VBUSTER's skill! Soul blast! Now the opponent chooses one of their rear guards and a card in their drop zone to bind face up! You may not have any cards in your drop zone right now, but your rear guard Ooboshi is right in the line of fire!"

Sora showed a smirk. "And just like that, you've fallen for my trap."

"What?"

"Skill of Ooboshi! When it's targeted by an opponent's skill, I choose up to 2 cards on my rear guard and return them to the deck! I send Ooboshi back! Then, I can call up to 2 Ooboshi from the deck!"

Anthony widened his eyes. He had aimed to clear out Sora's field, but instead he had only added to it. ' _This is bad. As long as he has that rear guard out, targeting it to bind will do nothing for me.'_

"That's fine! I still have more rear guards than you, so VBUSTER gets to add 3000 power to my front row units!" Anthony said. "Now let's go! Grizel attacks the Ooboshi on the left!"

 **(9000+3000=12000)**

' _He's attempting to get rid of Oobshi by attacking since his skills are useless against it.'_ Sora realized. ' _But it won't be that easy for him.'_

"I guard!" Sora said, holding up a card from his hand.

"VBUSTER, go knock his Vanguard into next week! And Thunderwarning, lend your support!"

 **(26000+3000+5000=34000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! I give the power to Brahmasta and the critical to the Vanguard! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Grizel!"

"Damage check." Sora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Anthony(2), Sora(4).]**

"Power up your Vanguard all you want. It won't matter." Anthony grinned. "Cause my other attacks aren't going for your Vanguard. Brahmasta attacks the left Ooboshi!"

 **(10000+3000+5000=18000)**

' _Damn. Those attacks are getting annoying.'_ Sora thought. "No guard."

"That's one down. And I'll use Thunderwarning's skill next! Since your rear guard just got retired, it goes to the bind zone!" Anthony said. "Now Grizel, take out the second Ooboshi!"

 **(9000+3000+5000=17000)**

"I refuse to let that happen! Generation guard!" Sora called out. "Ambush Demon Stealth Fiend, Hougen Wing!"

 **Ambush Demon Stealth Fiend, Hougen Wing**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"My turn's over." Anthony said. "Your move."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony(6), Sora(5).]**

"Indeed it is. I stand and draw." Sora said. "Stride Generation! Dharma Deity of the Five Precepts, Yasuie Genma!"

 **Dharma Deity of the Five Precepts, Yasuie Genma**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I call out a copy of Stealth Rogue of Relentless Shadow, Yasuie from the deck behind Ooboshi! It gains a skill and returns to my hand at the end of the turn!" Sora said. "Then, I move swap the positions of Ooboshi and my rear guard Yasuie, and call Stealth Dragon, Dual Weapon and Stealth Dragon Onibayashi! I then activate Yasuie Genma's skill! Soul blast! I call a copy of Onibayashi to rear guard! It returns to my hand at the end of the turn!"

Anthony narrowed his eyes. ' _Why did he move Ooboshi to the back row? It's a grade 2. Does it have some kind of skill that lets it boost?'_

"Yasuie Genma attacks the Vanguard with a boost from Onibayashi!"

 **(26000+7000=33000)**

Usually Anthony would try to guard a Vanguard attack to avoid the risk of drive triggers. But from the game he had observed Sora in against Allen and Amy, he knew that guarding against this unit would make the rest of the turn much harder for him. He would have to take a risk. "No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! I give power to my rear guard Yasuie and the critical to the Vanguard! Third check, heal trigger! Power to the rear guard Yasuie and I recover one!" Sora said.

"Damage check." Anthony said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Sora(3).]**

"Go Dual Weapon! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Uh, hello? You have a rear guard to boost with. Your attack won't hit my Vanguard with that low power."

"That's the plan." Sora said. "Since the attack did not hit, the Shadowstich abilities of my four rear guards trigger."

' _Ah crap.'_

"Dual Weapon's Shadowstich! I retire it and call a copy of Onibayashi to rear guard! Then, Yasuie's Shadowstitch! Add 5000 power to it! Up next, Onibayashi's Shadowstitch! Both of the ones that were already on my field gain a skill! When one of my attacks hit, they can go to the soul to let me countercharge and draw! And finally, Ooboshi's Shadowstitch! It gains 7000 power and the ability to attack from the back row!"

"It what?!"

"I've still got more in store for you." Sora said. "The Onibayashi I just called attacks! But since it doesn't hit, the Shadowstitch abilities of both it and my rear guard Yasuie trigger!"

' _Damnit he keeps throwing those weak attacks my way to have them miss on purpose.'_ Anthony thought. ' _And that makes the rest of his attacks a pain to deal with.'_

"Yasuie attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(11000+10000+10000=31000)**

' _I can't let anymore of his attacks hit. Otherwise, he'll add a ton to his hand with Onibayashi.'_ Anthony thought. "Generation guard! Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma!"

 **Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Brahma! I bind two cards in my drop zone with different grades and add 10000 power to the shield!"

"Ooboshi attacks!"

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"I guard!" Anthony said, holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

"Turn end." Sora said. "Yasuie and the Onibayashi behind my Vanguard go to my hand. In addition, the Onibayashi called from Dual Weapon goes to the bottom of my deck."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Anthony(4), Sora(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "Here goes! Stride Generation! Avatar of Lightning, Vasaki Shakti!"

 **Avatar of Lightning, Vasaki Shakti**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Bind Ooboshi and a card in your drop zone!" Anthony called out. "And before you get any ideas about using Ooboshi's skill, you should know that GALVANIZE's stride skill targets the circle and not the unit! So you can't use it this time around! And since two cards are getting bound, I draw and add 3000 power to Brahmasta!"

Sora grit his teeth. Ooboshi had been a key unit of his. Losing it was a hard hit to his strategy. "It would seem we were both lacking intelligence on the other."

"Heh, I don't need to know everything about my opponent beforehand. I fight with my instincts." Anthony grinned.

"You hopeless fool." Sora said. "Instincts alone won't be enough for one to survive in this world. One must possess both sharpened instincts and intelligence."

"And what would you know about that?"

"Everything." Sora said. "My brother Kage and I lived on the streets for years. The combined effort of scoping out targets to steal from, and using our instincts to move and react quickly were what allowed us to survive through those harsh times. Had it not been for Master Ryo's generosity though, we would have both ended up dead eventually."

"So that's it? You had a bad life and therefore think the whole world deserves to be destroyed as a result?" Anthony asked. "That's complete garbage!"

"We are not the only ones who have suffered!" Sora shouted. "All around the world… There's so many countless people that suffer in poverty, barely scraping by… Yet no one cares about them. They're seen as trash by society." He glared at Anthony. "I will not forgive this world that is willing to sacrifice lives for the benefit of others."

"Well hate to break it to you, but I have stuff I'm fighting to protect myself. So I can't allow you to win." Anthony said. "Vasaki Shakti's skill! Your last rear guard is retired and bound! Then, I draw a card and add 3000 power to Brahmasta! In addition, Thunderwarning's skill activates and binds a card from your drop zone! And with that, the Thunderstrike 5 abilities of Brahmasta and Grizel are active! Next, I call Smash Boxer Dragon to rear guard! And with Vasaki Shakti's skill, my front row units gain 5000 power for every open front row rear guard circle! Now Smash Boxer gives a boost to Brahmasta!"

 **(10000+3000+3000+5000+10000+7000=38000)**

"No guard." Sora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(4), Sora(4).]**

"After the battle it boosted, Smash Boxer's skill lets him go to the soul. I then get to draw and countercharge." Anthony said. "Now go Vasaki Shakti! Attack with a boost from Thunderwarning!"

 **(26000+10000+5000=41000)**

"Perfect guard!" Sora said, holding up the sentinel.

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Grizel! Third check, no trigger." Anthony said. "Grizel attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+9000+10000+5000=33000)**

"Generation guard! Ambush Demon Stealth Rogue, Shirahagino!"

 **Ambush Demon Stealth Rogue, Shirahagino**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Counterblast and flip a G Guardian face up! 10000 is added to the shield!"

' _Damn. Now he's got five face up cards in his G Zone.'_ Anthony thought, knowing what was coming on Sora's next turn. "Turn end. Using GALVANIZE's Thunderstrike, bind a card from your drop zone. Then, I countercharge and draw."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Anthony(9), Sora(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sora said. "This has gone on for long enough. I will finish you this turn and complete my mission."

' _Here it comes.'_

"The time has come to open the gate to a dark future. I bind my five face up G Units face down." Sora said. A card cloaked in darkness came from his G Zone and flew into his hand. "Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite! Purgatory Illusion, Kaguya!"

 **Purgatory Illusion, Kaguya**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

Anthony watched as a silver haired woman appeared weilding a pair of katanas. Piercing red eyes glared at him. Anthony had never gotten the chance to see what Sora's Purgatorial Stride did, but he knew whatever it was he was not going to like it.

"Activating Kaguya's skill. Counterblast and discard." Sora said. "I call five cards from the deck with all of their own abilities negated. They each gain the name Purgatory Illusion, Kaguya, and their base power becomes 26000. Additionally, they can also attack from the back row."

Anthony watched as Kaguya formed a hand sign. Slowly, five clones began to spread out from her. A total of six Kaguyas. And that meant six powerful attacks for Anthony to deal with.

"Let's begin." Sora said. "The back left Kaguya attacks!"

 **(26000)**

' _I have to be careful how I guard. One false move and I'm dead. Literally.'_ Anthony thought. "Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon!"

 **Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Impede Dragon! The opponent chooses a rear guard to retire and bind!"

"Very well then. I choose the Kaguya that's attacking." Sora said.

"Since a rear guard was retired, Thunderwarning's skill binds a card from your drop zone." Anthony said.

"Now the left front Kaguya attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"No guard." Anthony said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Sora(4).]**

"The back center!"

 **(26000)**

"Guard! Anthony said, holding up a pair of triggers from his hand.

"My Vanguard Kaguya attacks!"

 **(26000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to the front right Kaguya! Second check, no trigger. Third check, draw trigger! Power to the Back right Kaguya and I draw!"

"At the end of the battle she guarded, Anasasia's Thunderstrike lets me draw." Anthony explained.

"The back right attacks!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

Anthony quickly held up another sentinel. "Perfect guard one more time! And with her Thunderstrike, I draw!"

"You can't defend yourself against all of my attacks! Now fall!"

 **(26000+5000=31000)**

"Guard!" Anthony shouted as he held up three cards from his hand, totalling 20000 shield. "Brahmasta also intercepts!"

Sora couldn't believe it. He clenched his fists in frustration. "No… I can't fail Master Ryo… I won't."

"Sorry pal, but like I said, I have something important I'm fighting for." Anthony said. "And I won't let this deluded idea of destroying the world you all have happen."

"Turn end." Sora said. "The cards called out with Kaguya's skill return to the bottom of the deck."

"Vanquisher's Thunderstrike. Bind a card from your drop zone. Then, I soul charge." Anthony said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Anthony(1), Sora(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Anthony said. He looked at the card already in his hand before the draw. He had been getting ready, all for this one moment. ' _Time to end this.'_

"Time for savage thunder to rain down from the heavens." Anthony said. "I discard a card with the same name as the Vanguard. Then, I remove four copies of Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VBUSTER from the game." A pillar of light shot up from Anthony's G Zone. He held up his hand as a card formed in it. "Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Supreme Thunder Master, Dragonic Vanquisher BLITZKRIEG!"

 **Supreme Thunder Master, Dragonic Vanquisher BLITZKRIEG**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

"I call Plasmatron Dragon!" Anthony declared. "Plasmatron's skill! Bind a card from your drop zone! Next, I activate Dragonic Vanquisher BLITZKRIEG's skill! Thunderstrike X! Counterblast and soul blast! One of your rear guards and a card in your drop zone are bound! You don't have any rear guards, but there's still a card in your drop zone to bind! Then, for every three cards face up in your bind zone, I bind two cards from my drop zone! You currently have nine cards, so that's six cards getting bound!"

"Why are you binding your own cards?" Sora questioned.

"You're about to find out." Anthony said. "For every card in each of our bind zones, my front row units get 3000 power! There's a total of 17 cards combined in our bind zones! So that's a grand total of 51000 to my entire front row!"

"Did you say 51000?!"

"Yup, and I'm not finished there! Whenever a Thunderstrike unit attacks this turn, BLITZKRIEG's skill forces you to call 2 or more cards from your hand whenever you would call cards from there to guard with!"

' _In other words, using a sentinel will cost me another card.'_ Sora realized. ' _Damn him.'_

"I'm activating Plasmatron's thunderstrike! Counterblast! Plasmatron gains another 2000 power for every card in your bind zone! That's another 18000 going straight to him! But first, let's have Grizel swing in! Her Thunderstrike adds another 9000 power!"

 **(9000+51000+9000=69000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Sora(5).]**

"Let's go Vanquisher! Attack the Vanguard!" Anthony declared. "With Vanquisher's other skill, an extra drive is added since you have seven or more cards in your bind zone!"

 **(26000+51000+5000=82000)**

"Perfect guard!" Sora shouted. "I also add on the Yasuie in my hand!"

"Quadruple drive!" Anthony said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Plasmatron and I draw! Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, stand trigger! All effects to Grizel!"

"No!"

"Grizel, go say hello for a second time!"

 **(9000+51000+9000+5000=74000)**

"No guard…" Sora said as he held his head low. "Damage check… no trigger."

 **[Damage: Anthony(5), Sora(6).]**

Sora fell back and collapsed onto the ground. "I don't understand. How were you able to win? What could you possibly have in this world that's worth protecting?"

"That's easy." Anthony said. "The people in my life."

"What?"

"I used to be all alone. Just some loner in a place strange to him." Anthony explained. "But I met people. People that helped me grow as a person. People I'd risk my life for. And there was no way I was going to let them down here when they were all counting on me."

"I see…" Sora said. "Even still… Master Ryo will see us victorious. Of that I am certain."

With those last words, Sora's body lost what little traces of life were left in it. The black scenery around him disappeared and he found himself back in the room from before. The same thing happened with Dan as he returned as well. They both grinned at each other before falling to one knee.

"Dan! Anthony!" Aurora exclaimed as she rushed over to them. "Are you both alright?!"

"Yeah… never better." Dan said as he tried to catch his breath.

"That was no sweat. Like there was a chance we'd actually lose." Anthony grinned.

Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're both alright." She looked over at Sora and Kage. "So those two are…"

"Yeah. They're gone." Dan said. "I know they were with Purgatory… But I can't help but feel bad for them."

"Same." Anthony nodded. "They were just dealt a bad hand. That's what turned them into the way they were."

"Even still, we can't stop here." Aurora said. She looked at the doors on the other side of the room. "There's still one more of the Seven Lords to go through."

"I'm guessing that's that Master Ryo guy they kept going on about." Dan said as he and Anthony slowly got to their feet.

Aurora walked over to the door with her two friends following close behind. She pushed it open and they walked into the next room. Standing before them was a man in his forties. He had dark blue hair as he looked at them with a glare.

"So you've come, Aurora Fujou."

 **Aurora: It's time to bring this to an end. You're the only one of the Seven Lords left.**

 **Ryo: That doesn't matter. All I need to do is defeat you. Then I can work on getting my plans back in motion.**

 **Aurora: I won't lose. It's over for you.**

 **Kouta: That's right. Fight each other. In the end, it won't change the destiny in store for this world.**

 **Next time: Master of Purgatory**

 **Card Gallery:**

Master of Illusions, Harri  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Masquerade Master, Harri):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **Magia AUTO VC:** [CB2.] When this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to 5 cards from your soul and call them to separate RCs. They each get +5000 power, **(CONT RC: This card can attack from the back row.)** , and **(AUTO Magia RC: [Send this unit to soul] After the battle that this unit attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a card from your soul and call it to the RC this unit was on. Send it to soul at the end of the turn.)**. At the end of the turn, send all units called with this effect to the soul.

* * *

Supreme Thunder Master, Dragonic Vanquisher BLITZKRIEG  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher VBUSTER):** _(Released when you have 4 or more cards face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose one or more cards from your hand with the sum of their grades being 3 or more and discard them & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn Thunderstrike X:** [CB1 & SB1]. Your opponent chooses one of their rear guards and a card from their drop zone and binds them face up. Then, for every 3 cards in your opponent's bind zone, choose 2 cards in your drop zone and bind them face up. All of your front row units get +3000 power for every card in both player's bind zones until end of turn. Then, this unit gets **(AUTO VC: When your unit with the Thunderstrike ability attacks, if your opponent would call a card from their hand to GC, they must call 2 or more cards at the same time.)  
** **CONT VC:** If your opponent has seven or more cards in their bind zone, this unit gets +1 drive. If your opponent has twelve or more cards in their bind zone, this unit gets +1 critical.

* * *

Purgatory Illusion, Kaguya  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **Generation Overwrite:** -Stride Step- [Choose cards from your hand who's grades total 3 or more and discard them. Bind 3 or more face up G-Units from your G Zone face down.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone. If you bound 5 or more G Units, this card's Power changes to 25000+.  
 **AUTO VC:** [CB2 & Discard a card from your hand]. When this unit is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to five cards from your deck and call them to separate RCs. They each lose their abilities, gain the name "Purgatory Illusion, Kaguya", their base Power becomes 26000, and they each gain **(CONT: This unit can attack from the back row.)** until end of turn. At the end of the turn, send all the units called with this effect to the bottom of the deck in any order.

* * *

Stealth Phantom, Seizui  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO RC: Afterimage  
** **AUTO RC GB1:** At the start of your battle phase, if you have a Vanguard with "Shiranui" in its name, this unit gains +3000 power for every card in your opponent's bind zone until end of turn.

* * *

Stealth Phantom, Genkai  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC: Afterimage  
** **AUTO RC GB1:** [CB1]. When this unit's attack hits, if you have a Vanguard with "Shiranui" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a card in your opponent's hand and bind it face down. Then, your opponent chooses 2 cards in their bind zone and sends them to the drop zone. At the end of the turn, the card bound returns to your opponent's hand.

* * *

Stealth Phantom, Fuurai  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO RC: Afterimage  
** **ACT RC 1/Turn GB1:** [SB1]. Choose one of your opponent's rear guards and bind it. At the end of the turn, the bound card returns to your opponent's hand.  
 **AUTO RC GB1:** When this unit attacks, if you have a Vanguard with "Shiranui" in its name and your opponent has 2 or more cards in their bind zone, this unit gets +10000 power.

* * *

Rikudo Stealth Dragon, Gozenrakan  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & Take a face down card in your G Zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up]. Your opponent chooses a card in their hand and one of their rear guards, binds it face down, then chooses a card from their hand and discards it. Then, all of your rear guards with the Afterimage ability get +3000 power for every card in your opponent's bind zone. At the end of the turn, return the bound cards to your opponent's hand.  
 **CONT VC GB3:** When this unit or your rear guard with the Afterimage ability hits your opponent's Vanguard, your opponent chooses a card from their hand and discards it.


	102. Master of Purgatory

**A/N: It's finally here readers. The battle between Aurora and the leader of Purgatory. Enjoy.**

The streets of Japan were littered with Purgatory's members as they destroyed everything they saw. There were few places that were safe right now. One of those places was Kousei High School. It currently owed its safety to the lone person standing outside defending it.

"Have you had enough yet?" Mr. Kagaguchi asked with a grin. His confidence was mostly a facade at this point however. His stamina was nearing its limit.

"How strong can this guy be?" one of the members groaned weakly. "He's just some nobody teacher."

"Now, now, one musn't judge solely by appearances." the teacher said. "I believe I made it clear that I would protect the people in this school. I stand by what I said. You will not lay one hand on my students."

"Tough talk, but you can't hold out forever old man!" another member said. "Keep attacking!"

' _I was really hoping they would give up by now.'_ Mr. Kagaguchi thought to himself. "Very well. Let's- Ngh!" He stopped mid sentence as he fell to one knee. He breathed heavily, unable to stand. ' _No… I'm out of strength…'_

"Ha! Seems your luck's run out!" the Purgatory member said. "Finish him!"

The teacher watched as the possessed units all came at him. There wasn't much else he could do however. He had used up all of his strength. ' _Everyone… Forgive me…'_

Just before the units could reach him however, a pillar of water came up from the ground out of nowhere. Both Purgatory and Mr. Kagaguchi gasped in shock as a mermaid with orange hair and a black and orange tailfin came up from the pillar of water and knocked back Purgatory's units. Mr. Kagaguchi recognized the mermaid as a unit from Cray. Wonderful Voice, Lauris.

"Mr. Kagaguchi!" a voice called out. The teacher looked behind him as Madoka came running over to him. "Are you alright?!"

"You shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous." Mr. Kagaguchi told her. "Hurry. Get back inside."

Madoka shook her head. "No. We won't leave you here to fight on your own."

"We?"

Soon, several other students rushed to Madoka's side. Mr. Kagaguchi recognized them as some of the students that had started getting into Vanguard ever since the teaching day at Card Galaxy. Units from Cray appeared at their side as well.

"I don't know who you creeps are, but we're taking you down!" Madoka shouted.

The reinforcements caused some of Purgatory to tense up a bit. But they weren't about to back down now. The two sides of units charged at each other and it soon became a full on battle between them.

Mr. Kagaguchi showed a small smile. ' _I can't allow my students to be the ones protecting me. As their teacher, that is my responsibility.'_ He slowly managed to get to his feet as Bigbelly appeared at his side once again.

"Students, let us show these people how Vanguard is really played." he said.

"Right!" the group of students said together.

As Madoka fought with Lauris, she looked up at the sky. Whatever was happening, Aurora seemed to be at the center of it. ' _Aurora… Please be careful.'_

* * *

Aurora, Dan, and Anthony stood together as they stared down Ryo. This was the person responsible for the peril the world was currently in. The leader of the cult known as Purgatory. None of them had ever seen his face before, unlike Ryo who was rather knowledgeable about Aurora and her friends.

"So you're the big bad boss of Purgatory, huh?" Anthony said. "You wanna make this easy on yourself and just give up now?"

"Hardly. You children may have defeated my pawns, but I will not fall like they did." Ryo said.

"Pawns?" Dan questioned. "That's how you view your members that were willing to die for this?"

"Oh that's right. You all wouldn't know. You believe my goal is the same as the rest of those fools with Purgatory." Ryo said with a chuckle. "From the very beginning, I never sought to destroy the world. I sought to take it over."

"Take it over?" Aurora asked.

"Correct. But of course, such a feat can only be done by having a large amount of followers. So I created Purgatory, a place to gather those dissatisfied with the world. An astounding number of fools that were easy to manipulate." Ryo explained. "Once I had enough of a following around the world, I could topple nations from the inside and build by empire."

Aurora clenched her fists in anger, her body shaking with rage. "And the members of Purgatory? The ones that gave everything to the lies your feeding them?"

"Disposable pawns, each and every one of them." Ryo said. "Of course satisfying them was a constant hassle. I can't even begin to remember the different rituals and such I organized to keep their faith in me. But each of them were hoaxes from the start. So when one of them turned out to be real and awakened the being known as Ragnarok, you can imagine my surprise. But I was able to weave even that into my master design. Who needs governments to topple from the inside when I have the power of a god at my disposal."

"Are you insane?! Ragnarok is coming to destroy the world as we speak!" Dan told him.

"Yes, though it will stop before it does so." Ryo explained. "Or at least that _was_ the plan. But it would seem the vessel Ragnarok possesses has decided to be a little rebellious. So once I am finished with you, I will put both that brat and that god in line. And then I will come out victorious."

"Vessel?"

"The ritual that first awakened Ragnarok was one where a demon would have possessed a sacrifice. The sacrifice was a boy named Kouta."

"And was Kouta another one of your brainwashed followers?" Aurora asked.

"Not exactly. He's my son." Ryo said. "His loyalty was with me rather than Purgatory's cause. Not that he had much say in the matter."

"Your son…?" Aurora muttered, her eyes widened in shock. "You used your son for something like that? You let Ragnarok take over him?"

"He was only a tool for me to use from the start. I don't hold any silly personal attachments to the boy." Ryo said. "After Ragnarok and him linked, I had him secretly work on trying to suppress Ragnarok's influence. That way he would control it for me. But it would seem he was too useless for the task."

"You bastard…" Anthony growled.

"What do any of you care? A random boy like him shouldn't concern you outside of him being your enemy."

"Is everyone around you nothing but a tool in your eyes?!" Aurora shouted. "He was your son! Yet all you did was use him for your ambition! And not just him! All those people in Purgatory! You toyed with their hearts and lied to them all for this?!"

"I doubt foolish kids like you would understand an ideal as grand as mine." Ryo said. "Now enough talking. I need to finish you off before I can go after Kouta and put my plans back in motion."

"That won't be happening." Aurora said. She took her deck and held it out in front of her, anger burning in her eyes. "I'm taking you down here and now. You won't manipulate anymore people."

"Heh, don't make me laugh. I'm going to crush you." Ryo said as he waved his arm, creating a sheet of light in front of him and Aurora. "Now be a good little girl and die."

"You wish." Aurora said, placing her deck down and drawing her opening hand.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major!"

 **Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Amon's Root, Seed Murmur!"

 **Amon's Root, Seed Murmur**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

As the fight began, Ryo's image field manifested. Aurora, Dan, and Anthony all found themselves in an urban setting, except everything around them was destroyed and in ruins.

"This is horrible…" Dan said.

"Everything's totally wrecked." Anthony added.

"To create a new world, the old one must be eliminated." Ryo said. "That is my image."

"You're insane." Aurora glared.

"That's only a matter of perspective." Ryo said as he took the first turn. "I ride! Amon's Follower, Vile Asmodai!"

 **Amon's Follower, Vile Asmodai**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Murmur moves back." Ryo said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Warp Gate Hare, Lepus!"

 **Warp Gate Hare, Lepus**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Dipper Major slides back due to forerunner." Aurora said. She then called a rear guard to the back row. "I call another Lepus. Using her skill, I rest her and bind the top card of my deck face up."

' _I've improved my deck since the winter training camp at the sage's place. Now I just have to hope it's enough.'_ Aurora thought to herself.

"With a boost from Dipper Major, Lepus attacks!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Ryo(1).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. "Ride! Amon's Follower, Guile Valefor!"

 **Amon's Follower, Guile Valefor**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I also call Amon's Follower, Hell's Draw." Ryo said. "It's skill lets me soul charge two cards. Then, since an Amon card was just added to the soul through that soul charge, I can use Murmur's skill to rest it and soul charge another two cards. Then, I give Hell's Draw a skill that increases her power by 1000 for every card in my soul until end of turn."

' _He just soul charged 4 cards. On top of the grade 1 in his soul already, that's 5000 power.'_ Aurora thought. ' _He's already adding onto his soul this early. It'll be bad if I let this fight drag out.'_

"My Vanguard will attack you first!"

 **(9000)**

"I guard!" Aurora said, holding up a trigger from her hand.

"Drive check, no trigger." Ryo said. "Hell's Draw attacks next!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Ryo(1).]**

"I end my turn." Ryo said.

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(4), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Cosmos Sabre, Luminia!"

 **Cosmos Sabre, Luminia**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I use the skill of my rear guard Lepus to rest her and bind the top card of my deck." Aurora said. "And now with Dipper's boost, my Vanguard attacks!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger!" Aurora said. "All effects to the Vanguard!"

"Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. I also give all effects to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Ryo(3).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said.

"Alright. She's off to a good start." Anthony said.

"Now let's just hope she can keep it up." Dan added.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. "It truly is annoying, having mere children hinder my plans. But that is why I must show you no mercy and crush you with my full power."

"I won't lose to someone who only thinks of using others for their own personal benefit." Aurora galred.

"Such naive morals will get you nowhere against me." Ryo said. "Now come forth! King of the demonic cult that spreads terror throughout the world! Ride! Demon Deity Marquis, Amon Pillar!"

 **Demon Deity Marquis, Amon Pillar**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Go Hell's Draw! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Amon Pillar attacks!"

 **(11000)**

' _He's not boosting with Murmur?'_ Aurora thought. She could only assume Ryo planned to use Murmur's skill somehow later this turn. "No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!"

"Damage check." Aurora said. "No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Ryo(2).]**

"Turn end." Ryo said. "Using Amon's skill, I send Hell's Draw to the soul. I then get to retire one of your rear guards and draw. I think I'll get rid of that annoying Lepus on your field."

Aurora watched as Lepus was retired from her field. It was clear Ryo had no intention of letting her freely increase the number of cards in her bind zone.

"Since a card with Amon in its name was just added to the soul, I rest Seed Murmur to soul charge another 2 cards. There's also the skill it gives, but that doesn't matter much at this point.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(5), Ryo(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She closed her eyes and felt her connection to the unit she knew would help bring her victory. ' _Lend me your strength. With our new power.'_ She raised her card into the air. "Stars glittering amongst the cosmos, shine together with the warrior of light! Ride! Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari!"

 **Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Aurora called out. "Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes!"

 **Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Cosmos Sabre, Luminia from my deck! Then, I call Luminia out!" Aurora explained. "She gains 5000 power and a skill! Then I activate Luminia's Warpdrive! I check the top three cards of the deck! I then bind Sword of the Stars, Hikari among them! Next, I get to call a card from my bind zone with a different name than Luminia! I call Gemini behind Luminia! Gemini's Warpdrive gives him an extra 5000 power and boost! Next up is Dipper Major's skill! Since I have a Vanguard with Hikari in its name, I can bind him and search my deck for a card with Warpdrive to bind! I choose Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius!"

"Bind all the cards you wish. It won't make a difference." Ryo said.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Aurora smirked. "Activating the skill of Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes! I counterblast and flip a copy of it face up! Then, I send the grade 3 Sword of the Stars, Hikari in my bind zone to the drop zone! In exchange, I get to bind cards from the top of my deck equal to the grade of that unit! Hikari is grade 3 so I bind the top three cards! Then, I can call up to three cards from my bind zone! I call Sagittarius, Starshot Gunner, and Dipper Major!" The three units appeared with the grade 2 Starshot Gunner in her open front row and Sagittarius behind it, along with Dipper behind her Vanguard. "Warpdrive of Sagittarius! Add 2000 power for each card in the bind zone! Then, I use Starshot Gunner's Warpdrive! I send the Gemini in my bind zone to the drop zone! Starshot Gunner gains Gemini's base power of 10000 until end of turn!"

"Alright! She got a full field out, and she didn't even have to call a card from her hand!" Anthony said.

"Keep it up, Aurora." Dan said.

"Luminia attacks with a boost from Gemini!" Aurora declared. "Luminia's skill! If I have a Vanguard with Hikari in its name, she gains 2000 power for each of my other rear guards with Warpdrive!"

 **(9000+5000+6000+10000+5000=35000)**

"No guard." Ryo said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Ryo(3).]**

"Twilight Vulpes attacks the Vanguard!" Aurora called out. "Skill activated! I bind any number of my rear guards that I choose! I pick Luminia, Gemini, and Dipper! For each card bound, add 3000 power to the Vanguard! Then, since three or more cards were bound, add plus one drive!"

 **(26000+9000=35000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Starshot Gunner! Third check, no trigger. Final check, no trigger." Aurora said. "And now Starshot will attack with a boost from Saggitarius!"

 **(9000+10000+5000+7000+1000+8000=40000)**

"Generation guard! False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat!"

 **False Dark Wings, Agrat bat Mahlat**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Soul charge two cards! Then, since my soul contains six or more cards, add 5000 to the shield!" Ryo explained. He then held up a critical trigger from his hand. "I also guard with Amon's Follower, Grausam!"

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Activating Dipper Major's skill from the bind zone. At the end of the turn, I can soul blast to add him to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(9), Ryo(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. "Stride Generation! Evil god Pontiff, Gastille Daimonas!"

 **Evil God Pontiff, Gastille Daimonas**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! Counterblast! I soul charge 3 cards! Then, since one of the cards I just soul charged had Amon in the name, I grant a continuous skill to my Vanguard and one rear guard, in this case Seed Murmur! They both gain 1000 power for every card in my soul!" Ryo explained. "Next, with Gastille Daimonas's skill, every time a card is added to the soul, my front row gets 3000 power! I just soul charged 3 cards, so that's 9000 power to Daimonas!"

' _If he gets a power boost every time he soul charges, I'm in trouble.'_ Aurora thought. ' _He's bound to add a ton of cards to his soul this turn. And he's already at 14 cards right now.'_

"I call Amon's Follower, Grim Bael, and Amon's Follower, Guile Valefor!" Ryo said. "And now I activate Gastille's skill! Counterblast! I search my deck for two cards and add them to the soul! I select Amon's Leader, Astaroth and Demon World Marquis, Amon! Gastille then gains all abilities of the sent units! Then, Murmur's skill will allow it to rest and soul charge another 2 cards. I then give Valefor a skill to add 1000 power to itself for every card in my soul."

' _All of their abilities?'_ Aurora thought. ' _But that means he also gains Astaroth's ability to-'_

"Skill gained from Astaroth! Seek mate!" Ryo called out. "Legion with Demon World Marquis, Amon from the deck! And keep in mind the two Amon cards added to the soul from Gastille, and the other 2 from Murmur means 12000 power to the front row! But I'm not stopping there. I now have Amon on my Vanguard, and Gastille still has the abilities of the Amon I added to soul from its skill. That means 2000 power for every card in my soul, on top of the 1000 for every card in soul Gastille has from the stride skill. And Astaroth adds a critical to my Vanguard for every ten cards in my soul. I currently have 18 cards in the soul."

"That's nuts!" Anthony said. "His Vanguard's at 108000?! Not to mention the extra critical!"

"Let's start things off with Grim Bael's attack! Using its skill, I counterblast and add 1000 power to it for every card in my soul!"

 **(9000+18000=27000)**

' _If this one hits, he'll get to soul charge even more with Bael's skill.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _I can't let him build up anymore soul.'_

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast Delphinus!"

 **Nebula Beast, Delphinus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Delphinus! I bind the Luminia and Starshot Gunner in my drop zone! Since they both have Warpdrive, add 5000 to the shield!"

"Let's see how you handle this then! Gastille attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+10000+18000+18000+18000+21000=108000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Guile Valefor! Third check, draw trigger! Power to Guile Valefor and I draw!" Ryo said. "Now Guile Valefor, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+18000+10000=37000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryo(3).]**

"Turn end." Ryo said. "With Amon Pillar's skill, I send Guile Valefor to the soul to retire Sagittarius and draw one card."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(6), Ryo(7).]**

"Stand and draw. Using Hikari's skill. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can bind a card in my drop zone. I choose Sagittarius. Since the card bound has Warpdrive, I countercharge." Aurora said. ' _Another turn like that and I could be finished. I have to hit him hard this turn.'_

"You stand no chance against me, Aurora Fujou." Ryo said. "Surrender now, and I'll at least spare your life."

"I'd rather die than surrender to a scumbag like you." Aurora glared. "But I don't plan on either of those happening! Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Lepus from my deck! Then, I call Luminia from the bind zone! Add 5000 power! Next, I use Luminia's Warpdrive! Bind a card from the top three cards of the deck and call Gemini from the bind zone! Gemini's Warpdrive adds 5000 power to it and allows it to boost this turn!" Aurora said. "Next, I call Dipper Major from my hand! Using it's skill, I bind it and then bind Cosmos Storm, Aquarius from my deck! Next, I activate Constellation of Light, Hikari's skill! Generation Break 3! Counterblast! Hikari gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill! Then, to finish up this formation, I call Sun Smasher, Apollo from my hand!"

Aurora had her field set to attack. With Ryo's soul already at 19 cards, she couldn't afford to let this fight go much longer. "Luminia attacks with a boost from Apollo! With Hikari's skill, I send the grade 0 Tauros in my bind zone to the drop zone! Now you can't guard with cards from your hand that are the same grade as Tauros!"

 **(9000+5000+4000+4000=22000)**

"No guard." Ryo said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryo(4).]**

"Constellation of Light, Hikari attacks the Vanguard!" Aurora said. "Skill of Hikari! I send grade 1 Lepus to the drop zone to prevent you from guarding with grade 1s for this battle! In addition, I use Apollo's skill! I send him to the soul to draw 1 card and add 5000 power to the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+10000+5000=41000)**

"Even without access to a perfect guard, do you really expect me to let that attack reach me?" Ryo asked. "Generation guard! Medical Studies of Extinction, Vincent!"

 **Medical Studies of Extinction, Vincent**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Vincent." Ryo said as he flipped another G Guardian face up. "Soul charge. Then, add 5000 to the shield for every card in the soul. I now have 20 cards in the soul so that's 20000 extra shield. I also add on grade 0 Monochrome of Nightmareland."

' _With his Vanguard's power, that puts him at a total of 56000.'_ Aurora calculated. ' _That means I'll need 3 triggers to break through.'_

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger! Power to Starshot and I draw! Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Now go Starshot Gunner! Attack with a boost from Gemini! With Hikari's skill, I send grade 1 Sagittarius to the drop zone to prevent grade 1s!"

 **(9000+5000+10000+5000=29000)**

"No guard." Ryo said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Ryo(5).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "With the other part of Gemini's Warpdrive, I can bind it. I also use Dipper's soul blast to add it back to my hand."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(10), Ryo(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Ryo said. He let out a chuckle. "Well now, I think that playtime has come to an end."

Looking at Ryo's G Zone, Aurora saw there were now five cards face up. That could only mean one thing. ' _His Purgatorial Stride is coming.'_

"The time has come for me to open the gate to a dark future. I bind five face up G Units face down." Ryo said. A card in his G Zone flew to his hand, cloaked in darkness. A sinister grin was on the man's face. "Let evil and hatred devour the world! A future of living hell! Generation Overwrite! Purgatory Demon, Solomon!"

 **Purgatory Demon, Solomon**

 **Grade 4, Power: 25000+**

Aurora watched as the massive unit towered over her. It's sinister gaze put her on edge. She couldn't let her guard down for a moment or she would be finished.

"Stride skill. I soul charge 3 cards. I then choose Seed Murmur. Both it and my Vanguard gain 1000 power for every card in my soul until end of turn." Ryo explained. "Next I counterblast and use Solomon's skill. For this turn, all of my units will be gaining 5000 power for every five cards in my soul."

Aurora gasped as she saw this. Solomon's power was going to be large enough, but with Root Murmur's extra power? Calling it massive didn't even begin to describe it.

"Now come, followers of the dark cult! I call Vile Asmodai and Amon Pillar!" Ryo said, filling out almost the rest of his field. "Now let's begin! Grim Bael, attack with a boost from Vile Asmodai! Asmodai's skill! When he attacks or boosts, since I have seven or more cards in the soul, add 5000 power! Then, since I have thirteen or more cards in the soul, retire Luminia!"

 **(9000+20000+7000+5000=41000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Ryo(5).]**

Aurora fell to one knee. She could barely summon any strength. She was too exhausted. Ryo smirked with his victory close at hand.

"With Seed Murmur's boost, Solomon attacks!" Ryo declared. "Solomon's skill! Since my soul has at least 20 cards, you can't guard this attack with any sentinels you have in your hand!"

 **(36000+20000+23000+5000+20000+23000=127000)**

"Aurora!" Dan and Anthony exclaimed. That much power would be enough to take down even the best players.

Aurora looked at her hand. Without the use of sentinels in her hand, her options were extremely limited. But there was still one small chance at hope for her.

"Activating the skill of Star Maiden, Irene in the bind zone!" Aurora said. "During a battle where the opponent's Vanguard attacked, I can counterblast and soul blast to call it from the bind zone!"

"What?" Ryo questioned. He watched as the unit appeared and a wall of light emerged in front of her. "Don't tell me that unit is a-"

"A sentinel, yes." Aurora smirked as she discarded a card from her hand. "Your Purgatorial Stride may stop sentinels from the hand, but it doesn't protect you from sentinels called from other places."

Ryo couldn't believe it. In an instant, his threatening command he had over this game had been stolen from him. "Grr… It doesn't matter! I'll still win this! Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! I give all effects to Amon Pillar! Third check, stand trigger! All effects to Grim Bael!"

"At the end of the battle where Irene's skill was used, she's removed from the game." Aurora said, moving the unit away.

"Grim Bael attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000+20000+5000=34000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up three cards from her hand.

"Amon Pillar, attack!"

 **(11000+20000+5000=36000)**

"Generation guard! Nebula Beast, Delphinus!"

 **Nebula beast, Delphinus**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! I bind Sagittarius and Luminia! Since 2 cards with the Warpdrive ability were bound, add 5000 to the shield!" Aurora explained. "I also guard with Dipper Major from my hand!"

"Turn end. I send Vile Asmodai to the soul and retire Luminia." Ryo said. ' _No. I can't allow myself to lose. Not when I'm so close to completing my goal.'_

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(4), Ryo(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She glared at Ryo. "It's time to end this. Your twisted ambition is over!"

"No matter what you do, it won't work! You're just a child! I've planned this for years! What can you possibly do?!"

"I'll show you." Aurora said. Her G Zone began to glow as a beacon of light shot up from it.

Ryo gasped as he stepped back slightly. "What's going on?!"

"Let the stars connect, and form the constellation that guides me to a new future." Aurora said. "I discard a card with the same name as the Vanguard. Then I remove four copies of Constellation of Light, Hikari from the game." Aurora held her hand up and a card appeared in it. "Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride!"

A blinding light shined on the battlefield. Ryo shielded his eyes from its radiance before it slowly died down. When it did, a new unit was standing on Aurora's field. Her long blonde hair glowed just like a star. A powerful-looking golden blade of starlight was grasped in her hand.

"Divine Starblade, Hikari!"

 **Divine Starblade, Hikari**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

"Skill of Divine Starblade, Hikari!" Aurora said. "When she appears, I can choose up to two cards in my bind zone and call them to rear guard! I choose Luminia and Gemini! Both of them and my Vanguard get an extra 10000 power! In addition, Hikari gains a critical! Next, their Warpdrives activate! I call Lepus off of Luminia's Warpdrive! Then, I call Sagittarius from my hand!"

' _I can still survive.'_ Ryo thought. ' _I have to. I cannot afford to lose. I'm going to control this world in the palm of my hand.'_

"Starshot Gunner! Attack with a boost from Sagittarius!"

 **(9000+7000+1000=17000)**

"Guard!"

"Lumina and Gemini, you're up next!"

 **(9000+6000+10000+5000=30000)**

"Guard!"

"Divine Starblade, Hikari! Attack the Vanguard!" Aurora shouted. "Skill activated! Counterblast! I bind any number of my rear guards! And I'm choosing to bind all five of them! Since 3 or more were bound, add 10000 power to Hikari!"

 **(36000+10000+10000=56000)**

"Perfect guard!" Ryo shouted. "I told you already! I will not lose to you!"

"We'll just see about that!" Aurora said. "Triple drive! First check, no trigger! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Hikari! Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Hikari!"

"It doesn't matter! Your attack is blocked! There's no way you can win anymore!" Ryo said with a grin.

"That's where you're wrong." Aurora said. "Since five or more units were bound from Hikari's skill, she restands at the end of the battle with drive minus 3. In addition, for her next attack, the opponent cannot guard with sentinels from their hand."

Ryo widened his eyes. ' _No… This can't be happening… This is impossible…'_

"This is for everyone you hurt for your stupid ambition!" Aurora shouted. "Go Hikari! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(36000+10000+10000+10000=66000)**

Hikari leaped through the air and held her sword up. She dived down at Amon and slashed the unit clean in two. Light exploded from the unit as she did. And a sixth and final card fell into Ryo's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Ryo(6).]**

With that, the image field around them vanished. Ryo stumbled around, clearly on his last legs. Slowly, he fell back.

"My dream… I don't… believe it..." he muttered as his eyes closed and his body hit the ground with a thud.

Aurora sighed as her deck returned to her. "It's over."

"That should be it." Anthony said as he and Dan walked over to their friend. "As long as the others won their fights, Purgatory should be finished."

"No. Not yet." Aurora said with a shake of her head. "You remember what Ryo said, right? The person Ragnarok is possessing is out there somewhere. We need to find and stop him."

"She's right." Dan nodded. "But where do we start looking?"

" _Can you all hear me?"_

"Huh?" Aurora looked around the room they were in. "Did either of you just hear a voice?"

Anthony nodded his head. "Yeah. I did."

"So did I." Dan added. "It sounded like-"

" _Can you hear me? Please answer."_

"Yukari." Aurora spoke. "Where are you?"

" _I'm using Atmos's power to speak with you all telepathically."_ Yukari explained. " _I can't keep this up for long though so please stay quiet and let me explain. Ragnarok has possessed a human boy."_

"We know." Aurora told her. "Purgatory's leader told us."

" _That makes this a bit easier. Listen. This human boy has appeared at the Tatsunagi building."_

"The Tatsunagi building?!" Aurora exclaimed. "We're on our way! We'll hurry and-"

" _No, you can't come. You won't make it in time."_ Yukari said. " _I will try and subdue him. If I succeed, that should stop the threat Ragnarok poses to Earth."_

"And if you can't?" Dan asked.

" _That is the reason for this message. With the help of Atmos and Star Chaser, we've managed to open up a temporary portal leading to Star Chaser's main ship. It's located on the roof of the building your at right now. I want you to go there and get through it just in case I should fail and the Earth is absorbed. You will be our insurance policy."_

Aurora didn't like the thought of running away like this. But Yukari wasn't wrong that they would never reach the Tatsunagi building in time, even if they left right now. Their best option was to do what the Tatsunagi head was saying and get off the planet just in case. However, one thing still nagged at her.

"What about everyone else?" Aurora asked. "Elizabeth, Sophia, Sarah, Allen, Rose. Everyone outside. We can't just leave them."

" _I've already opened portals near them and informed them of the situation too. Don't worry about them."_ Yukari spoke. " _Just focus on getting to the roof. Hurry."_

Aurora, Dan, and Anthony looked at each other and nodded. "Alright. We're heading there now." Aurora said. "But don't you dare lose, Yukari."

" _I have no intention of losing. I am the guardian of Earth after all."_ Yukari said. " _I can't hold this connection any longer. Now get to the roof."_

After that, Yukari's voice faded. Aurora, Dan, and Anthony knew what they had to do. They quickly left the room they were in and worked on finding the quickest way to the roof. They could only hope that this precaution would be necessary in the end.

* * *

Yukari stood on the roof of the Tatsunagi building. The dreary sky and chaotic streets were full proof that she had failed in her role as guardian. She should have prevented this from ever happening. But now all she could do was try and prevent things from getting any worse.

Team Cosmic Trio would be heading to the warp gate on the roof of Purgatory's building right now. She knew all three of them were skilled cardfighters but Aurora was the one that absolutely needed to make it there. She was special. If anyone had a chance at saving everyone from this crisis it was her. But to do so, Yukari had needed to do something that she knew Aurora would likely never forgive her for. It had to deal with the information that she had told Aurora regarding warp gates being put up near everyone else.

But in truth, no such warp gates existed outside of the one Aurora was headed to.

It had been difficult enough setting up even one gate connecting Earth and Star Chaser's main ship. Creating several more, or even one more, was simply too much for them. But if Aurora had known this, Yukari had no doubt in her mind that Aurora would risk her safety to try and get the rest of her friends through the gate. But that would take time that they simply didn't have.

"Well this is a nice setting, isn't it?"

The voice of the old sage Fulong was heard by Yukari as she sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I figured it's been awhile since you and I had last chatted. So here I am." he said. "You still look like the same rugrat you were when I first met you."

"And you're still an old man with no manners." Yukari retorted.

"Let me finish." he said. "You're still a rugrat… but you never should have had to bear this responsibility at your age."

"I didn't have a choice." Yukari said. "After my mother died, I inherited the role as head of the Tatsunagi family."

"Yes. Her death was rather tragic." the sage said. "Taken by illness far before her time. She truly was a wonderful woman. She never really wished for you to deal with this burden though."

Yukari remembered the day she had inherited the role as head of the family a few years back. Her mother had been head at the time. She recalled what a loving and caring person she was. But a sudden illness had made her bedridden for months. It was clear her life was fading. But it still hit Yukari hard when her mother finally passed on. She had done everything she could to live up to her mother's name and make her proud ever since. Yukari would be lying though if she said it hadn't been taxing at times for her.

' _Forgive me, mother. I've been a failure as a guardian.'_ Yukari thought silently. ' _But I swear on my name that I will not let Ragnarok succeed. No matter what.'_

"Ragnarok will be here soon. As will the human he's using as a vessel." the sage said. "So you really plan to fight him?"

"I do." Yukari said.

"You know your chances of victory are slim, correct?" he said. "And you know what will happen should you lose."

Yukari knew full well what the likely result of this fight was. She likely lacked the power to defeat Ragnarok. But if she could at least buy time for Aurora to get away, then that would be enough. Still, she knew the consequences of losing the upcoming fight.

"You're nearly certain to die. You know that, don't you?"

Yukari was silent for a few moments before nodding her head. "I do."

"Very well then. All I can do is wish you luck I suppose." he said. He turned to walk away. "You're really putting all your bets on that girl, are you?"

"You trained her over the winter. You should know how special she is." Yukari said.

"That she is."

The sage left the roof, leaving Yukari all alone. She thought to herself for a bit. How eventful this past year had been for her. And at the center of all of it was Aurora. A one of a kind human girl, with parents of both Cray and Earth. Dealing with the girl had been an adventure in of itself for Yukari. But in the end… it had honestly been a little fun for her as well.

Yukari's thoughts were halted as a new arrival appeared on the roof. A young boy with dark blue hair. No words needed to be exchanged by them to know who the other was.

"So you're the vessel of Ragnarok." Yukari said.

Kouta pulled out his deck and held it out in front of Yukari. "This is where you meet your end, guardian of Earth."

"I will stop you." Yukari said, waving her hand as a sheet of light appeared in front of her and Kouta. "Now let's get started."

Kouta didn't need to be told twice as he placed his deck on the sheet. Yukari did the same as they each drew their opening hands. This would be a fateful fight, not just for them, but also for the fate of the entire world.

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

 **Yukari: I don't care if you are a god made from Messiah and Gyze. As the guardian of Earth, it is my duty to stop you.**

 **Kouta: You can't begin to fathom the power I possess. Your fate is sealed, as is this world's.**

 **Yukari: We shall see. But even if I may fall, there is another who will defeat you.**

 **Kouta: What idealistic thinking. I'll shove it into the ground right alongside you as I bury you.**

 **Next time: The Guardian's Role**

 **Card Gallery:**

Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
Forerunner  
 **ACT RC:** [Bind this unit]. If you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, search your deck for up to one card with the Warpdrive ability and bind it face up.  
 **AUTO [Bind zone]:** [SB1]. At the end of your turn, you may pay the cost. If you do, add this card to your hand.

* * *

Warp Gate Hare, Lepus  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **ACT RC:** [Rest this unit]. Bind the top card of your deck face up. If the card you bound has the Warpdrive ability, and you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, you may draw 1 card or CC1.

* * *

Star Maiden, Irene  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** Choose a card from your hand and discard it. When this unit is placed on GC from your hand, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO GB2 [Bind zone]:** [CB1, SB1, & Discard a card from your hand.] During a battle where your opponent's Vanguard attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, call his card to GC. Then, choose your Vanguard and that unit cannot be hit until the end of the battle. At the end of the battle, exclude this card from the game.

* * *

Starshot Gunner  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** [Choose a card from your bind zone and send it to the drop zone]. This unit gets Power equal to the Power of the unit sent to the drop zone until end of turn. Then, bind the top card of your deck face up.

* * *

Cosmos Sabre, Luminia  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **CONT RC:** During your turn, if you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, this unit gets +2000 power for each of your other rear guards with the Warpdrive ability.  
 **Warpdrive AUTO GB1:** If you have a Vanguard with "Hikari" in its name, look at the top 3 cards of your deck. Choose up to one card among them, bind it face up, and shuffle your deck. Then, choose up to one face up card in your bind zone not named "Cosmos Sabre, Luminia", and call it to RC.

* * *

Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** [CB1.] When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card, bind it face up, and shuffle your deck. Then, choose up to one face up card from your bind zone with the Warpdrive ability, call it to RC, and until end of turn it gets +5000 power and **(ACT RC: [Bind this unit face up]. Choose a face up card in your bind zone with a different name than this unit and call it to RC.)**.  
 **AUTO VC:** At the beginning of your ride phase, choose up to one normal unit in your drop zone and bind it face up. If the card you bound had the Warpdrive ability, CC1.

* * *

Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC 1/Turn:** [CB1 & Take a face down card in your G zone with the same name as this unit and flip it face up.] Take a face up card in your bind zone and send it to the drop zone. For each grade of the card sent to the drop zone with this card's effect, bind the top card of your deck face up. Then, choose up to 3 face up cards in your bind zone and call them to RC.  
 **AUTO VC:** When this unit attacks, choose any number of your rear guards and bind them face up. For each card bound, this unit gets +3000 power. Then, if 3 or more rear guards were bound with this card's effect, this unit gets +1 drive.

* * *

Divine Starblade, Hikari  
Cross Stride  
Power: 25000+  
 **Cross Stride (Constellation of Light, Hikari):** _(Released when you have 4 or more G Units face up in your G Zone, with at least 1 being the mentioned unit)_ -Stride Step- [Choose a card from your hand with the same name as your Vanguard and discard it & Remove four copies of the specified card from the game from your G Zone.] STRIDE this card on your VC from face down in your G Zone.  
 **AUTO:** When this card is placed on VC, choose up to 2 face up cards from your bind zone and call them to separate RCs. Those units and this unit all get +10000 power, and this unit gets +1 critical.  
 **AUTO 1/Turn VC:** [CB2.] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind any number of your rear guards face up. If you bound 3 or more, this unit gets +10000 power. Then, if you bound 5 or more, at the end of the battle, stand this unit and it gets drive -3 and **(AUTO VC: When this unit attacks, your opponent cannot call sentinels from their hand to GC until the end of the battle.)**.


	103. The Guardian's Role

**A/N: Hey readers. You ready to see Ragnarok in action? Cause here it is.**

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Neo Element, Atmos!"

 **Neo Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Inheritor of Wills, Ragnarok!"

 **Inheritor of Wills, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Yukari watched as a unit she had never seen before appeared at Kouta's side. It was a small alien lifeform. It reminded her of the image of the larva forms of Messiah and Gyze.

"I'll begin." Kouta said. "Ride. Stasis Element, Ragnarok."

 **Stasis Element, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

Ragnarok's evolution changed its appearance. Rather than the grade 0 form it had moments ago, it now looked somewhat more grown. It was huddled in a circle, much like an infant sleeping.

"Skill of Inheritor of Wills, Ragnarok. When Stasis Element rides on top of it, the opponent binds the top card of their deck face down. Then I draw one card." Kouta explained. "Next I use Stasis Element's skill. I discard a card from my hand and look at the top seven cards of the deck." the cards came to him as he looked amongst them for the card he needed. "Adding Contradiction Element, Ragnarok to my hand. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Yukari(5), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Ride! Air Elemental, Fwalrun!"

 **Air Elemental, Fwalrun**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Fwalrun attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(7000)**

"No guard." Kouta said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yukari(0), Kouta(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Yukari(6), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "Ride. Contradicion Element, Ragnarok."

 **Contradiction Element, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

Ragnarok was no longer huddled up. It now stood up, with two things on its shoulders that seemed like black holes.

"Skill of Stasis Element. When Contradiction Element rides over it, the opponent binds the top card of the deck face down. Then, add 5000 power to the Vanguard."

' _Another card bound face down from the deck. Is this his game plan?'_ Yukari thought to herself.

"Calling Corrupted Element, Bikkun." Kouta said.

Yukari watched as the familiar Cray Elemental Bikkun appeared. But it looked different now. It seemed… deranged. Like a dark shadow was possessing it.

"Bikkun attacks."

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Yukari said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Ragnarok attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yukari(1), Kouta(1).]**

"Skill of Contradiction Element, Ragnarok. Counterblast." Kouta said. "Since the attack landed, the top two cards of your deck are bound face down."

' _There's no doubt about it anymore.'_ Yukari thought. "So that's your strategy. You plan to make my deck run out of cards."

"The cards that are bound represent those absorbed by Ragnarok." Kouta said. "It will absorb it all. Planets. Stars. Life. Everything. And once everything is absorbed, Ragnarok will begin the world anew."

"I won't let that happen." Yukari said.

"You don't have any say in the matter. Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Yukari(5), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. ' _His deck is filled with Cray Elementals, just like mine. But his have been taken in by Ragnarok's dark influence. Regardless, I still have to fight with everything I've got.'_

"Ride! Frost Element, Valancher!"

 **Frost Element, Valancher**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"I then call Thunder Element, Volt." Yukari said. "Volt attacks the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Yukari(1), Kouta(2).]**

"Valancher attacks!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Kouta said holding up a critical trigger from his hand.

"Drive check, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard." Yukari said, knowing the trigger wouldn't be enough. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Yukari(5), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw. At the start of my ride phase, Contradiction Element's skill lets me look at the top seven cards of the deck for Oblivion Element, Ragnarok and ride it." Kouta said. "The one that brings the universe salvation descends. Rewrite the world. Ride. Oblivion Element, Ragnarok."

 **Oblivion Element, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Because Oblivion Element, Ragnarok was ridden due to Contradiction Element's skill, the top card of the opponent's deck is bound face down." Kouta said. "And now Oblivion Element attacks."

 **(11000)**

"No guard."

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Bikkun and critical to the Vanguard."

' _Tch. It would be a critical, wouldn't it.'_ Yukari thought. "Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, critical trigger. All effects to the Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Yukari(3), Kouta(2).]**

"Bikkun will attack Volt."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Yukari said, watching her rear guard get retired.

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Yukari(5), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Yukari said. "Protector of two worlds, shine your light on this battlefield and empower my forces! Ride! Divine Element, Atmos!"

 **Divine Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation!" Yukari called out. "Cosmic Element, Paleos!"

 **Cosmic Element, Paleos**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Skill of Neo Element, Atmos in the soul! Look at the top three cards of the deck! Then I send Fire Element, Magnum to the G Zone! Up next is Atmos's stride skill! My Vanguard gains a skill to add 5000 power to all Beaconed rear guards! Then, I call Magnum from the G Zone!"

"Activating the skill of Oblivion Element, Ragnarok." Kouta said. "When the opponent strides, one face down card in their G Zone is bound face down."

"What?" Yukari gasped. Having her G Zone messed with was definitely not something that would bode well for her as this game played out.

"Everything will be absorbed into Ragnarok. That includes your future as well." Kouta said.

' _The longer this game goes on, the greater his advantage.'_ Yukari thought. "Activating Paleos's skill. I look at the top seven cards of the deck. Then for each face up card currently in my G Zone, I can put a card from them into the G Zone." As Yukari looked at the cards that came to her. She had 2 cards face up in her G Zone currently. However, with Kouta's strategy of thinning her deck, she needed as many cards staying in the deck as possible right now. So she opted to only put one card in rather than two. "Adding Shine Element, Phota to the G Zone. And now I use Phota's skill. I counterblast and call it from the G Zone. It then automatically becomes Beaconed until end of turn and gains 5000 power. Next, I use Magnum's skill. I flip Inferno Element, Magnum in my G Zone face up as the cost to Beacon Magnum. On top of that, Paleos's skill adds 1000 power to all Beaconed units for every face up card in the G Zone."

She only had a front row with nothing behind it, but the added power through her units' skills was more than enough to make up for it. She couldn't afford to waste her hand right now when Kouta had yet to even stride.

"Phota attacks!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+3000=22000)**

"No guard. Damage check, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Yukari(3), Kouta(3).]**

"Paleos, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000)**

"Corrupted Element, Dizmel. Perfect guard." Kouta said, holding up the sentinel.

"Triple drive." Yukari said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Magnum!"

"Dizmel's skill. At the end of the battle it guarded, the opponent binds the top card of their deck face down."

Yet another card was ripped from Yukari's deck and bound face down. But there was nothing she could do but press the attack. "Magnum attacks! With its skill, add 10000 power!"

 **(9000+5000+3000+10000+5000=32000)**

"Generation guard. Corrupted Element, Scryew."

 **Corrupted Element, Scryew**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated. If there are five or more cards face down in the opponent's bind zone, add 5000 to the shield."

"Turn end." Yukari said. She looked at her G Zone. With Paleos's skill, she had flipped Savior Element, Atmos face up. On her next turn, if she had the necessary number of cards face up in her G Zone, she would be able to Cross Stride. She would have to hedge her bets on that.

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Yukari(7), Kouta(4).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "Stride Generation. Decisive Element, Janus."

 **Decisive Element, Janus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. I give a skill to my Vanguard. When a card is bound face down due to an ability, my Vanguard gains 3000 power." Kouta explained. "Then, bind the top card of the deck face down. Next, I activate the skill of Janus." he paid the cost of a counterblast and flipping a copy of it face up. "For every face up card in my G Zone, which is currently 2, the top card of the opponent's deck is bound face down. I then call Corrupted Element, Doxic. And with the soul blast of my rear guard Bikkun, the top card of the opponent's deck is bound face down."

Yukari looked at the face down cards in her bind zone. Kouta had already managed to put 9 cards there. That was 9 cards she had absolutely zero access to. It truly was as if her forces were slowly being absorbed by Ragnarok.

"Attack Phota with Bikkun."

 **(9000)**

' _He's aiming for my rear guards.'_ Yukari realized. Limiting her options for Beacon would hurt her. But thankfully, she had a way to deal with that.

"Generation guard! Protection Element, Barrios!"

 **Protection Element, Barrios**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Barrios! I send Phota and Magnum to the G Zone! I then call 2 copies of Barrios to my front row rear guard!" Yukari explained.

"Janus attacks the Vanguard." Kouta said.

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Power to Doxic and critical to the Vanguard. Third check, draw trigger. Power to Doxic and I draw."

"Damage check." Yukari said as two cards fell into her damage zone.

 **[Damage: Yukari(5), Kouta(3).]**

"Ngh!" Yukari put a hand on the sheet of light her cards were on to support herself. Her body ached in pain.

"You should give up." Kouta told her. "I hold no grudge against you personally. I would rather end this for you painlessly."

"Never." Yukari said. "I can't give up."

"Why do you fight on? You must know you stand no chance against Ragnarok's power."

Yukari let out a weak chuckle. "You do have a point there. Logically speaking, it would be easier for me to just give up right now. But still, I can't allow myself to do that."

"Why?"

"Perhaps it's the influence of a special person I met not too long ago. Her courage and enthusiasm is contagious." Yukari said with a soft smile. "But before all that… I am the guardian of Earth. And I will protect this place until my dying breath!"

"Then I will grant that death to you." Kouta said. "Doxic attacks."

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

"Intercept with the left Barrios!" Yukari called out. "The attack is guarded and Barrios returns to the G Zone face up."

"I end my turn." Kouta said. He watched as the other Barios left the field and Phota and Magnum returned to Yukari's front row. "No matter. It will simply end on the next turn."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Yukari(6), Kouta(7).]**

"Then I'll just have to end it on this turn." Yukari said. "Stand and draw!"

"What can you hope to do? The harder you fight, the tighter Ragnarok's grip around you becomes." Kouta said.

"Even if all the odds are against me, I won't give up." Yukari said. "I will show you the hope of the future!"

A pillar of light shot up from Yukari's G Zone, making Kouta widen his eyes. "What is this?"

"The light of hope shall shine brighter than ever." Yukari said. "I exclude 4 copies of Savior Element, Atmos from the game. Then, I discard a card with the same name as the Vanguard." A card appeared in Yukari's hand. The card she knew could give her the miracle she needed. "Now awaken! Unlock your potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Deity Element, Atmos!"

 **Deity Element, Atmos**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

"Here we go! I call! Frost Element, Valancher! Thunder Element, Volt! Storm Element, Sebreeze!"

Kouta narrowed his eyes at the three units Yukari called to her back row. Sebreeze at least made sense with it being a grade 1, but Valancher and Volt were both grade 2s. What was she planning?

"Skills of Valancher and Magnum! I flip up Inferno Element, Magnum and Subzero Element, Valancher in the G Zone to Beacon them! And then, I activate the skill of Deity Element, Atmos! I send all of my rear guards with Beacon except for Sebreeze to the G Zone face up! I can then call face up G Units in my G Zone up to the number of cards just sent! I call! Cosmic Element, Paleos! Subzero Element, Valancher! And finally, 2 Inferno Element, Magnums! They all gain a skill and the ability to boost!"

Kouta widened his eyes. "What?"

"I will protect this world until my dying breath." Yukari said. "Now I attack with Paleos boosted by Magnum! With the skill gained from Atmos, I discard 2 cards from my hand and give my attacking G Unit the ability to triple drive!"

 **(15000+15000=30000)**

"No guard." Kouta said.

"Here goes then! Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to the Vanguard and critical to Paleos! Third check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Kouta said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger. I don't heal but the power will go to my Vanguard."

 **[Damage: Yukari(5), Kouta(5).]**

"Boosted by Sebreeze, my Vanguard attacks!" Yukari declared. "With Atmos's skill, it gains 5000 power for each of my G Unit rear guards!"

 **(36000+20000+5000+7000=68000)**

"Perfect guard." Kouta said, holding up his sentinel.

"Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Valancher! Second check, critical trigger! Once again, all effects to Valancher! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Valancher and I recover one damage!" Yukari said.

 **[Damage: Yukari(5), Kouta(5).]**

"With Dizmel's skill, the top card of the deck is bound face down."

"Valancher, attack with a boost from Magnum! Using the skill gained to get triple drive!"

 **(15000+15000+15000=45000)**

"Generation guard. Corrupted Element, Scryew."

 **Corrupted Element, Scryew**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Eleven cards are currently face down in your bind zone. That means 10000 is added to the shield." Kouta said. He then held up a trigger and a grade 2 from his hand. "I also guard with these."

' _A total of 56000 when adding on his Vanguard's current 16000 power. I'll need all three of these to be triggers to break through.'_ Yukari calculated. "Triple drive! First check, critical trigger! All effects to Valancher! Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Valancher! Third check…"

It would all come down to this. One final drive check. Yukari knew just how much was riding on this. She steeled herself and turned the card over.

"No trigger."

"You never had a chance. You cannot hope to overcome Ragnarok's power."

"... Turn end." Yukari said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Yukari(8), Kouta(2).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "Now then, it is time to bring this fight, and this world, to an end. Generation Zone, release."

Yukari watched as the dark clouds above them parted and a figure slowly descended. It was a massive being with a white body. It held a gigantic pitch black sphere in its hands. Yukari had never seen anything so powerful in her entire life.

"Oblivion Universe, Ragnarok Limbo."

 **Oblivion Universe, Ragnarok Limbo**

 **Grade 4, Power: 100000**

"Skill of Ragnarok Limbo. Bind cards face down from the top of your deck equal to the number of cards face down in your bind zone." Kouta said.

Yukari widened her eyes. "What?!"

"You have eleven cards face down in your bind zone. You also have ten cards left in your deck." Kouta said. "Which means the rest of your deck now goes to the bind zone face down."

Yukari watched as the rest of the cards in her deck were gone. Her deck was at zero. "No…"

"Until the end of the turn, the opponent will not lose due to their deck being at zero cards." Kouta said.

Yukari widened her eyes as she heard this. Even though her deck was at zero, she still wouldn't lose? Then how was Kouta supposed to win?

"If the opponent's deck has zero cards, Ragnarok Limbo's attack cannot be nullified due to any skill." Kouta explained. "In addition, if the attack successfully hits, I win automatically."

' _So that's his plan. Attack with Ragnarok and prevent me from using my sentinels.'_ Yukari realized. ' _But with 100000 power… how am I supposed to block that?'_

"This is the end." Kouta said. "Ragnarok Limbo attacks the Vanguard."

 **(100000)**

Yukari looked at her hand. No matter what she did, she knew it was impossible. She no longer had any way to win. "No guard…"

Energy built up in the sphere Ragnarok was holding. It was a gravitational field that was absorbing everything around it. Yukari watched as her Vanguard tried to resist, but ultimately was pulled in along with it.

"Atmos!" Yukari exclaimed.

Suddenly the gravitational pull stopped, and a burst of energy exploded from it. The shockwave blasted Yukari away and sent her flying off the roof.

"Your duties have come to an end, guardian." Kouta said. "But fear not. For Ragnarok will rebuild the universe to become one where such a role is unneeded."

Yukari barely had any feeling left in her body as she fell. But she knew that this was the end for her. ' _Forgive me mother… I failed.'_ she thought to herself. ' _I failed both Earth and Cray.'_ Yukari closed her eyes as one final thought went through her mind before her consciousness faded. ' _Aurora… forgive me. It's up to you now. I hope I was at least able to buy you time to escape.'_

* * *

The door to the roof of Purgatory's headquarters burst open as Aurora, Dan, and Anthony rushed through it. It had taken some doing but they had finally managed to make it here.

"Alright, where is this gate thing?" Anthony asked as he looked around.

Dan caught sight of the portal and pointed to it. "Over there!"

"Let's hurry." Aurora said.

The three teens quickly ran towards the portal. As they neared it however, the ground around them shook. They all were forced to stop as they struggled to hold their balance.

"What's going on?!" Dan exclaimed.

Soon, the tremors stopped. But that was the least of their troubles as Aurora looked up at the sky with fear etched onto her face. "What IS that?!"

Dan and Anthony looked up and were equally stunned into silence. A massive being was seen in the distance. Power emanated from it. They had no confirmation on the matter, but they each knew what it was.

Ragnarok.

' _It can't be…'_ Aurora thought. ' _Does this mean Yukari lost?'_

Suddenly the air changed. And in an instant, the three teens felt a wind like force blowing them towards Ragnarok. Everything around them was slowly being pulled in.

' _We have to get to the portal.'_ Aurora immediately thought. She attempted to move towards it but Ragnarok's force was too strong. It was right next to her, but she couldn't move an inch closer. But then suddenly, she found herself shoved at it. Aurora turned around and gasped as she saw Dan and Anthony's faces, realizing that they had pushed her in.

The last image she saw was them saying "Go."

Aurora called out to her friends just as she was sucked in. "NO-"

Aurora felt her body be dragged along through space at lightspeed. Only a second or two had passed before she found herself flying through the other end of the warp gate. Her body tumbled along the floor as she came through. The second she felt her body able to, aurora got up and turned to the gate.

But it was no longer there.

Tears rolled down Aurora's cheeks. Her two closest friends in the world had just sacrificed themselves all for her to make it here to safety. But now they were gone.

"Miss Aurora?" a being who she recognized as Pisces Mitera spoke. "Are you unharmed?"

Aurora looked around her. She saw several members of Star Chaser, all ones that she recognized. But there wasn't a single person from Earth. "Wh-Where's everyone else? There were portals opened up near the others, weren't there? Where are they?"

The units around Aurora all looked at each other with frowns. Pisces Mitera put a hand on Aurora's shoulder. "I'm afraid you're the only one from Earth that arrived here."

Those words hit Aurora like a ton of bricks. She fell to her knees as tears welled up in her eyes. Dan. Anthony. Her father. All of her friends and family. The entirety of Earth and everyone that had been on it was gone. She was now all that was left of the planet. Aurora let out a wail of pain from her heart as tears poured out from her.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

 **Yukari: Aurora… When I first met you, you were just an ordinary cardfighter. But you've grown so much since then. You got involved in so much because of me. I can never apologize enough for that. But now, all our fates rest with you. You are the last hope for the universe.**

 **Next time: The Last Star**

 **Card Gallery:**

Inheritor of Wills, Ragnarok  
Grade 0  
Power: 5000  
 **AUTO:** When a card named "Stasis Element, Ragnarok" rides this unit, your opponent binds the top card of their deck face down. Then, draw 1 card.

* * *

Stasis Element, Ragnarok  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO:** When a card named "Contradiction Element, Ragnarok" rides this unit, your opponent binds the top card of their deck face down. Then, choose your Vanguard and it gets +5000 power until the end of the turn.  
 **ACT 1/Turn VC:** [Discard a card from your hand]. Look at the top seven cards of your deck. Search for up to one card with "Ragnarok" in its card name and add it to your hand.

* * *

Guide of Ragnarok  
Grade 1  
Power: 7000  
 **AUTO [Hand]:** At the beginning of your ride phase, you may reveal this card and look at the top seven cards of your deck. Search for up to one card that is one grade higher than your Vanguard and has "Ragnarok" in its name among them, and ride it on your VC. If you rode a card, discard this card and you cannot normal ride during that ride phase.  
 **CONT [Hand]:** When paying the cost to STRIDE, this card gets grade +2.

* * *

Corrupted Elemental, Dizmel  
Grade 1  
Power: 6000  
 **CONT:** Sentinel  
 **AUTO:** [Choose a card from your hand and discard it.] When this unit is placed on GC you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your units being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of battle.  
 **AUTO:** After the battle that this unit successfully guarded, your opponent takes the top card of their deck and binds it face down.

* * *

Contradiction Element, Ragnarok  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO VC:** At the beginning of your ride phase, you may look at the top seven cards of your deck. Search for up to one card named "Oblivion Element, Ragnarok" and ride it on VC as Stand. If you rode a card, your opponent binds the top card of their deck face down, and you cannot normal ride during that ride phase.  
 **AUTO VC/RC:** [CB1.] When this unit's attack hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent binds the top 2 cards of their deck face down.

* * *

Corrupted Elemental, Doxic  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **AUTO GB1:** [CB1] When this unit is placed on RC, if you have a Vanguard with "Ragnarok" in its name, you may pay the cost. If you do, check the difference between the number of cards in yours and your opponent's damage zone. If you have more cards in your damage zone than your opponent, your opponent takes cards from the top of their deck equal to the difference and binds them face down. If you have less cards in your damage zone than your opponent, draw cards equal to the difference.

* * *

Corrupted Elemental, Bikkun  
Grade 2  
Power: 9000  
 **ACT RC GB1 1/Turn:** [SB1]. Your opponent takes the top card of their deck and binds it face down.

* * *

Oblivion Element, Ragnarok  
Grade 3  
Power: 11000  
 **AUTO VC:** CB1. When your G Unit STRIDE, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose your Vanguard and it gets **(CONT VC: When your opponent's card is bound face down due to the effect of your unit, this unit gets +3000 power)**. Then, your opponent binds the top card of their deck face down.  
 **AUTO VC:** When your opponent's G Unit STRIDE, your opponent chooses one face down card from their G Zone and binds it face down.

* * *

Decisive Element, Janus  
Stride  
Power: 15000+  
 **ACT VC:** [CB1 & Take a face down card from your G Zone and flip it face up]. For every face up card in your G Zone, your opponent binds the top card of their deck face down.

* * *

Corrupted Element, Scryew  
G Guardian  
Shield: 15000  
 **AUTO:** When this unit is placed on GC, for every five face down in your opponent's bind zone, add +5000 to this unit's shield. If your opponent has less than five cards face down in their bind zone, bind the top card of their deck face down.

* * *

Oblivion Universe, Ragnarok Limbo  
Stride  
Power: 100000  
 **AUTO VC GB5:** [CB2]. When this card is placed on VC, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent binds cards from the top of their deck face down equal to the number of cards face down in their bind zone. Until the end of the turn, your opponent cannot lose due to their deck having zero cards in it. Then, this unit gets **(CONT VC: If your opponent's deck has zero cards in it, all abilities of your opponent's guardians effects with "cannot be hit" are nullified. Also, if this unit's attack successfully hits your opponent's Vanguard, you win the game.)**.  
 **CONT VC:** This unit is unaffected by all abilities, other than its own. _(This includes any power altering due to triggers or boost.)  
_ **CONT:** When this unit returns to the G Zone from VC, all of your opponent's face down cards in their bind zone except for G Units go to the deck. Then, your opponent shuffles their deck.


	104. The Last Star

**A/N: Hello readers. Time for the final battle between Aurora and Ragnarok. Hope you all enjoy it. And you might want to keep an eye on your alerts list tomorrow. There might be a surprise for you all.**

Tears fell from Aurora's eyes as she kneeled on the floor of Star Chaser's main ship. Things had all gone so wrong so quickly. Now all of Earth was absorbed into Ragnarok. She was the only human from Earth left in all of the universe. The other members of Star Chaser were all silent, none of them knowing what they could say to console the young girl.

The doors to the room they were in slid open as Hikari rushed in. She quickly spotted Aurora and ran over to her. "Aurora! You're okay!" As she came up to her sister, however, she noticed the tears falling from her sister. "Aurora?"

"H-Hikari…" Aurora muttered. She clenched her fists in frustration. "Dad… Everyone on Earth… they're all gone!" She slammed her fist on the ground. "I couldn't do a single thing! They're all gone!"

Hikari widened her eyes. "Aurora…" She leaned in and wrapped her arms around her sister. "It's going to be alright. We'll get them back."

Aurora hugged her sister back. Having someone important to her so close right now was the one thing keeping her from completely losing it right now. It took some time, but Hikari eventually managed to help Aurora calm down. After she did, the Star Chaser warrior led her through the ship to meet with their mother.

The two sisters walked into the command room of the ship, where Elara was waiting for them. Seeing Aurora made the woman sigh with relief. "Aurora, thank goodness. I am relieved to see you are unharmed."

"Unfortunately mother, I bring bad news as well." Hikari said. "Earth has been absorbed into Ragnarok."

A brief moment of pain was seen on Elara's face, but she quickly hid it. "I see… Then, does Aurora also know about Cray?"

Aurora blinked her eyes. "What about Cray?"

The others in the room were all silent. Finally, Elara decided to be the one to break the news to her daughter. "Unfortunately… Cray has also been absorbed into Ragnarok."

"What?!" Aurora exclaimed. "Then… everyone there… all of the clans… they're gone?"

"As it stands, we of Star Chaser is all that is left of the universe." Elara explained.

Aurora fell to her knees. Disbelief was painted all over her face. "Then… it's over? We lost?"

"We haven't lost. Not yet." Elara told her. "Our situation is dire, there is no denying that. But because we are all still here then we still have a chance. We have one final chance to defeat Ragnarok."

"What do you mean?"

"Fleeing is pointless. We'd only drain our fuel." Sagittarius explained, sitting by one of the ship's computers. "So if we want any chance of defeating Ragnarok then we have to do it now. That is why we are heading to its location."

"But can we win?"

"In a head on fight, no. Ragnarok has become too powerful." Elara explained. "However, you may be able to stop it."

"Me?!" Aurora exclaimed. "What are you talking about? I'm not a warrior like all of you! I'm just a cardfighter!"

"Which is exactly why we need you." Hikari told her. "Ragnarok's origins still lie with Cray. If we can challenge it to a cardfight rather than a straight on battle, we may have a chance."

"But if I lose then-"

"You won't lose. We believe in you." Hikari said. "The clan has discussed it in length if the situation ever came to this. We agreed we would put our faith in you to guide us to victory. That you would be our Vanguard."

Aurora looked around her. All of the members of Star Chaser in the room all looked at her with confidence. Like Hikari had said, they all believed in her completely.

"Everyone…" Aurora said in awe. She steeled her resolve. So many people had helped her get to this point. They had all put their faith in her. Aurora refused to let all of that be for nothing. "Alright then. If you're all willing to trust me, then I'll do it. Let's stop Ragnarok and save the universe!"

The members of Star Chaser all cheered in agreement. Elara showed a soft smile to her daughter. "Aurora… you've grown up so much. I can't begin to describe how proud I am of you."

"We should make contact with Ragnarok in two hours." Sagittarius said. "We should all make sure we're prepared for then."

Two hours wasn't exactly a lot of time. There was a chance this would be the last day of all of their lives. But that was exactly why they couldn't put this fight off.

"Aurora" Hikari said. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you."

Aurora followed her sister as she led her through the ship. Aurora had seen a lot of this when she had come to Cray before. But it still amazed her how advanced Star Chaser's technology was. They walked through hall after hall before finally coming to a door. It slid open as the two sisters walked inside. It seemed to be a simple bedroom from what Aurora could tell.

"This is my room." Hikari said. She walked over to a window in the room. Aurora walked up next to her sister and stared out. The vastness of space stretched on for what seemed to be forever. "You told me that you and father enjoyed stargazing when you were younger."

"Yeah." Aurora said with a nod. "But now… there's nothing there. The stars. The planets. All of it was absorbed by Ragnarok."

"Yes. You're right." Hikari said. "Space's beauty has been greatly diminished by the lack of the star's light. But still, isn't it amazing?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's so vast. The universe is big enough to fit countless numbers of planets and stars and so many other things. So big that even Star Chaser, who has been exploring the cosmos for over a century, hasn't fully explored it." Hikari said. "I remember when I was little that mother and I would look out into space as we went through it. It always amazed me how big it was. One time I asked mother if she knew how big space was."

"What did she say?" Aurora asked.

"As big as your imagination." Hikari answered. "She said imagination was an important thing, and that she had learned that from a planet she once visited. I believe that planet was Earth. Because humans are able to use their imagination through Vanguard."

Aurora nodded her head. "Yeah. Dad always said the most important thing in Vanguard was imagination."

"And it's not just true for Vanguard. If you use your imagination, you can think of all different kinds of places that could be out in the universe. And an equal amount of adventures."

"Yeah. You're right." Aurora said with a smile. "Space is amazing." She thought back to how she would stargaze with her father. That in turn made her remember that he was currently inside Ragnarok. And it wasn't just him. Dan. Anthony. All of her friends. Everyone and everything in the entire universe was inside Ragnarok. And that included the stars that she would love to stare at in the night sky.

' _That's just another reason for me to win.'_ Aurora told herself. "Hey Hikari?"

"Yes?"

"I'm so glad I was introduced to Star Chaser. Because I never would have realized how amazing the universe is if I hadn't." She looked at her sister and smiled. "And I never would have met you and mother."

"The same goes for me." Hikari said.

The two sisters reached for the other's hand and held it tightly as they continued to stare at the empty vast space. A lot of people they cared deeply for were currently in danger. But they could save them. They _would_ save them. Because they had each other.

* * *

"Alright. Final check. All systems seem normal." Mitera said. "Does everything feel alright, Miss Aurora?"

"I think so." Aurora answered. She was wearing a special suit designed by Star Chaser. It was a space suit, designed to allow her to move and breathe in space, though it was much lighter than the suits astronauts from Earth would wear when venturing out into space. She could move almost as easily as she could in her normal everyday clothes. With the push of a button on her suit, a visor came down in front of her face, sealing the helmet part. "So this should have enough oxygen to allow me to stay out there and cardfight Ragnarok."

"It should be enough to last you half a day. There should be plenty." Mitera assured her. "Just make sure you be careful. We're all counting on you."

Aurora nodded understandingly. They would arrive at Ragnarok's location any minute now. Almost all of Star Chaser's members were gathered around. Gemini. Libra. Sagittarius. Mitera and Paidi. Aires. Just about every one of them were units that had fought alongside her. And now they would fight with her again in what was bound to be the most important fight of their lives.

"Are you ready, Aurora?" Elara asked.

Aurora nodded her head. "I am."

"Ragnarok is within sight." Sagittarius spoke. "It's do or die time."

At the archer's call, everyone went to their position. Aurora entered a sealed off room that led to outside the ship. She took a deep breath. Everything was going to depend on whether she could do this.

' _I'm going to win this.'_ Aurora told herself. ' _Dad. Anthony. Dan. Everyone. I'll save you no matter what.'_

Soon the hatch opened and Aurora left the ship. She seemed to be able to breathe normally even in the vacuum of space thanks to the suit she was wearing. The flight controls of the suit also made it easy for her to move as she wanted rather than floating aimlessly. She flew towards Ragnarok. She had already seen it once right before the Earth was swallowed up into it. But it was still scary how massive the being was now that she had a closer look at it.

While Aurora winning a fight against Ragnarok would be their only chance at victory, there was still one thing lingering in the back of everyone's minds. The matter of whether Ragnarok would even fight them in the first place. For all they knew, it could just decide to absorb all of them right there and then. It was a gamble, but it was still the best option they had.

' _I really hope this works.'_ Aurora thought. She pointed a finger at Ragnarok. "Ragnarok! I challenge you! Cardfight me, right here, right now!"

A tense silence passed as everyone waited for Ragnarok's response. Finally, it spoke with a voice that echoed all around them. "Child of Earth, why do you fight for such an ugly universe?" it asked. "Everywhere in the universe, there is negativity. Conflict. Violence. War. Hate. What is the point of fighting for such a place?"

"It's true. Not everything is perfect. That holds true on Earth or any other planet." Aurora said. "But even still, there's plenty of good in the universe too. People that care about each other and connect to one another as a result. Not everything in life is good, but giving up because of that isn't the answer."

"Then what is the answer?"

"To look for the brightness in the universe." she said. "We know what it means to be happy because we know what it means to be sad. Because we know how to hate, we also know how precious love is. There will always be darkness no matter what universe there is. But there will also be light. Light that shines through that darkness."

"If the world I remake gives birth to darkness, then I shall simply rewrite it again." Ragnarok spoke. "I will start over as many times as it takes."

"Then I'll just have to stop you as many times as it takes." Aurora countered.

"Your will is strong." Ragnarok said. "Very well then. Let us settle this with the connection between Earth and Cray. Vanguard."

Ragnarok held out its hand. Suddenly, Aurora felt the space around her change. Looking below her, a wide circle of light became visible. Gravity shifted, bringing her down to stand on the light. Aurora moved her body around, noticing the gravity felt almost identical to that of Earth. Looking across from her, Aurora noticed a figure begin to manifest on the other side of the circle. A young boy with dark blue hair.

"What's going on?" Aurora asked as she looked up at Ragnarok. "You're sending a kid to fight me instead?"

"Do not misunderstand." the boy spoke. "I am no mere substitute. I am the vessel of Ragnarok."

Aurora widened her eyes. "Then you're… the one Yukari spoke about. You're Ryo's son?"

"I thank you for getting rid of my father. My only regret is that I wasn't there to watch the life fade from his eyes." Kouta said. "Now that he has no control over me, I am free to unleash all of my pent up hatred on this universe. This universe that brought me nothing but sorrow and pain."

"I know what happened to you. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that." Aurora told him. "But this isn't the answer."

"Be quiet." Kouta glared. "You know nothing about me. Now let's settle this. As the last two people of Earth, we shall decide the fate of the universe."

A sheet of light appeared in front of Aurora, as did one for Kouta. It was clear talking wasn't going to get Aurora anywhere, not that she expected it to in the first place. She placed her deck down. Kouta held his hand up and Ragnarok transformed into light, moving to Kouta's hand and taking the form of a Vanguard deck. He too placed his deck down as both he and Aurora drew their opening hands.

Kouta smirked at Aurora. "For a future where sorrow is nonexistent."

Aurora's gaze held firm as she stared right back at him. "For a future where we can fight for a brighter tomorrow."

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major!"

 **Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Inheritor of Wills, Ragnarok!"

 **Inheritor of Wills, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

The two units emerged next to the fighters. But neither Aurora nor Kouta seemed to notice or care. Both of their focus was entirely on the cardfight.

"I'll begin." Kouta said. "I ride. Stasis Element, Ragnarok."

 **Stasis Element, Raganrok**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Skill of Inheritor of Wills. When Stasis Element rides over it, the top card of the opponent's deck is bound face down. Then, I draw one card. Next, I use Stasis Element's skill. I discard a card and look at the top seven cards of the deck. Adding Oblivion Element, Ragnarok to my hand." Kouta said. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius!"

 **Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Dipper Major moves back with forerunner." Aurora said. "And now I attack with Sagittarius boosted by Dipper Major!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(0), Kouta(1).]**

"Turn end.

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(6), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "Activating the skill of Guide of Ragnarok in my hand. At the beginning of my ride phase, I can reveal it and look at the top seven cards of the deck for a card with Ragnarok in its name that is one grade higher than my Vanguard." The top seven cards came to him as Kouta found the card he wanted. "Superior ride. Contradiction Element, Ragnarok."

 **Contradiction Element, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 2, Power: 9000**

"Since I rode this way, I discard Guide of Ragnarok. In addition, with Stasis Element's skill, bind the top card of the deck face down and my Vanguard gains 5000 power." Kouta explained. "Now attack."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Kouta(1).]**

As the card fell into her damage zone, an intense pain flowed through Aurora's body. She fell to one knee. ' _This much pain, just from the first damage?'_

"I doubt I need to explain to you that our very lives are on the line in this cardfight." Kouta said. "How long will that strong resolve you had hold out if you're brought to this so easily?"

"Don't count me out yet." Aurora grunted as she willed herself to stand up. "I told you already. I'm not losing this."

Kouta only looked at the girl with disinterest, as if this fight was already won. "Because the attack hit, I can use my Vanguard's skill. I counterblast and bind the top 2 cards of the opponent's deck face down."

Aurora watched two more cards leave her deck. It was likely that Kouta's strategy was to bring her deck down to zero. If that was the case, she would just have to win before that could happen.

"My turn ends."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Kouta(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I call Warp Gate Hare, Lepus and Starshot Gunner! I rest Lepus with her skill to bind the top card of the deck!" Aurora said. "And now Starshot attacks!

 **(9000)**

"Guard." Kouta said, holding up a card from his hand.

"Gemini and Dipper, attack the Vanguard!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Kouta(2).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "Contradiction Element's skill. Look at the top seven cards of the deck. Superior ride. The one that shall bring salvation to the universe. Oblivion Element, Ragnarok."

 **Oblivion Element, Ragnarok**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"The top card of the opponent's deck is bound face down." Kouta said. "Next, I call Corrupted Elemental, Bikkun. Ragnarok attacks the Vanguard."

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger. Critical to Ragnarok and power to Bikkun."

"Damage check." Aurora said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kouta(2).]**

Aurora grunted as she tried to endure the pain her body felt. Kouta had no intention of letting her rest though. "Bikkun attacks."

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Starshot intercepts!" Aurora called out.

"Turn end." Kouta said.

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(5), Kouta(7).]**

"Stand and draw!" Aurora said. "I won't let Ragnarok win. No matter what you do, I won't lose."

"And how will you do that? The only thing left to fight at your side is one single clan. Ragnarok has already absorbed the rest of the universe."

"Don't underestimate Star Chaser." Aurora said. "Because I still have them to fight by my side, I can still win." She held up a card in her hand. "Even with all the stars in the cosmos gone, this one shall still shine enough to illuminate the entire universe in its darkest hour! Ride! Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari!"

 **Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes!"

 **Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Ragnarok's skill. Bind a face down card from your G Zone." Kouta told her.

"Stride skill! I bind Luminia from my deck! Then, I call her out and add 5000 power to her!" Aurora said. "Luminia's Warpdrive! I look at the top 3 cards of the deck and bind the Sword of the Stars, Hikari among them! I then call out Sun Smasher, Apollo to rear guard from the bind zone! Up next, I bind Dipper Major with his skill and bind Gemini from my deck! And finally, I activate the skill of Twilight Vulpes! I send Hikari in my bind zone to the drop zone! I then bind cards from the top of my deck equal to her grade, which is three! Then, I call up to three cards from the bind zone! But seeing as I only have 2 open circles, I'll just be calling 2! Come on out, Gemini and Sagittarius! Both of their Warpdrives activate!"

Aurora had a full field out. She knew that binding a large number of cards from her deck was a double edged sword in this kind of matchup, but she couldn't afford to attack half-heartedly.

"Let's go! Luminia attacks with a boost from Sagittarius! Luminia's skill adds 2000 power for every other Warpdrive rear guard I have!"

 **(9000+4000+7000+1000+4000=25000)**

"No guard." Kouta said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kouta(3).]**

"Here goes! My Vanguard attacks!" Aurora declared. "Skill of Vulpes! I bind Luminia, Sagittarius, and Apollo! Add 3000 power for each card bound this way! In addition, since 3 or more cards were bound, add one drive!"

 **(26000+9000=35000)**

"Perfect guard." Kouta said.

"Quadruple drive!" Aurora said. "First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Gemini! Third check, heal trigger! Power to Gemini and I recover one! Final check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kouta(3).]**

"Since the attack was guarded, Corrupted Elemental, Dizmel's skill binds the top card of your deck face down." Kouta said.

"Gemini attacks with a boost from Lepus!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000=32000)**

"No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, draw trigger. Power to the Vanguard and I draw."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Kouta(5).]**

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Binding Gemini with his Warpdrive's effect. Then, I use Dipper's soul blast to add him to my hand."

 **[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(9), Kouta(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "Stride Generation. Decisive Elemental, Janus."

 **Decisive Element, Janus**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill. My Vanguard gains a skill that adds 3000 power every time a card is bound face down." Kouta said. "Then, the top card of the opponent's deck is bound face down. I also activate Janus's skill. I now have one face up card in my G Zone. That means one card from the top of your deck is bound face down. Another 3000 power to my Vanguard. With Bikkun's soul blast, another card is bound. I then call. Contradiction Element, Ragnarok. Stasis Element, Ragnarok."

The formation Kouta had set up wasn't overly powerful. But Aurora knew that wasn't the issue. The concern was with her rapidly decreasing deck size. If it hit zero, then the damage count wouldn't matter. She would lose regardless if that occured.

"Boosted by Stasis Element, Contradiction Element attacks."

 **(9000+7000=16000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kouta(5).]**

"Because the attack hit, I use Contradiction Element's counterblast to bind the top card of the deck face down." Kouta explained. "Janus attacks."

 **(26000+12000=38000)**

"Perfect guard!"

"Triple drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. Power to Bikkun and I recover one. Third check, critical trigger. All effects to Bikkun."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Kouta(4).]**

"Bikkun attacks the Vanguard."

 **(9000+10000=19000)**

Aurora looked at the state of the field. She could guard this attack without issue. But at the rate the game was going, she would likely have to finish it on her next turn. If that was the case, she needed as much counterblasts to work with as possible. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kouta(4).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(7), Kouta(7).]**

"Stand and draw. With Hikari's skill, I bind the Star Maiden, Irene in my drop zone." Aurora said. "Get ready! Cause I'm taking you down here and now! Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"With Ragnarok's skill, bind a card from your G Zone face down." Kouta said.

"Stride skill! I bind Star Maiden, Irene from my deck! Then I call Gemini from my bind zone! His Warpdrive activates! Adding 5000 power and the ability to boost!" Aurora said. "Then from my hand I call Luminia, Sagittarius, and Dipper Major! Next up, I activate Hikari's skill! She gains 10000 power, plus one critical, and a skill! Whenever one of my units attacks this turn, by sending a card from my bind zone to the drop zone, the opponent cannot guard with a card of that grade for the battle!"

' _Dad… Anthony… Dan… Everyone… I'm going to save you. I swear it.'_

"Let's go! Luminia attacks with a boost from Sagittarius! I send Apollo to the drop zone and prevent grade 0s from being used to guard!"

 **(9000+6000+7000+1000=23000)**

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kouta(5).]**

"Hikari, you're up! I send Irene to the drop zone and prevent grade 1s!"

 **(26000+10000+5000=41000)**

"Generation guard. Corrupted Element, Scryew."

 **Corrupted Element, Scryew**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Scryew. Add 5000 to the shield for every five cards face down in the opponent's bind zone." Kouta explained. He then held up a pair of grade 0s, each with 10000 shield. "I also guard with these."

' _So I need three triggers to break through.'_ Aurora thought to herself. Taking such a bet was far too risky. She would have to try and have Gemini end it for her. "Triple drive. First check, critical trigger! All effects to Gemini! Second check, no trigger. Third check, critical trigger! All effects to Gemini!" Aurora said. "I'm ending this. I'll free everyone trapped within Ragnarok."

"Pointless. There's no way your resolve can overpower mine." Kouta said. "This universe isn't worth fighting for."

"You're wrong!" Aurora shouted. "You keep going on about how bad you were treated, but look at what you're doing now! You're taking away the lives of so many people! People that never did anything to you! Can you really say that's the right thing to do?!"

"Will you just shut up already!" Kouta shouted.

Aurora widened her eyes, taken aback by the outburst. This entire time the boy she had been fighting was so monotone and hollow that such a sudden surge of emotion from him came as a shock.

"You don't know me! You don't know a single thing!" Kouta told her. "The agony I was put through constantly! It was so unbearable! All I was treated like was as a simple object! I began to think if it was even worth continuing to live! And similar suffering takes place all over the universe! So if destroying everything is what it takes to erase that pain then so be it!"

"You're wrong!" Aurora told him. "Gemini attacks with a boost from Lepus! Sending Sagittarius in the bind zone to the drop zone to prevent grade 1s!"

 **(10000+5000+10000+7000=32000)**

"I guard!" Kouta said as he held up a draw trigger and a pair of grade 2s from his hand. "I also intercept with Bikkun and Contradiction Element, Ragnarok!"

Aurora widened her eyes. ' _No… He managed to guard that?'_

"I told you." Kouta said with a glare. "You lack the resolve to stop Ragnarok. And now you will see just how weak you are against me and my hatred."

"... Turn end." Aurora said.

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(7), Kouta(1).]**

"Stand and draw." Kouta said. "It's time. Once this turn is over, everything will end. And then it will all begin anew." He revealed a copy of the grade 3 version of Ragnarok in his hand and discarded it. "Stride Generation. Oblivion Universe, Ragnarok Limbo."

 **Oblivion Universe, Ragnarok Limbo**

 **Grade 4, Power: 100000**

Aurora watched as the unit appeared. Ragnarok had been massive before, but now it was even larger. It was bigger than Earth, or even Planet Cray. She had never felt this much power from anything since Caezaros.

"This ends now." Kouta said. "It's time for me to put you out of your misery."

 **Aurora: I can stop you. I will stop you.**

 **Kouta: Stop deluding yourself. Just go to sleep. I will bring about salvation.**

 **Aurora: Is he really right? Can I not stop him?**

 **Next time: Light of a Miracle**


	105. Light of a Miracle

**A/N: surprise readers! Two chapters in one week! Though I guess it really isn't that much of a surprise if you read my Author's Note last chapter. Anyways, time for the finale of the fight between Aurora and Kouta/Ragnarok. Enjoy.**

Aurora found herself staring face to face with Ragnarok. The immense pressure the unit gave off was unlike anything Aurora had ever felt before. She had put everything into her last turn. But it hadn't been enough. And now Kouta was ready to finish her off.

"Skill of Ragnarok Limbo." Kouta said, paying the cost for the skill. "The opponent binds cards from the top of their deck face down equal to the number of cards currently bound face down. Until the end of the turn, the opponent will not lose due to their deck having zero cards in it. With the opponent's deck at zero cards, Ragnarok's attack cannot be nullified. In addition, if an attack from Ragnarok succeeds, I win automatically."

Aurora watched as the rest of her deck was bound face down. With this situation, one attack from Ragnarok would be enough to finish her. But with sentinels no longer an option, was blocking something so massive even possible?

' _I told Hikari and the others I would win. I promised them.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _But now… am I going to let them all down?'_

"Do you finally realize it?" Kouta asked. "Standing against Ragnarok was pointless from the beginning. But don't worry. Your end will be painless. It will all end with this next attack."

' _Is this it? Maybe… I just wasn't meant to win. Maybe this is what's best.'_

"Ragnarok Limbo, attack the Vanguard."

 **(100000)**

Aurora felt the gravitational pull from Ragnarok Limbo. A tear of regret rolled down her face before being pulled away and sucked into the black orb Ragnarok held.

' _The universe will be reborn. If all pain is erased… is that what's best?'_ Aurora thought. Maybe fighting against this was pointless after all. The rest of the universe had already been absorbed. What was she supposed to do? What could she do? ' _I guess this is it. The end of it all. But if this is what's right… then why does my heart ache so much?'_

"AURORA! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

 **(A/N: Play Believe in My Existence)**

The voice calling out to her broke Aurora out of her thoughts. She saw Hikari standing by her side, struggling against the pull from Ragnarok. The other members of Star Chaser on her field were doing the same. They were each fighting with all of their might.

"Hikari… Everyone…"

"We put our faith in you! Don't let us down now!" Gemini said.

"The entire universe is counting on you! You must fight!" Sagittarius told her.

"Please! You're our only hope!" Lepus begged.

"I've flown through tougher situations than this! I know you'll prevail!" Dipper spoke.

"You can do this Aurora." Hikari said. "I believe in you. We believe in you."

"What nonsense." Kouta said. "A few pretty words won't-"

" _Go Aurora! You can do it!"_

Aurora widened her eyes, wondering if she had imagined that voice just now. "Dad…?"

Kouta turned around and looked at Ragnarok Limbo. Squinting his eyes, he could see a small speck of light coming out from the orb Ragnarok held. It was miniscule in size compared to the entire orb. But it was there nonetheless. "It can't be…"

" _Fight, Aurora!"_

Two new voices came, ones Aurora recognized as well. "Dan… Anthony…"

" _I've known you since I first started playing Vanguard. And you've never once backed down from a fight."_ Anthony said. " _So don't start now. Beat this loser into next week."_

" _I was alone. I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone. But you brought me back into the light."_ Dan told her. " _It's thanks to you I was able to believe in Vanguard and myself again. So I know you can make it through this."_

"No… This is impossible…" Kouta said. "Ragnarok's power is infinite! No one can do anything once absorbed by it! Their voices shouldn't be able to reach here!"

More and more light began to leak out from the orb Ragnarok held. As cracks appeared one after another, Aurora heard more voices speak to her.

" _You were still far from a pro when I first met you. But you improved at such an astounding rate. To be honest, I envied you."_

' _William'_

" _Come on. You're seriously having a hard time against this wimp? I don't remember the person who beat William being such a loser."_

' _Elizabeth'_

" _You've bloomed into a beautiful flower. Now let that beauty show in your Vanguard."_

' _Rose'_

" _You can do it, Aurora! Show him what Vanguard is capable of!"_

' _Sophia'_

" _You've always been strong. That's why I know you'll be just fine."_

' _Marcus'_

" _You helped my sister see again. So don't lose sight of what's really important."_

' _Sarah'_

" _If you lose here, it's all over. That's why you need to fight."_

' _Daiki'_

" _Don't tell me you're giving up already? You managed to beat me after all, so I can't have you losing in such a pathetic way."_

' _Allen'_

" _It's because of you that Allen was saved from the darkness. So please, stand up and fight once again."_

' _Amy'_

" _Everytime you were put in a bind, you managed to pull through. I always admired that about you."_

' _Yuma.'_

Voices one after another echoed all around them. Each and every one of them were cheering Aurora on, encouraging her to win. Suddenly, Aurora felt a hand on her shoulder.

" _I always wanted to keep you away from danger. That's why I kept the truth from you about who you really were. But I see that I was wrong. You've become stronger than I could have ever imagined. I'm so proud of you."_

"Dad" Aurora said, turning around only to find no one there.

"None of this matters! None of it!" Kouta shouted. "You're still going to lose this!"

"Don't count on it."

Kouta widened his eyes. "What?"

"You don't get it. You've always been alone so you don't know what it's like." Aurora told him.

"What what's like?"

"To have a bond. To have people who care about you." Aurora said. "It can give you strength, even when everything seems hopeless. That's why I'm not going to give up. Because they're all counting on me to win." She took a card from her hand and discarded it. "Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill activated! Add 10000 to the shield!"

"That won't save you! That's still not nearly enough to stop Ragnarok's attack!"

"Then I'll just have to add on more!" Aurora said. "Generation guard one more time! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"With the skill, add 10000 to the shield!" Aurora said. "And there's more! I guard with Tauros, Apollo, Aquarius, and Starshot Gunner from my hand! On top of that, Gemini and Luminia intercept!"

Kouta stared in disbelief. "No… that can't be…"

"You see? This is what my bond with Star Chaser is capable of." Aurora told him. "We'll be there for each other through thick and thin. They're power is my power."

"That's enough!" Kouta shouted. He performed his triple drive, not that it made a difference in breaking through Aurora's defense. "There's no way you're capable of stopping Ragnarok! You're just some random human girl! You can't stop a god!"

"Being human doesn't matter." Aurora said. "If you can believe in yourself and your cards, then anything is possible. That's what Vanguard is all about."

"SHUT UP!" Kouta yelled. "Just go ahead and make your move! I'll survive it and finish you on the next turn!"

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(1), Kouta(4).]**

"Sorry, but that's not happening." Aurora said as she watched her face down bound cards return to her deck. "Stand and draw." Aurora looked at Hikari. The two sisters shared a smile towards each other. "You ready, sis?"

"Always." Hikari nodded.

"Then let's do it! Time to show Raganrok what we can do!" Aurora said. "I discard a card with the same name as the Vanguard! Then, I remove four copies of Constellation of Light, Hikari from the game!"

A pillar of light shot up from Aurora's G Zone. Suddenly, light began to pour out from Ragnarok. The unit cried out in pain, as did Kouta. "Auuuuugggghhh!"

Waves of light emerged from Ragnarok and flowed into Aurora's hand, forming a card. ' _I can feel it. Everyone's power. Their wishes to keep on living. To try and reach a brighter tomorrow.'_

"Now awaken! Unlock your ultimate potential stretching across the vast reaches of time! Cross Stride! Divine Starblade, Hikari!"

 **Divine Starblade, Hikari**

 **Grade 5, Power: 25000+**

"Skill of Divine Starblade, Hikari! I call Luminia and Gemini from the bind zone! Both they and the Vanguard gain 10000 power, and Hikari gains a critical!" Aurora said. "Warpdrives activate! Using Luminia's I look at the top three cards of the deck! I bind Sagittarius! And now I'm calling it out from the bind zone! Sagittarius's Warpdrive triggers! He gains 2000 power for every face up card in my bind zone!"

Kouta looked at Aurora's full field. With his hand size, there wasn't much he could do.

"Time to save everyone inside Ragnarok!" Aurora said. "Divine Starblade, Hikari attacks the Vanguard! Using her skill, I bind all of my rear guards! Add 10000 power and a skill to restand at the end of the battle! And for her second battle, the opponent can't call sentinels!"

 **(36000+10000+10000=56000)**

Kouta couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He had nothing that could save him. It was over. "No guard…"

Hikari brought her sword back before thrusting it forward, straight through Ragnarok. As she did, more light erupted from the unit. Everything it had absorbed was now being freed. Aurora watched as stars began to dot the space around them. Planets emerged from Ragnarok. Cray and Earth became freed from the being's grasp.

"We don't need some god telling us whether we deserve to live or not!" Aurora said. "We decide our right to live! So get lost, Ragnarok!"

With one final push, Hikari sliced right through Ragnarok. As she did, a final card fell into Kouta's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Kouta(6).]**

Ragnarok dissolved from the field. It's presence began leaving Kouta's body. When it did, the young boy collapsed and Ragnarok appeared in space once again. But it was clear from the injuries it had that it wouldn't be around for long.

"So this is the end result…" Ragnarok spoke. "It would seem I underestimated your power. So be it. Show that you can create a better future yourself."

Ragnarok slowly dissolved, disappearing for good. Once it was gone, Aurora walked over to Kouta. The young boy laid on the ground in defeat.

"All I wanted was to end suffering. To make sure no one had to keep feeling the pain I felt day in and day out." Kouta said. "Was that really so wrong?"

Aurora shook her head. "Your motive wasn't what was wrong. It was your method. People experience sadness and pain. That's just how life is sometimes. But by standing back up and fighting against that, we grow and get stronger.

"You make it sound so easy. Reality is not always so kind."

"Maybe not." Aurora said. "But you can at least give it a try."

A shadow was soon seen looming over the two of them. Aurora turned as saw the Star Chaser main ship flying near them.

"Shall we go back, Aurora?" Hikari said.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yes. Let's go."

* * *

"Alright. Just another few seconds…" Sagittarius said as he typed away on a terminal. "There. It's opened."

As he said this, a warp gate appeared on a platform in the ship. This was connected to Earth. To the world where Aurora lived.

"I guess it's time to go back." Aurora said.

"Indeed." Elara said, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I'm sure Ryuji and all of your friends are worried about you."

"You should come out on the roof of a building on Earth." Sagittarius explained. "It's not the same one you came to us from. That human Atmos is connected to is supposed to be there."

Aurora nodded understandingly. She wasn't going back alone however. In her arms was Kouta. The young boy was unconscious. Star Chaser's medics concluded it was simply exhaustion from having Ragnarok leave his body, and that he would wake up given enough rest.

Walking up to the gate, Aurora turned around to look at the members of Star Chaser, all of them together to see her off. "I can't thank you all enough for your help. I never would have been able to save everyone without your help."

"We should be the one thanking you." Mitera told her. "You and Hikari both were what won in the end."

"Yeah, though I would have clobbered Ragnarok if I had the chance." Aires said with a grin.

"We'll always be here for you, whenever you need us." Paidi told her.

"Our strength will continue to grow. So you had best continue to train as well." Gemini said.

Hikari walked up to her sister. "I suppose this is goodbye again."

"Yeah." Aurora said. "But we'll always be connected. We share a bond through Vanguard."

"Indeed." Hikari nodded. "Take care, Aurora."

"The same to you." Aurora told her. She turned back to the warp gate and walked through it.

A lot had happened. But she was finally going back home. Back to where all of her friends and family were waiting for her. As Aurora felt her body traveling through space, she could sense Star Chaser becoming farther and farther away. But at the same time, she could sense herself getting closer and closer to Earth.

As Aurora stepped out on the other side of the gate, she noticed it close behind her. Looking up at the sky, it was bright and blue once again. Birds chirped and a gentle breeze blew through the air. Everything seemed so peaceful.

"Aurora!"

The collection of voices calling out her name caused Aurora to look over. She saw her teammates Dan and Anthony, as well as everyone else that had been fighting with her against Ragnarok. At the forefront of the group was Yukari. The young Tatsunagi girl gave Aurora a welcoming smile.

"Welcome home, Aurora."

"Everyone…" Aurora muttered. Tears formed in her eyes. They were here. They were really here. One impulse entered her mind to which she acted on immediately. She ran towards her friends. It was all over. The threat of Ragnarok had finally ended.

They had won.

 **Next time…**

 **The threat of Ragnarok is finally over and peace has returned once again. The end of high school life for Team Cosmic Trio is fast approaching and they each are busy deciding what they'll be doing with their lives once they graduate. In the midst of all of this, Yukari appears with a special announcement. A large celebration that is sure to be the biggest Vanguard event yet.**

 **Sta tuned for the next and final arc of Cardfight Vanguard: Bonds Beyond the Cosmos. Farewell Tourney.**


	106. Aftermath

**A/N: Well readers it's time for the start of a brand new arc. I haven't added a new decklist or lore chapter yet because decks at the end of the latest arc and this arc will be basically the same. I'll be putting them in at the end of this final arc.**

 **Also be sure to check out the special note at the end of this chapter after you finish reading it. It contains an important message I'm sure you'll all want to see.**

The warm sun basked the city with its light, signaling a brand new day. Birds chirped. People roamed the streets. There wasn't a care in the world. Aurora took all of this in as she opened the door and left her house.

"I'm off to school, dad! See you later!" she called out.

"Have a good day, sweetheart!" Ryuji called back.

Aurora ran along the streets as she hurried to school. A bright smile was on her face. Seeing how peaceful everything seemed, it was hard to tell that the world had nearly ended not too long ago.

Five months had passed since the final battle against Purgatory, when Aurora and Star Chaser had defeated Ragnarok and saved not only Earth and Cray, but the entire universe. After the battle against Ragnrok, Earth was brought back just as it had been before Purgatory's large scale attack all across the globe. All of the damage the cult had done on that horrific day was gone without a trace. But that didn't erase the memory of what had happened from the minds of the people in the world. But with there being no evidence left over of it, some wondered if it had all been a dream. Needless to say, there had been a large amount of confusion for awhile. But finally, things were starting to get back to normal. Yukari and the Tatsunagi Corporation had been busy working with governments worldwide to both settle the nerves of the people of the world and deal with the lingering members of Purgatory. The organization was now more or less dismantled thanks to their work. And with Ryo no more, chances of it coming back were slim to none.

As Aurora approached Kousei High, she noticed Madoka standing by the gate. Her friend waved over to her. "Aurora!"

"Hey." Aurora greeted as she ran over to her friend. "Sleep well?"

"Yup." Madoka nodded. "Hey after school today, let's head down to your family's shop. I want to try out a new combo I thought up."

"Sounds good." Aurora said. The two girls walked together inside the school building, already excited for when the final bell would ring.

School proceeded normally for Aurora. She sat in class, took notes, and talked with her friends. But when the final bell rang, she headed straight for Card Galaxy. Madoka and a few other friends from Kousei that had a strong interest in Vanguard recently walked with her.

As they walked, Aurora stared up at the sky. Summertime was nearing. It was hard for her to believe everything that had happened this past year. She had been just a regular cardfighter before then. Now she was one of the world's best, and she had found out about a sister she never knew existed, not to mention getting to know her mother whom she had thought was dead until then. On top of all that, she had helped save the world on more than one occasion.

' _And now everything's finally back to normal.'_ Aurora thought. ' _Well, as normal as things ever get around here.'_

When they arrived at Card Galaxy, Aurora could see the shop was already bustling. No doubt it was going to be another busy shift for her. Walking in, she noticed Dan and Anthony already in the middle of fights.

"Yo Aurora." Anthony waved. "It's about time you showed up."

"Ah, perfect timing." Ryuji said, seeing Aurora come in. "Hey Aurora, I don't mean to rush you, but can you hurry and change? A new shipment came in today and I need help unloading the rest of it."

"Sure thing, dad." Aurora said. She went into the employee room to quickly change into her work clothes. Within minutes, she emerged. "Ok, so what's first?"

"Well I already stocked the shelves with the new set that came in." Ryuji explained. "All that's left is the spares I got of product we were low on."

"Got it." Aurora said as she went over to help her dad. Looking at the shelves, she caught a glimpse of the new Vanguard set that had come out. Conquest Empire. The new trial deck and booster set of the clan was popular with it finally being released to the public. "Seems we had good business today so far."

"Indeed." Ryuji said with a nod. "Anyone would get excited over a brand new clan."

"And as a result, we've been fighting almost nothing but Conquest Empire since we got here." Anthony frowned. "It's like fighting an army of mini Allens."

"The clan's harder to master than some people think." Dan said. "The players haven't been much of a challenge."

"Mind if I play the next game then?" Madoka asked. "I'm curious to see what this new clan is all about."

"Oh yeah, you're a new player, so you wouldn't know about the clan." Dan realized. "Well just be ready, cause Conquest Empire has some strong abilities."

"Oh how bad could it be?"

"Their units invade your field." Anthony told her.

Madoka blinked her eyes in surprise. "Wait, what? That's gotta be cheating right?"

"Nope. Dead serious." Aurora confirmed. "Don't worry though, I'm sure you can handle it."

Madoka gulped as she began to sweat a little. ' _Oh boy… I may have bit off more than I can chew.'_

"That reminds me." Dan said. "The celebration party's tomorrow right?"

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that." Anthony said. "Should be a fun time."

"Yeah. Everyone's going to be there. It'll be nice to catch up with them." Aurora said. "We haven't seen them in five months after all."

* * *

The night sky was decorated with twinkling stars as Ryuji's car came up to the building. The door opened and Aurora emerged, wearing a beautiful red dress. The last time she could recall dressing up formally was for the homecoming dance last year. Dan and Anhony exited the car as well, dressed well in their own suits.

"I'll pick you up when the event is over." Ryuji told them. "Have fun."

The trio watched as Aurora's father drove away. Aurora looked at her two friends. "Well, let's get going."

Dan and Anthony nodded their heads in agreement as they walked inside. They were led to the event hall, which was well decorated. No surprise, given that Yukari Tatsunagi was hosting it.

With everything that had happened, Aurora and the others felt a celebration was an order for their victory over Purgatory and Ragnarok. But with the chaos of the aftermath, it had taken a lot of time for things to settle down enough to hold such a party. But now it was time and Aurora was excited to see everyone again after so long.

"Hey, look who's finally here." a familiar voice said. The three of them turned to see William walk over to them. "I see you three are doing well."

"Hi William." Aurora greeted. "It's nice to see you."

"It's hard to believe it's already been five months." the Lewis heir said. "Time sure does fly."

"So who else is here so far?" Dan asked.

"Well, Elizabeth's at one of the tables I think. She was talking with Rose last I saw her." William said. "Marcus's group showed up a few minutes ago, so they should be somewhere around here. I think I saw Sophia's teammates from the World Tournament talking with Thomas not too long ago."

"Speaking of Sophia…" Aurora said. "How are things regarding her and… you know…"

"I'm afraid I haven't been told much yet." William told her. "But the two of them are at the table over there."

Looking towards where William was pointing, Team Cosmic Trio looked over and saw Sophia sitting at a table wearing a cute blue dress. Sitting next to her was her sister Isabelle.

It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to trust Isabelle after her involvement in Purgatory. She had been held by the Tatsunagi family for about a month after the battle five months ago. But with the combined efforts of Sophia's pleading and Isabelle's cooperation, the young girl was released into the custody of the orphanage Sophia went to. Sophia had saved Isabelle, just like she said she would.

But that didn't mean she was exactly happy about being in a room filled with so many others.

"Come on Isabelle." Sophia said. "Let's go say hi to the others."

"Why should I?" Isabellle said with a frown. "Nobody here trusts me anyway, I bet. They all probably hate me."

"That's not true." Sophia told her. "Everyone here is super duper nice. I promise."

"I said no."

"Fine then." Sophia said with a pout. "Then I'll just bring them over here." She sat up and waved over to Aurora's group. "Hey! Aurora! Over here!"

"Sophia!" Isabelle protested.

Seeing Sophia wave to them, Team Cosmic Trio walked over to the table. "Hi Sophia. How have you been?" Aurora greeted.

"Good." Sophia said with a smile. "I've been introducing Isabelle to everyone at the orphanage now that we're both staying there."

"I see…" Aurora said. She looked over towards Isabelle. "Well, in any case, I'm glad you two are both doing well."

Isabelle was in adamant refusal to join in on the conversation. She quickly ducked below and his under the table.

"Hey! Isabelle!" Sophia said. She went under the table as well, to get her sister. Within seconds, both ran out from under it, with Sophia chasing after Isabelle.

"I promise they're super nice, Isabelle!"

"No! You can't make me!"

Aurora, Dan, and Anthony watched the two sisters chase each other in awkwardness. "Well… at least they're interacting with each other I guess." Aurora said, not sure of what to make of the situation.

"It's kind of hard to believe who's the younger sibling and who's the older one." Dan commented.

"Isabelle's definitely a handful, that's for sure." Maria said as she and Bruno walked up to the three of them. "But given everything she went through, I suppose it's understandable for her to be hesitant around strangers."

"How is she doing really?" Dan asked.

Maria let out a small sigh. "Isabelle's been rather shy around all the new people, both at the orphanage and the card shop. But I think she's slowly getting used to everyone. No one else knows about her connection to Purgatory so that's certainly helped people act more friendly towards her."

"The kid's at least able to talk normally around Sophia, Maria, and myself." Bruno told them. "So there's some progress at least."

"I still don't get how she was the only one of Purgatory's Seven Lords that survived." Anthony said. "Sophia said she shared her life force with her or something, but that doesn't make any sense."

"With everything that's happened this past year, I guess anything's possible." Dan shrugged. "All's well that ends well."

"It may be due to how connected Cray and Earth were during the battle." Aurora guessed.

"A rather intriguing theory." a new voice spoke. The group turned to see Yuma and Team Genius Prodigy walking up to them. "But given how bizarre Cray and Vanguard can be at times, I don't think there's any use thinking too hard over it."

"Indeed." Rose said, walking over with Team Beautiful Thorn. "We should just be grateful that the beauty of life was preserved in that girl."

"I suppose you're right." Aurora said with a smile.

"By the way…" Rose said, glancing over in Anthony's direction. "Elizabeth said she wanted to talk with you, Anthony. Perhaps you should go over and see her."

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Really? Why didn't she just come over and tell me herself?"

"Oh just go over and talk to her." the red haired French girl said, giving him a playful shove in Elizabeth's direction.

As Anthony walked over towards Elizabeth, Aurora looked at Rose with a knowing grin. "Elizabeth never actually said she wanted to talk with him, did she?"

"Nope." Rose said with a giggle. "But someone had to give those two a little push."

"Bet you dragon breath blows it." Akari smirked.

Elizabeth sat at her table when she noticed Anthony walk up to her. "What's up? Need something?"

"Uh, you're the one that said they wanted to talk with me." Anthony told her. "At least according to Rose over there."

A small blush appeared on Elizabeth's face as she glared over at the French girl, who giggled at her. ' _Damnit Rose. That is the last time I ever have a heart to heart with you.'_

"So? What is it you needed?"

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "I-I guess… I just wanted to talk with you. About stuff."

"Ok…" Anthony said. He took a seat at the table. "So… how've things been for you these past few months?"

"Well, I'm going to continue working with the Lewis family for a bit longer." Elizabeth explained. "But soon, I want to try rebuilding the Scarlet family. Not back into the kind of corrupt organization it used to be, but one with real values. I'll work to restore their honor and rebuild it from the ground up."

"That sounds pretty tough."

"It will be. There's no denying that." Elizabeth nodded. "It'll probably take years, maybe even decades, before they rise back to their former social status. But William said he's willing to help me get started at least, so that should hopefully help a little."

Anthony showed a small grin. "Heh, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were a couple."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Wh-What?!"

"Well I mean you two have been working together for awhile and all, plus you knew each other beforehand so-"

"That's not it you idiot!" Elizabeth told him.

Anthony held up his hands in defense. "Okay, geez. I'm sorry."

Elizabeth crossed her arms. "William's a close friend. But… there's someone else I have those kinds of feelings for."

Anthony raised a brow. "Oh really? Anyone I'd know?"

"I doubt you'd ever figure it out." she told him.

"Ouch." he said. "Well, if you want my advice, you should just tell him."

"R-Really?"

"Well yeah. You never know, maybe he'll feel the same way." he shrugged. "Your a cool girl. I'm sure they'll feel happy to hear such a thing."

Elizabeth showed a small smile. "Maybe. I'll give it some thought." she said. "Let's move onto a new topic though. Any plans for after you graduate high school in a few months?"

"Not really sure." Anthony said as he leaned back in his chair. "I don't really feel like college is the right thing for me. I've been thinking about maybe becoming a professional cardfighter. I'm just not sure how to go about it."

"I see…" Elizabeth said.

Back over by Aurora, the group watched Anthony and Elizabeth talk. "What do you suppose they're saying?" Aurora asked.

"We can only leave that to the imagination for now." Rose said. "So Aurora, you and Dan are both graduating high school in a couple months, right? Any plans?"

Aurora nodded her head. "I plan to eventually take over the family business. So I'm gonna go to college for business to try and do what I can to improve things even further for when that time comes."

"Really? I thought for sure you'd go pro, especially given that you led the winning team in the World Tournament." Yuma said.

"Going pro sounds nice and all, but I'm looking a bit further into the future." she said. "I want to be sure I'm fully ready to inherit the store when my dad finally retires."

"That sounds like a good goal." Maria nodded. She turned to Dan. "What about you?"

"I wasn't really sure what I'd do for awhile." Dan admitted. "But recently, I've been thinking about trying my hand at the Asia League."

"So you've got the same goal as us then." Akari grinned. "At least we'll have one member of Cosmic Trio's butt to kick."

"Don't expect me to go down easy." Dan grinned back.

As the group continued chatting, two more new arrivals entered the venue. Allen and Amy. It didn't take long for those that caught sight of the duo to notice they were holding hands, though Allen didn't seem very pleased about it.

"Come on Allen, smile. It's a party after all." Amy told him.

"Do we have to hold hands though. It's embarrassing." Allen said with a blush.

"Oh is that so?" Amy asked him. "So it's embarrassing for you to not be holding hands with your girlfriend? You want to keep up that whole "cool loner" persona that everyone can see right through?"

"I… Well…" Allen resigned himself to his fate and let out a sigh. "Fine."

"There, see? That wasn't so hard." Amy giggled.

"You two are utterly ridiculous." Keith said as he walked in not long after them. "Seems she has you trained though, Allen."

"Shut up." Allen groaned.

The party went on as people chatted with each other. Many of them were ones that had fought Purgatory across the world. They talked about how they had each been doing since the eventful battle. They sat at tables and enjoyed the food served out for them. The hours that ticked away seemed like minutes. But before long, their conversations were halted when the lights dimmed in the room. They all looked to the end of the room, where Yukari Tatsunagi walked out.

The young girl looked at all of the guests that had come to the party. "As all of you know, five months ago the entire universe was threatened by a group calling themselves Purgatory, and the being known as Ragnarok. Thanks to Aurora Fujou however, we were all saved from the fate of being wiped out of existence." She looked over at Aurora and raised a glass. "Thank you Aurora. Your efforts saved us all."

"To Aurora!" everyone called out, toasting their glasses as well. Aurora let out a nervous chuckle, embarrassed by having the spotlight on her.

"But it wasn't just Aurora Fujou." Yukari continued. "The efforts of everyone here that fought across the world are to thank for stopping Purgatory and their ambition. To all of you here and to the many others throughout the world, I cannot thank you enough for your bravery and courage." After giving a moment for a group applause, she went on. "This party is a celebration for our victory over Purgatory. However, I had another reason for hosting this event."

Many people in the room narrowed their eyes, wondering where Yukari was going with this. Soon the lights dimmed even further as a spotlight shined on Yukari.

"Many things have happened over the past year. Vanguard has helped save this world on more than one occasion. But it is first and foremost meant to be a game enjoyed by all who play it." Yukari explained. "That is why this summer, the Tatsunagi Corporation will be hosting a special tournament to show the world the greatness of Vanguard." Gasps of shock filled the room at the mention of this. "I hereby announce the Vanguard Invitational Cup!"

Silence was all that was heard at first. But as the news of the sudden announcement sunk it, cheers and applause echoed throughout the room.

"This is a special tournament and will be invite only, as the name implies." Yukari explained. "Everyone here will receive an invitation to participate. There are also many others around the world who helped fight against Purgatory that I will also be inviting. Unlike the Vanguard World Tournament however, this will be a singles tournament, and as such there will not be any teams. This summer, all the invited cardfighters from around the world will come here to Japan and compete for the title of the world's best cardfighter."

The excitement was through the roof as everyone cheered at the thought of such a big event. With everything that had happened. A fun tournament among the best in the world was something they all needed to feel the enjoyment of the game once again.

"This tournament will be announced to the general public tomorrow." Yukari explained. "For now though, please continue to enjoy the party. You've all earned it."

With that, Yukari exited the room and left everyone to talk amongst themselves about the upcoming tournament. She left the venue, got into her family's limo and drove off.

The past few months had been busy and tiring for the girl. But with her efforts and the combined work of governments worldwide, they had managed to round up nearly all of Purgatory's remaining members and toppled the underground cult. The hardest part had been keeping Cray's existence a secret from those governments. While a large amount of people had likely been tipped off about Cray's potential existence by now, that was limited to cardfighters around the world. That information couldn't be validated however and as such the world's governments could likely not do anything even if they did suspect it. That was for the best. Yukari didn't want to think about what might happen if people tried to use Vanguard for their own devices.

After a short drive, the limo pulled up to the Tatsunagi headquarters. Yukari exited the vehicle and walked inside. She went through a number of hallways and doors that most others might confuse for a maze. Several floor underground, she walked into a sealed off room. A reinforced clear wall separated her from the only other person in the room with her.

Kouta.

"What do you want?" Kouta asked. "Come to spout more nonsense to me?"

Yukari sighed. "You know, given the fact that you were nearly responsible for the erasure of the entire universe, I believe the treatment you've received here has been rather fair. Three meals a day. A warm bed. That's better than most criminals get."

"It doesn't matter. I'm still a prisoner, just as I've always been." Kouta said. "I'm used to it though. That's how my life's always been."

Yukari let out a sigh. "You have a fair point. But regardless, I've been holding you here for these past few months for a reason."

"Because I'm a danger to the world?"

"Partially true, though you can't do much real damage right now given that Ragnarok is no longer with you." Yukari said. "But the main reason is because there's something happening soon that I want you to witness. A Vanguard tournament."

"Why would I want to watch that?" Kouta said. "Vanguard is worthless to me now that Ragnarok is gone."

"I figured that would be your answer." Yukari said. "Which is why I'm offering you a deal. Bear witness to this tournament, from start to finish, and you will be free to go."

Kouta narrowed his eyes at Yukari. "What?"

"I want you to watch this entire tournament. See what Vanguard has to offer someone who is lost in the darkness right now like yourself." she explained. "All you have to do is watch it, and then you can go do whatever you wish."

"And if I decide to try and find another way to destroy this disgusting world?"

"Then that is your decision. And you will be stopped if and when that time eventually comes." Yukari said. "But I have a feeling that won't be what happens."

"How can you be so sure?" Kouta asked.

Yukari showed a small smile before turning to walk away. "Because there's a certain someone who's love for the game I think will rub off on you."

Kouta watched as Yukari walked out of the room with the doors closing behind her. Kouta let out a chuckle. "You're a naive fool, guardian of Earth." he said. "I'll watch your dumb tournament. But nothing will change my hatred for this world."

 **Aurora: A new tournament filled with the best players in the world! I'm so excited!**

 **Dan: This seems like the perfect way to end things before we all go our separate ways.**

 **Anthony: Watch out losers! Cause nobody's gonna beat me!**

 **Aurora: There sure seem to be a lot of familiar faces participating. I can't wait to find out who I'm fighting first.**

 **Next time: Excitement! The Vanguard Invitational Cup!**

* * *

 **A/N: Well readers, hope you're all excited for this upcoming final arc. And with it, it's time for that special message I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter.**

 **This story will be taking a bit of a hiatus. Before you get mad though, there is a reason for this. The matchups for this tournament are currently undecided. That's because we want to hear what YOU all want to see. Tell us via reviews or pm what matchups you want to see in this tournament. Is there a particular pair that have never faced off you want to see fight? Is there a rematch you've been dying to see? Whatever it is, let us know. After some time passes, we'll take a look at what you all have to say and will structure the tournament based on popular matchups. We can't promise all of them will be done sadly, but we will do our best to make the potential matchups that seem to be favorites among the readers happen. So drop a review or pm, telling us what fight (or fights) you'd like to see happen in this tournament.**

 **Any character that has been in this story, big or small, is an eligible fighter for a match you want to see, with the following exceptions:**

 **\- None of the Seven Lords of Purgatory, except Isabelle, since they are all dead.**

 **\- No one that isn't from this story's version of Earth (i.e. no anime/manga characters or units from Cray/Conquest Empire).**

 **\- Yukari and Kouta, as they will not be participating.**

 **Until the next chapter readers. We look forward to your votes.**


	107. Excitement! Vanguard Invitational Cup

**A/N: Hey readers. The story is back for its final arc. The tournament brackets are set up after going through requests. Not all fights requested are going to be in it sadly, but there should be at least 1 fight from almost every list requested. Also, this sadly won't be doing weekly updates as we cannot write out the chapters fast enough for that with everything going on right now. Chapters will be updated as they get finished. Hopefully it should be on roughly a once per month basis at least.**

A month had passed since Yukari's announcement of the Vanguard Invitational cup. Ever since it was made public, excitement had gradually been building up to the fateful day of the event. Nearly a year had passed since the Vanguard World Tournament, and this would be the biggest tournament since then.

Aurora stood in front of the stadium for the tournament. It wasn't as big as the one for the Vanguard World Tournament in Rome, but it was still the stadium used for Japan's National Vanguard Tournament so it was still plenty big. People were already heading inside, eager to get to their seats.

"It's finally time, huh?" a voice said from behind Aurora.

Aurora turned around and saw Dan and Anthony walking up to her. Together, the three of them had won the Vanguard World Tournament as Team Cosmic Trio. But the Vanguard Invitational Cup had no teams. They would each be on their own here.

"Let's all do our best, no matter who we get paired up against." Aurora said.

"That goes without saying." Anthony grinned. "After all, I'm the one who's going to win this in the end."

"Ever the egotist." Dan said with a small smile. "Just don't be too disappointed when I end up winning instead."

"You're both crazy." Aurora told them. "I'm gonna win in the end."

"Well you three are as eager as always it seems." a new voice said. Cosmic Trio all turned to see William, Elizabeth, and Thomas of Team Round Table walk over. "Not that it isn't fun to watch."

"Hope you're ready to lose, rich boy." Anthony said. "Cause if we fight, you're going down."

"I look forward to a good fight." William said. He looked at some of the people walking inside. "I must say, Yukari certainly went all out with this. I haven't seen so many famous cardfighters gathered together since the World Tournament."

"Nervous, are we?" Elizabeth asked with a smirk.

William shook his head. "Hardly. I'm excited."

"We should probably head inside ourselves." Aurora suggested. "Wouldn't want to be late."

The six cardfighters walked into the stadium. Each of them had only complete and total victory set on their minds.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Vanguard Invitational Cup." Yukari said as she addressed the thousands of people in the crowd. "I hope everyone is ready for the series of exciting battles in store."

The cheers of the crowd were deafening. It was clear that the excitement was at its peak. Every single person there was a Vanguard fanatic, and no one was going to want to miss a single second.

Yukari waited for the cheers to die down before continuing. "We have a total of thirty-two players gathered from across the world." Yukari explained. "Some are famous fighters you will likely recognize. Others are faces none have seen before. But at the end of this three day event, only one cardfighter will be left standing. As for who will be competing, you'll just have to wait and see. For the first round, even our participants will not know who their opponents are until they step out onto the field. By the end of the first round, you will all see who our thirty-two participants are. Now then, are you ready for some Vanguard?!"

The cheers erupted once again. A monitor was present above where Yukari was standing. On the screen, it could be seen shuffling through a series of numbers as the first match was being decided. After a few seconds, it finally stopped and showed two numbers.

"The first fight will be between contestants number 1 and 27!" Yukari declared. "Both players will step out onto the field in a few minutes!"

* * *

"Well, wish me luck guys." Aurora said as she parted ways with Dan, Anthony, and Madoka. She was contestant number 1, meaning she was going to be in the opening game.

"Good luck." Dan said.

"Knock 'em dead!" Anthony called to her.

Aurora walked away as she headed towards the entryway to the field. Madoka watched as her friend from school vanished. "Man, this is so nerve wracking. How is Aurora able to be so calm?"

"This isn't her first big tournament." Anthony pointed out. "Plus, compared to fighting with the fate of the world at stake, this is nothing when it comes to nervousness."

"I guess so." Madoka admitted. She looked at her entry number. It was a relief for her to not be fighting Aurora in the first round. "I still can't believe I was given an invite to this. I'm not a famous cardfighter or anything. I'm still a beginner."

"Don't sell yourself short." Dan told her. "Remember, a lot of the people that helped fight Purgatory were invited to this, and you helped defend a lot of people back then. It's not necessarily just about skill level. Plus you've been training hard for this."

"He's right. So long as you're not fighting a crazy strong fighter, like us for example, you'll be fine." Anthony grinned. "Don't get any ideas about winning the whole thing though."

"To be honest, I'm just hoping to make it past the first round." Madoka said.

"Just take it one fight at a time. And make sure to have fun." Dan said. "Now let's go check out Aurora's fight."

The three teens headed to the spectator area and watched as both fighters were about to walk out onto the field. Everyone waited with bated breath for who the two fighters would be."

"First up, we have contestant number one." Yukari said. "Aurora Fujou!"

The second her name was heard, the crowd blew up as the blonde teen came out onto the field. It was only natural, given that she was the leader of the team that won the Vanguard World Tournament. An eager look was seen in her eyes.

"And now for her opponent." Yukari said. "Contestant number twenty-seven. Sa-"

Yukari was cut off as music was suddenly heard all around the stadium. Spotlights shined down on the other end of the field as a girl with long black hair and a fancy dress walked out onto the field. Everyone gasped in recognition of who it was.

"Hello cardfighting fans! My name is Sachi Fukazawa!" Sachi greeted. "Many of you may remember me as the master of ceremonies for the Vanguard World Tournament! Well I'm here today once again! This time, as a fighter!"

Aurora found it hard to believe her eyes. She had not been expecting Sachi to be one of the fighters chosen for this event.

"It looks like you're surprised to see me, Aurora Fujou." Sachi smiled.

"Kind of, yeah." Aurora admitted. "I wasn't aware you were a big player."

"Of course. I may not be a professional or anything, but don't underestimate my skills." the girl said with a smirk. "Now then, let's get underway!"

The crowd roared with applause. Aurora cracked a small grin. ' _Even when she's fighting, she always focuses on pumping the crowd up.'_

The Motion Figure System started up as the boards for Aurora and Sachi came up from the ground. Both girls placed their decks down and drew their opening hands.

"The first fight! Aurora Fujou vs Sachi Fukazawa!" Yukari announced. "Begin!"

"Stand up! Vanguard!"

"Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major!"

 **Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

"Chouchou, Amalia!"

 **Chouchou, Amalia**

 **Grade 0, Power: 5000**

Both units appeared with the help of the Motion Figure System. Aurora looked at the unit by Sachi. ' _Bermuda Triangle.'_

"I'll start." Aurora said. "I ride Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius!"

 **Sharpshooter of the Stars, Sagittarius**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"Dipper Major moves back. Turn end."

 **[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Sachi(5).]**

"My turn then." Sachi said. "Ride! Chouchou, Sonia!"

 **Chouchou, Sonia**

 **Grade 1, Power: 7000**

"I move Amalia with forerunner." Sachi said. "And now a duet from those two is coming straight for your Vanguard!"

 **(7000+5000=12000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sachi(0).]**

"And that brings an end to the exciting opening moves of both players!" Sachi said, talking more to the crowd rather than Aurora. "Keep watching to see how the exciting cardfight will develop."

 **[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Sachi(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She couldn't deny that it was a bit strange with how Sachi was trying to juggle being an announcer and a fighter at the same time. But that didn't change the fact that this was still a cardfight. She just had to play like she always did. "Ride! Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini!"

 **Swordsman of the Twin Sabres, Gemini**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"I call Luminia." Aurora said. "And now she'll attack the Vanguard!"

 **(9000)**

"Guard!" Sachi said, holding up a card from her hand.

"Gemini and Dipper will attack next!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard."

"Drive check, no trigger."

"Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(1), Sachi(1).]**

"Turn end."

 **[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(5), Sachi(5).]**

"Here goes then. Stand and draw." Sachi said. "I ride! Chouchou, Darina!"

 **Chouchou, Darina**

 **Grade 2, Power: 10000**

"Next I call Chouchou Lirun." Sachi said. "With a boost from Amalia, Darina attacks!"

 **(10000+5000=15000)**

"No guard." Aurora said.

"Drive check, draw trigger." Sachi said. "Power to Lirun and I draw."

"Damage check. No trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Sachi(1).]**

"Alright Lirun, go get Luminia off the field!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said as she held up a critical trigger from her hand.

"My turn's over." Sachi said.

 **[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(4), Sachi(6).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. She took a card in her hand and grinned excitedly. "Time to shine and illuminate this battlefield! Here comes my ace! I ride Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari!"

 **Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari**

 **Grade 3, Power: 11000**

"Next I activate Dipper Major's skill! I bind him and then bind Gemini from my deck!" Aurora explained. "Let's go Hikari! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(11000)**

"No guard." Sachi said.

"Twin drive. First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Luminia and critical to Hikari!"

"Damage check." Sachi said. Two cards went into her damage zone, neither being the triggers she wanted.

 **[Damage: Aurora(2), Sachi(3).]**

"Luminia's coming in next!"

 **(9000+5000=14000)**

"I guard!" Sachi said, using up a card from her hand.

"Turn end." Aurora said. "Activating Dipper's soul blast to add him from the bind zone to my hand."

 **[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(7), Sachi(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sachi said. "Now folks, as you've clearly seen, this fight is a neck and neck battle between both players. But with this next move, the excitement will go through the roof!" She held up a card in her hand as she smiled. "The stage is set and the show must go on! Appearing to you here and now, it's Chouchou Debut Stage, Tirua! Ride!"

 **Chouchou Debut Stage, Tirua**

 **Grade 3, Power :11000**

"Stride Generation!" Sachi called out. "Chouchou Headliner, Lapria!"

 **Chouchou Headliner, Lapria**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I draw one card and reveal it!" Sachi said. "Next it's time for my Chouchous to all come out! I call Ranfa, Schera, and Irune!"

"She just completely filled her field." Dan noted. "She's planning on going in hard this turn."

"Lirun's skill! She gets 2000 power!" Sachi explained. "And with Schera's boost, she attacks!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a card in her hand.

"With a boost from Amalia, my Vanguard attacks!" Sachi said. "Activating Lapria's skill! I send Chouchous Schera and Lirun to the bottom of the deck, then draw 2 cards. And with Schera's skill, since she was returned to the deck, I countercharge and soul charge. And with Irune's skill, all my front row Chouchous now get 2000 power!"

 **(26000+5000+2000=33000)**

"No guard."

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger! Power to Ranfa and I recover one! Third check, critical trigger! I give all effects to Ranfa!"

Aurora narrowed her eyes. ' _So that's her game.'_ she thought. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(3), Sachi(2).]**

Madoka narrowed her eyes. "Why give the critical to her rear guard? Her Vanguard' attack hit so she could have dealt more damage."

"You'll see in a second." Anthony told her. "Ranfa's got a dangerous skill."

"And now Ranfa attacks with a boost from Irune! Irune's skill adds 2000 power!"

 **(9000+7000+2000+10000=28000)**

"Generation guard! Star Cross Barrier, Crux!"

 **Star Cross Barrier, Crux**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Crux's skill! I send a unit in my bind zone to the drop zone, then bind a card in my drop zone, and add 5000 shield!" Aurora said.

"Irune's skill! After the battle she boosted, I can send Amalia to the bottom of the deck and draw." Sachi said. "Then with Ranfa's skill, when another unit of mine is sent to the bottom of the deck, I counterblast and soul blast to stand her and add 5000 power!"

Madoka widened her eyes. "So that's why she gave the critical to her rear guard! Cause she was getting two attacks with Ranfa!"

"Go Ranfa! Attack the Vanguard again!"

 **(9000+2000+5000+10000=26000)**

Aurora looked at her hand. She couldn't afford to drop anymore this turn. "No guard. Damage check. First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger! Power to the Vanguard and I recover one!"

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sachi(2).]**

"And with that, the leader of Team Cosmic Trio just narrowly escapes being pushed to five damage!" Sachi announced. "Will she be able to overcome this setback?! Stay tuned to find out!"

"She's a bit of an oddball announcing her own cardfight." Dan commented. "But she's really good. If it wasn't for that heal trigger, Aurora would be just one damage away from losing."

"Yeah, but if I know her, she's about to turn things around." Anthony grinned.

 **[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(5), Sachi(7).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "That was a pretty good move on your part, Sachi. But now it's my turn to turn up the heat. Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes!"

 **Nebula Beast, Twilight Vulpes**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sword of the Stars, Hikari from my deck and call Gemini from the bind zone!" Aurora declared. "Gemini gets 5000 power, and then his Warpdrive gives him another 5000 power, along with the ability to boost! Next up, I use the skill of Twilight Vulpes! I send Hikari in my bind zone to the drop zone! Since she's grade 3, I bind the top 3 cards of my deck! And next, I call 3 cards from my bind zone! Come forth Irene, Aquarius, and Tauros!"

"Darn. No Warpdrive units out of those three." Dan said. "But at least she's got a full field with a pretty decent formation. And she didn't have to touch her hand either."

"Luminia attacks with a boost from Irene!"

 **(9000+2000+6000=17000)**

"I guard!" Sachi said, using one of the cards in her hand.

"Vulpes attacks next!" Aurora said. "Skill of Vulpes! I bind Luminia, Irene, and Tauros! Vulpes gains 3000 power for each unit bound! Then since, three or more were bound, add one drive!"

 **(26000+9000=35000)**

"No guard."

"Quadruple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Gemini and critical to the Vanguard! Third check, no trigger. Fourth check, no trigger."

"Damage check." Sachi said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(4), Sachi(4).]**

"Boosted by Aquarius, here comes Gemini!"

 **(10000+5000+5000+7000+5000=32000)**

"Generation guard!" Sachi called out. "Chouchou Cradle Lullaby, Milena!"

 **Chouchou Cradle Lullaby, Milena**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Milena! I send Irune to the bottom of the deck! In exchange, I get to countercharge and add 10000 to the shield!"

' _Darn. I wasn't able to damage her hand as much as I wanted to. I'll just have to try to clinch the game next turn.'_ Aurora thought. "Turn end."

 **[Turn 9. Hand: Aurora(9), Sachi(5).]**

"Stand and draw." Sachi said. "And now everyone, the opponent of Aurora Fujou will now use every ounce of her power to take her down here and now! With one or less rear guards on the field, Tirua allows me to stride without paying a cost!"

' _Here it comes.'_

"Generation Zone, release! Now watch as a miraculous geyser appears, stunning all in attendance of this performance! Stride Generation! Chouchou Pupular Favor, Tirua!"

 **Chouchou Popular Favor, Tirua**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I draw and reveal the card I added!" Sachi said. "And now, call! Irune! Verne! Lirun! Darina! With Lirun's skill, she gains 2000 power and all my grade 2 and greater Chouchou rear guards get resist and boost! Next, using Tirua's skill, I flip a G Unit face up to give my Vanguard a continuous skill!"

' _She's got a really scary formation up.'_ Aurora thought to herself. ' _It's clear she plans to end things this turn.'_

"With Verne's boost, Lirun will start!"

 **(9000+2000+2000+11000=24000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a pair of cards from her hand.

"Irune and Ranfa, you're next!"

 **(9000+2000+7000=18000)**

"Guard!" Aurora said, holding up a trigger from her hand.

"Skill of Irune! Sending Verne to the bottom of the deck to draw!" Sachi explained. "Next, Ranfa's skill! Since a rear guard was sent to the bottom of the deck, I counterblast and soul blast to stand her with an extra 5000 power! And since Verne was sent to the bottom of the deck, her skill lets me give 5000 power to Ranfa! And thanks to the skill Tirua gained, all my front row Chouchous get 5000 power for each of my open rear guard circles!"

In the stands, Isabelle and Sophia watched the cardfight progress. "Can this friend of yours win?" Isabelle asked. "It seems like she's cornered."

"Of course she can. Aurora never gives up. Never, ever, ever." Sophia told her sister. "Go Aurora! Fight!"

"Ranfa attacks for a second time!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+2000=26000)**

"No guard." Aurora said. "Damage check, no trigger."

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Sachi(4).]**

"Aurora Fujou is on the brink! Can she survive?!" Sachi asked the crowd. "One way to find out. Tirua attacks with a boost from Darina!"

 **(26000+5000+10000=41000)**

"Perfect guard!" Aurora called out.

"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Everything to Ranfa! Third check, no trigger." Sachi said. "Activating skill of Tirua! I send Irune, Darina, and Lirun to the bottom of the deck to stand Tirua with drive minus 2! Then, Ranfa's skill activates! I stand her with another 5000 power!"

Madoka gasped. "She restood her Vanguard and a rear guard just like that?!"

"That's not even the worst part." Dan noted. "Sachi just got three more open circles now. That means another 15000 to her front row units."

"Go Tirua! Attack the Vanguard!"

 **(26000+20000=46000)**

"Skill of Irene in the bind zone!" Aurora said. "By discarding a card from my hand, as well as paying a counterblast and soul blast, I can guard with her from the bind zone. Afterwards however, she's excluded from the game!"

"Drive check." Sachi said. "No trigger. But can you survive Ranfa's final attack?!"

 **(9000+5000+5000+5000+20000+5000=49000)**

"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"

 **Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda**

 **Grade 4, Shield: 15000**

"Skill of Andromeda! Since there are two or more cards in the bind zone, add 10000 shield!" Aurora said. "In addition, I guard with Dipper from my hand and intercept with Gemini!"

"Turn end." Sachi said.

 **[Turn 10. Hand: Aurora(1), Sachi(8).]**

"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Using Hikari's skill, I bind Gemini in my drop zone to countercharge."

"It all comes down to this turn." William said as he watched with Elizabeth and Thomas. "Aurora has to win it here or it's over."

"Generation Zone, release!" Aurora called out. "Clustering stars, come together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Constellation of Light, Hikari!"

 **Constellation of Light, Hikari**

 **Grade 4, Power: 15000+**

"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from the deck and call Luminia from the bind zone! Using her skill, I look at the top three cards, bind Apollo, and call Gemini behind the Vanguard! Gemini's Warpdrive gives him 5000 power and boost!" Aurora said. "Next, I call Starshot Gunner from my hand! Finally, I activate my Vanguard's skill! Generation Break 3! Hikari gains 10000 power, plus one critical and a skill! When one of my units attacks this turn, I can send a card from the bind zone to the drop zone! Until the end of that battle, the opponent cannot guard with cards from their hand of the same grade!"

"Leave it to Aurora to turn a situation like that around." Rose said with a small grin as she watched the fight with Iris and Juliet.

"Luminia is up first! Take this!"

 **(9000+4000=13000)**

"Intercept with Rafina!"

"Boosted by Gemini, here comes Hikari!" Aurora said. "I send Sagittarius to the drop zone and prevent grade 1s!"

 **(26000+10000+10000+5000=51000)**

Sachi looked at her hand. No grade 1s meant her sentinels were sealed off. And she didn't have the necessary cards in hand to block the massive attack from Aurora's vanguard. "No guard."

The crowd watched as Hikari leaped across the field towards Tirua. A clean slash through the mermaid ended the fight as two cards went straight to Sachi's damage zone.

 **[Damage: Aurora(5), Sachi(6).]**

With the fight over, the crowd roared in excitement for the incredible fight. Aurora collected her cards, wiping the sweat off her forehead at how close that fight had been. She looked across the field and saw Sachi clapping for her as well.

"That was an excellent fight, Aurora." Sachi said.

"Thanks." Aurora said with a smile. "You were really incredible. You should consider going pro."

Sachi let out a giggle. "Thanks, but I the idol life is where I really feel at home." She turned around and walked away. "Make sure to wow the crowd again in the rest of your matches."

Aurora nodded her head. "You got it." She looked up at the sky. ' _My heart's racing and it's only the first round. This is going to be one crazy tournament.'_

* * *

The VIP room of the stadium had a full view of the field. No other seat in the entire venue allowed someone to get a better view of the action. Ironically however, the person watching from the room was the person who wanted to be there the least out of everyone in the stadium.

"This is pointless." Kouta said as he looked on with a bored expression. "How can they put so much energy into a stupid game?"

"You truly do have a way of brightening up the room." Yukari commented sarcastically as she watched with him. "They can put all their energy into the game because they find enjoyment out of it. Competing with each other. Getting stronger with each fight. The players here all embody that spirit."

"Whatever. I just want this to be over with so I can go."

Yukari let out a sigh as she stood up. "Try to keep an open mind. You might see something that surprises you." She turned and walked out of the room. She spared one last glance at the boy before leaving. ' _I hope you learn what I'm trying to teach you, Kouta. You're the biggest reason for this tournament after all.'_

 **Aurora: That game was so exciting! I can't wait for my next fight!**

 **Dan: Easy there. There's still the rest of the first round to go through.**

 **Anthony: I wonder who's up next. I hope it's me.**

 **Aurora: Looks like we're about to find out.**

 **Next time: Groovin Beat of Justice**


End file.
